Tulip Time Outreach – Introduction

Welcome!

In 2017 we are planning the first Pella Tulip Time Outreach to “proclaim the absolute truth and authority of the Bible with boldness.” As Christians, we have a desire to “obey God’s call to deliver the gospel of Jesus Christ” to all nations. Many refer to this as the Great Commission. It can be found in a couple different variations in scripture.

First, the most succinct is found in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Scripture tells us to “go”, it is a verb commanding us to go out in the world, not hidden away in our homes and churches, but to share this good news with all. We can easily get distracted by arguing some points of doctrine, but we must keep our focus on sharing the gospel with unbelievers.

Doctrine is important for us to understand and know God even better. In fact, many doctrines help us to understand more deeply what God has done to redeem His people. Our purpose is to use this knowledge of God, revealed through scripture, to tell others who He is and what he has done in Christ. We need to point them to Christ. A good understanding of doctrine helps us bring clarity to the gospel as we glorify God through sharing the good news of salvation.

Second, we have the Great Commission, given by Christ to His disciples (and all disciples) after his resurrection. It is found at the end of the gospel of Matthew (28:19-20), “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Here we all so see the command to go. As we go, Jesus gives us three actions: to “make disciples”, to “baptize them”, and to “teach them”.  Our focus in the public marketplace is mostly to “make disciples.”  We do that by bearing witness of God and His works. We engage in conversations to tell what He has done and to explain the things of God and scripture. So, this is also somewhat of a teaching ministry. Our hope is that some may become disciples.

Who are we?

Our mission is to proclaim the gospel message to Pella and all who visit during the annual Pella Tulip Time Festival. We are a small group of evangelical Christians seeking to organize an effort to do just that.
We wish to take advantage of the opportunity placed before us. With an expected attendance between 1-200,000 people, there are many gathering to learn and to view the flowers, watch the parades in Pella. As the Apostle Paul did, we plan to reason with them in the marketplace.

I hope you will consider joining us in this effort to proclaim the good news of God’s grace to all.

Additional Learning

• Charles Spurgeon quotes on evangelism.
• A good example of the Great Commission.

Prayer

You can also support us with your prayers. Please pray that:

• God will send workers into the harvest (Luke 10:1-20).
• God will work in the hearts of those who attend that they may be willing to engage and to receive the message.
• The weather will be conducive for people to engage in meaningful conversation.