September 2012

Hello friends and family,

As I write this letter I am in a familiar place, an airplane. I am headed to Redding, California to minister to the youth at Bethel Church.  I am so thankful for what God is doing through the ministry He has entrusted us with. This past month was very fruitful and many new doors of ministry opportunities have opened that completely fit the vision God has given us.

If you generally read our monthly newsletters, you know that we consistently believe for new opportunities to mobilize churches, regions, and to establish evangelism teams and directors throughout America. Three large areas have opened up that represent about 1,000-1,250 churches. Key leaders have invited me to Tennessee, Indiana, and South Texas, and want our ministry to help serve them in raising evangelism to a new level.  As you know, I am already working and devoted to North Texas, Nebraska, and North Dakota.  However, I continue travelling throughout America pioneering new territory. We are working hard to raise up new evangelists, as well. Our team is growing and we definitely need it to continue growing because I can't effectively work all of theses areas by myself. My prayer is that God will use me to help open doors for other trained evangelists to go in and mobilize these new areas. This is a process and we are watching it happen. Your support helps pave the way for this to become a greater reality each and every month. Inch by inch we are moving closer and gaining momentum to see every church in America equipped with an evangelism director and team to fulfill the Great Commission.

We have also started back our fall semester at C.F.N.I. and are mobilizing our new evangelism team in the gay and lesbian district of Dallas, Texas (“Oak Lawn”). This particular area has thousands of homosexuals who congregate each weekend in the local bars and clubs. We go right to the heart of the area with guitars and just begin to worship Jesus. The Bible says, “If Christ be lifted up, He will draw all men.”

A couple of weeks ago I was sharing with a gay man.   Although I never mentioned homosexuality, he was very resistant. As we continued talking it was quite obvious that God was dealing with him. He said, "You guys shouldn't be down here."  I replied, "Do you think it’s because you are convicted?"  He said, "Well, a little."  He then began to tell me about his brother who attends church.  As he was telling me, I realized that I preach at his brother’s church quite often. He let me pray for him and thanked me and walked away. Before we left that night, he came back with tears streaming down his face and said,  “I just called my brother and one of the pastors was with him and they said I needed to come back and let you pray for me once again.”  We prayed for him and God touched his life, but it gets better.

This past Friday as we were in the same place worshiping he came and thanked us for being there. He told us not to worry about the people that don't like us and that what we were doing is very needed. He went on to say that he was experiencing God in a way that he had never felt before that next day, and described how he felt God beginning to deliver him. He is now planning to meet with the pastor of that church and God is beginning a miracle in his life. His name is Shane, so please pray for him when God brings him to your remembrance. I never want to get to the place where I travel throughout America so much that I lose sight of the “one person.” God keeps us focused on the one and ready for the multitudes. I love preaching to the crowds every week, but God cares just as much for the one. Thank you for being a part of helping us reach the one, as well as the masses.

This past month we had a great time in Slidell, Louisiana with my great friend, Pastor Jerry Cocran.  We were able to strengthen their evangelism team, which is so very important. It was also wonderful to be in Gans, OK with Pastor Chris Stevenson, who is a dear friend of mine. We did an outreach and God's hand was felt in the services as people were saved and healed by the power of the Gospel. We also traveled through Texas where we ministered in Bowie with a tremendous man of God and friend, Pastor Justin Harris, Marble Falls with my new friend, Pastor Bob Weiss, and Lake Worth with another good friend, Pastor Doug Martin, where we mobilized Vision Church to reach their community.

Thank you again for all of your prayer and support. It is a TREMENDOUS BLESSING to our ministry and helps us more than words can express. I look forward to seeing you again real soon. If you have any prayer requests, please send them to me and we will be sure to lift them up!

Together in the harvest,

Joe Oden