Previous Campaign Results 2010

Previous Campaign Results 2009

Previous Campaign Results 2008

Previous Campaign Results 2007

Previous Campaign Results 2006

Hundreds obey in 2008 during and in addition to We Care Campaigns

What a profitable and uplifting year 2008 was! Many souls were added to the kingdom and many Christians were trained to be soul-winners. Much of the success of this year’s efforts was due to groundwork laid before our campaigns were ever begun.

According to the February 2009 issue of “The Christian Chronicle,” “The number of men, women and children in the pews has dipped to the lowest level since a comprehensive effort to count members began in 1980, according to the 2009 edition of Churches of Christ in the United States.  Those figures represent 526 fewer churches and 78,436 fewer people in the pews than just six years ago.”

The Chronicle continues: “Since 1980, the nation’s population has jumped 36.3 percent.

“Not only have Churches of Christ failed to keep up with that growth, but also the number of people in the pews has dropped 1.5 percent since then.

“We all need to be asking, ‘Why?’” Royster said. “Does this have to do with generational differences, the political landscape, culture change, education, media? Are churches directing proper resources toward evangelism and good Christian teaching?

Then comes this question: “Have the hearts of Americans become so apathetic and hardened towards religion in general that America is no longer fertile ground for the seed of God’s Word?” he added. “I think these figures are telling us that there are many questions that need to be addressed before the sky does start falling.  WHY THE DECLINE?”

In We Care Ministries, we find it is not in “generational differences, the political landscape, culture change, education, media!”  May we not hide in closets!  In this work we find people in the USA are OPEN to the Gospel and will respond!  We find the answer is where it has always been!  When people of God cry out as King David said long ago, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit,” then will come the effect: “Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You” (Ps. 51:12-13).

Here are our experiences relating as to how we know (and this is only one recent year):

Port Charlotte, Florida
In February the We Care Ministries Cadre traveled to Port Charlotte, Florida.  The preacher there had already had experiences with We Care Ministries.  He says, ““After we had Larry up and he conducted the We Care Seminar in Detroit where I preached, we took the training and baptized 40 that first year.  We were baptizing an average of 30 every year after that.  Then, after I moved to Florida, I started going to Panama every year.  I went down after the first week of the Medical Mission.  They had baptized 12.  I said to myself, ‘Enough of this!’  So, I took the leaders aside and trained them in the We Care approach.  Then the second week we baptized 47!  And that was among just six workers!  We went back the second year and baptized 61!  The third year 64!”  So, he had the members up and ready for the campaign in Port Charlotte.  They knew more about what to expect and so we saw 19 souls obey the Gospel.   Fifty-one Cadre from 14 states came to join hands with the church to win the lost in the community.

We often simply pull in and onto Wal Mart parking lots on our journeys and stay the nights before we arrive at our campaign destinations.  Fifty miles from Port Charlotte we met David and Valorie Sanders.  They had paid their rent but the owners of their house had failed to make his payments.  They ended up having their belongings thrown into the yard.  David was in the process of buying his on 35’ RV trailer.  He wanted to know who we were and what we were doing. 

David drove to Port Charlotte and began helping us set up the electrical for the other RVs coming in, those belonging to our Cadre.  What a kind gentleman he is.  Valorie was at work.

We moved their trailer onto the church parking lot at Port Charlotte and we began making some necessary repairs.  In the process, we asked David the We Care Question, “What if the Lord were to come right now?”  David obeyed the Gospel Thursday before the campaign started.

Saturday we all landed on the trailer with grinders, new propane tank, paint, vacuum cleaners and lots of soap and water!  You should have seen it.  It was like sugar ants who found a slice of cake!!  Saturday evening when Valorie arrived at her “new” home on campus and saw what she could sleep in, and no more in her car, she was stricken with joy!

Sunday morning Bill Oden sat with Valorie and David, and, so says Bill, “It was like feeding a little bird.”  Valorie soaked in the Gospel.  And as Larry was getting up to preach, in they came for Valorie to become a Christian.  And David was crying!!

What a way to begin the campaign!!

The two of them began living with us on campus, eating with us, going out with on on teams, learning more the Gospel, learning how to share their new-found faith with others.  They had been wanting to change their lives, they had wanted the Lord!  And now they have Him!!

In the campaign Kimberli Wilson could not stop crying tears of joy!  As we circled to welcome her into God's family, she cried and laughed all at the same time!  She is what makes these efforts worth it all.  The blood of Jesus cleanses and makes our hearts rejoice! 

Gloria Korf obeyed the Gospel, then went to her friend (Christina Holmes) and repeated all she could remember about the Gospel of Jesus, and the next day brought her to the building, saying, "Cristina also wants to obey the Lord."  Ruby Oden and Tina Wygal (Cadre members) met them as Gloria brought Christina to the building at noon and went through the Good News message of Christ with Cristina and, so says Ruby, "We didn't have to cover much.  Gloria did a great job telling her the Gospel!"  And Gloria is just a day old herself?!?!  Praise God, the news is simple but POWERFUL!  If Gloria can do it, can't every Christian?

We passed the hat among ourselves and collected over $500 for one new Christian.  Through the week, we gave away groceries, clothing and furniture.  Much love identified this campaign.

Abilene, Texas
April found us in Abilene, Texas, at the Baker Heights Church of Christ. One would think that due to the fact that this city is the home of a prominent Christian college there would not be many souls who had not heard the Gospel there, but this is not the case. Bill Basket, one of the cadre who attends Baker Heights, has been teaching the We Care method for many years to their members. They were ready to go to work and, as a result of their preparedness, 37 souls were saved.

Yes, we saw 33 come to the Lord in obedience to the Gospel, and four more were restored!  And here they are!!  Jump up and down with us!  Praise the Lord!  Look at these new BABES!  These are only some of them!! 

Some of our new Christians even went out with us to find others!  And how they grew!  When they go with us and hear the Gospel presented over and over again, oh, they dooooo grow in Christ!!  One sweet lady was actually on her very last crust of bread.  She had made some bread out of some dough and yeast someone had given her and a spoonful of peanut butter.  That’s all she had!  The church really adopted her!!  She is such a joy!!

We found every third door someone at home.  Of those, we taught one out of every five.  And of those to whom we taught the Gospel, one out of every six obeyed!  Those are great numbers!

The local newspaper, the Abilene Reporter News, produced quite a story on us.  They also produced a video for their web site.  To see it, go back to the home page here, then click on “News Abilene” up in the left-hand corner.  You will then find at the top of their page the headline that says, “Church, outreach ministry hand out food and other aid (VIDEO).”  Click on the play button there and see what they did.  THEY produced it. We just picked it up and simply placed it on our own web page.

This couple, Jerry and Zell Cranahan, is one our Marco Senoret (Spanish Evangelist on our team) and his team found.  He presented the Gospel to them in their home.  They did not obey immediately, but they showed up every single night!!!  They sat on the second row and just ate up the Word!  And at the end of the campaign, here they came!

After services were over on Victory Sunday, the elders at Baker Heights there in Abilene met to discuss all these new converts, resolving all the more to nurture, mature and KEEP all they can all the way to Heaven! 

On Monday morning after the campaign closed Bill Baskett, our Cadre member there, went to a funeral home to meet with the family of one of our new sisters.  One of the family had passed.  There he met two of them and confronted them and set up even another study with them.  I mean, it just keeps on going!!  Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to happen??  And we hear such things as that happening all the time!  Another brother stepped up to me on Victory Sunday morning and told me, “Larry, I didn’t get all the training, but I asked a friend of mine ‘The Question,’ and it works!!  Aha!  Yes it does!  That’s the point!!  Praise God!

Williamsburg, Virginia
Then, Williamsburg Church of Christ in Williamsburg, Virginia, invited We Care back in May. Then had has a campaign four years ago and this time many of the local members who turned out to knock doors were those who obeyed the Gospel on that first campaign. They were so thrilled with how the Gospel had changed their lives that they wanted to share it with others.  In fact, the preacher, Bill Butterfield, is featured in  “Church Growth Magazine?”  In it he reports how his congregation has grown 109% in ten years.  And in the article he credits the real growth start with our first of two We Care Campaigns there.  How encouraging!  As a result, 26 obeyed the Gospel and one more was restored in the 2008 campaign.
It was the second time we had been there.  We were there four years ago.  We baptized 35 at that time and we were told they kept about 60% of them.  While beforehand preparing for this campaign we were told that in our class on Wednesday night 10% of them were converts from that first campaign.  Wow!  Twenty per cent were new converts from that first campaign and those reached since it.  That is why the church invited us back for another, which we just completed!!  
And here they are!  Your new brothers and sisters!  At least, some of them.  As always, some were sick when we took the picture, some had to work their jobs, but all are accounted for!  Our AfterCare is well in place there!

I told Peggy that I just cannot believe the difference between the times I was first there four years ago and today; the room is full of new brothers and sisters!  What a great victory celebration; what a great church!

Here’s the way the local preacher Bill Butterfield laid out the recent stats:

·         2,190 doors were knocked, an average of about 219 doors per day. 
·         801 families were found at home.  This represents about 1 out of every 2.5 doors were opened to us. 
·         119 Gospel presentations were given.  This means that 1 out of 20 doors that were knocked resulted in a Bible study.  Of the number of folks found at home the number would be 1 out of 7 resulted in a Bible study.
·         146 individuals participated in those Bible studies which were led by a team mostly of We Care (Cadre) and other trained workers.
·         47 more Bible studies were set and conducted either during the campaign or are scheduled to be completed at a later date by the local workers.
·        68 families either requested us to call back again or signs were clear that a Bible study was very possible.
·        45 benevolent cases were found and met on an "as needed" basis.  This represents 1 out of every 50 houses needed some type of benevolent act.
·        One out of 100 doors knocked upon resulted in one or more obeying the gospel.

The main three barometers were:
        1 out of every 2.5 doors knocked on found someone home
        1 out of every 7 people found at home resulted in a gospel presentation
        1 out of every 3 presentations resulted in someone obeying the gospel
 Of course, figures tell only part of the story!  What was so amazing about this campaign was that we saw31% of their members involved actually out on the street with our teams, and 90% of the local members were involved in the campaign at some level.  This was only the second time that We Care had someone on every team every day of the campaign, except one afternoon.  Peggy reminded me that only once had that ever happened and that was in Houston where the church numbered one thousand!  One day we had enough local folk that some teams had two or three on them. 

Bellevue, Nebraska
At the first of August a campaign began at the Bellevue Church of Christ in Bellevue, Nebraska. The advantage had at this campaign was that one of our own staff members, Stew Highburg, is an elder at this church. Stew and his wife, Dot, worked diligently to prepare the congregation for this campaign and their labors were rewarded.  As of Victory Sunday, the final count of those rescued is 30 souls who obeyed the Gospel and were saved in the We Care Campaign in Bellevue, Nebraska.  One more was restored.  For that we praise God!

 “What was so astounding about the campaign here,” said local brother Andy Pason, “was not the number of souls won.  We expect that!  Rather it was how many of the local church actually became involved.”  The elders told us that 89% of the church there was actually involved in some aspect of the campaign.  Sixty-six Christians actually were on the front lines, winning souls, some even every day!

We reported a young man named Robert Young-Baum looking through the door at the church building a few days ago, interested in the events, ending up a new Christian.  We gave him our video DVD presentation called “Let’s Get Real!  What if the Lord were to come right now?”  Very excited he took it home to show it to his aunt, Sharon Brown.  Robert was continuously at the building soaking up the activities after that.  Robert insisted to Larry West that they call Sharon Friday night.  Larry telephoned Sharon, where excited Sharon informed him that she had watched the video four times that one day!

“I’ll be there Sunday morning!” she said.  And she was!  Victory Sunday morning she came with Robert, and as class began where we introduce the new Christians, she said she was ready to obey the Lord.  So, WHAT A WAY to start Victory Sunday! 

There are many other stories that occur in We Care Campaigns, stories we should not tell, not really.  They are so wonderful and life changing, but because they deal with such shameful pasts, we shouldn’t announce the details.  Yet they are devastating!  What victories Christ gives over Satan!  Down line we can tell more.

The elders committed publically that they would immediately contact every new Christian.  Each has already a mentor, doing their jobs beautifully. 

The campaign at the Niceville Church of Christ in Niceville, Florida, in September was a little unusual in that the elders there requested that we spend more time in training their members to be soul winners that we spend in actually knocking the doors. Consequently the cadre spent two entire days working on perfecting their training methods, both in presenting the Gospel and in After Care. This congregation had also previously had a campaign and this time they wanted to do more in presenting the Gospel themselves. They also wanted more help in keeping the saved saved.  So, when a person obeyed the Gospel in this campaign, then much more time was spent in maturing that new convert. Special efforts were made in connecting the convert with local members and in teaching both the convert and his caregiver more fully what to do. As a result of this, fewer souls were reached, but lasting relationships were formed. Eleven obeyed the Gospel at Niceville.  Then, some of the Cadre returned at the end of the year to help ground the new converts even more.  While there more obeyed the Gospel.

Chattanooga, Tennessee
The We Care Campaign at the East Brainerd church of Christ in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was held in October.  By Victory Sunday 40 new souls rejoiced in their newfound rescue ending the We Care Campaign at East Brainerd in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Thirty six had obeyed the Gospel, one was restored more were reached during the day and then there were another two.  One of those was reached actually a year and a half ago when Reggie Gardner and Syble West (both WCM Cadre members) had gone there to meet with members to even talk about have a We Care Campaign.  Another was a member at East Brainerd, when as we were told he was motivated by the sermon dealing with overcoming fear.  He went to a relative, asked her “The Question,” presented to her the Gospel of Christ and she obeyed.  All in all, we see 40 rescues.  Praise God!

Seventy-one Cadre, including a few first-timers, from 20 states came and worked hard. Eighty-two local Christians stepped up to the plate and went out on teams with us to the streets!  Eighty two!  Praise God!  Even new Christians reached in this very campaign then went with us!  And in this campaign too, as in every one we can remember, someone reached their brother, sister, father, mother, son, daughter, neighbor, friend!

If you are interested in We Care Ministries coming to your congregation and are saying you couldn’t handle such sudden growth, please understand this church is over 600 members.  We would tailor the help to meet your size. And if you are saying you couldn’t care for or “mentor” your new babes, know we have an “AfterCare” program to help you be better prepared.  At this Tennessee campaign, the “mentors” (We now like to call them simply “Care Givers.” Were sitting with them, they were standing with them when they were introduced during the Bible Class hour on Victory Sunday they were eating with them afterwards.  In fact, many had spent already many hours with their new charges during the days just prior to Victory Sunday.  We will share our approach as to how to get this done.  Please contact us.

As mentioned, it started about 18 months ago.  Reggie and Syble had gone to promote even having a campaign and they ended up in a gathering of Christians.  In the group was a visitor named Tahesha.  Reggie met her and had already asked her “The Question” (What if the Lord were to come right now; would you know for sure, nothing doubting, you would go to Heaven?”)  and he had even just ended the We Care interview.  Someone then stepped up and asked Reggie to explain the We Care approach to the whole group.  So, Reggie said, “I had to think fast as to what to do.”  He decided to simply ask Tahesha to be his student and “let’s show the group what we do.”   The whole room sat quietly, listening.  Reggie unfolded our 27-reference Gospel Presentation.  When he came to Acts 22:16, he asked her to read it.  She did and looked up and asked him, “Are we still ‘role playing?’  And Reggie  answered, “No.”  And she said, “Yes, I need to arise and be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord!”  And everyone jumped!   And if you are concerned about the AfterCare work, just look at this picture:

Eighteen months later, she is sitting between here adopted “Mom and Dad,” hanging on to him and he her.  (I caught them at a serious moment as we were listening to another speaker.)

What a number of stories did happen in this wonderful campaign. 

Additional Growth
In addition to these campaigns, Cadre and other trained soldiers won souls both in the USA and around the world.  How we wish we had time to write down the stories we hear by phone, in person, in mail.  Please pray more and more will hear the Gospel before it becomes too late for them.

During class on Victory Sunday, Dave Mellor, preacher, introduced the new converts, having them come to the front so everyone could see.  Coming also with them were their mentors.  And those “Care Givers” really are stepping up to the plate to adopt them.  Joe Boone stood up in front of about 500 people and said, “I walked with Satan.  I’ve come out of the Church of Satan.  I know what it’s like to live on the dark side as a child of Satan.  Now I am a child of God.” 

In this picture you see Joe's tattooed arm.  Near the top and just below "666" toward his shoulder and around the point of this tower you see a faint scripting, where he once claimed to be "Satan's child."   See other satanic symbols as well.  The tattoo fills his entire left upper arm.   No longer Satan's child, now he's a GOD's child!  He wants this tattoo covered up.  Of course, it already is ... with the blood of Jesus.  But since it can never be totally removed, he has already had it covered up with ink.  We also brought his girlfriend, Vicki Parris, to Christ.  They spent the rest of the campaign days and nights with us!  They are absolutely jumping for joy! 

Afterwards on Victory Sunday and at the lunch room our cadre had saved seats for them but then couldn’t find them; that was because their mentors had come after them to bond with them.  It was wonderful!

The tears of joy were everywhere.  Literally.  Some could not leave the baptistery because they were crying so hard.  We saw the hands of new Christians come out of the water, place their hands over their faces and weep.  Maybe someone would hand them a towel; they would place it over their face and, with their shoulders bouncing, they wept tears of relief and joy.

Simply it was incredibly moving.  It was wonderful.

Why churches across this country don’t pursue this route, we who are so involved in it just do not understand.  It is revival.  It is renewal.  Where churches have split, it is healing.

Victory Sunday night we baptized number 39.  Pat Walker, elder’s wife from the Brainerd congregation, tells about it, saying, “I could not wait to tell you that my daughter-in-law was baptized last night about 10:00 pm.  Bo my husband baptized her. (Bill and Ruby Oden, staff, used the We Care Gospel Comic Book.  This makes it the 142nd time they have used it and out of those studies have seen 137 obey the Gospel.  See “Materials” page on web site.)  Pat goes on:  “She called her parents when we were on our way to the church to invite them to the baptism.  They would not come and didn’t think she needed to be baptized again.  She was sprinkled at some point of her life.  She does understand that she needed to do it and did not hesitate even though he parents didn’t want her to do it.   My son called me this morning and said he was so glad that I had asked them to come and study with the people from We Care.  He told me he wanted to learn how to teach the gospel and wants to go with me when I go out to teach.  Can you believe it?  As you must know, we are so very happy and thankful to God.  I prayed a lot for this.” 
On the morning of Victory Sunday, Frederick Anderson stepped up to Larry and said, “I just must obey the Gospel.”  Fred and his wife had come three nights to the preaching.  Ted and Bobbie Hardwick (cadre, New Mexico) had taught them and brought them.  And they kept coming.  Then after Victory Sunday morning sermon, here he came in tears.

On Saturday night, Linda Murphy was snatched from the hands of the JWs.  She had a very difficult time relearning the true identity of Jesus.  Marco Senoret (staff) and Dianne Walls (cadre, TX) were able to do the rescue into the blood of Jesus.  Meet Linda Murphy:

See the tears in the lives of new Christians.  Please pause at each to try to feel their grateful hearts that someone knocked their door, confronted them, brought them hope, gave them CHRIST!  See the tears:

 
And these do not count other new Christians who simply had tears in their precious eyes.  The Spirit of God entering the life of a sinner rescued in the blood of Jesus brings love, joy, peace!  Praise God!

This young lady, Tammy Leamon, brought four others to Christ BEFORE coming herself.  When one of our teams stepped up to her on the streets, she saw the living Bread and that her family needed it and she ran to them and gave to them before she took and ate of Him herself. 

More studies are scheduled for this coming week.  Pray more will be snatched from the enemy.

Rejoice with the new souls.  Invite We Care Ministries to your church.