May 1st through the 3rd marks another Tulip Time Gospel Outreach in Pella, Iowa in the books. It was an amazing time fellowshipping with likeminded believers as we went into the festival, striking up conversations, engaging in open-air preaching, and passionately sharing Christ with those who desperately need Him. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation as we set out to share the gospel to the influx of festival-goers. Despite the gloomy, rainy weather that seemed to linger overhead, we managed to connect with many individuals at the festival, providing hope and encouragement through the message of the gospel. Each interaction was a unique opportunity to plant seeds of faith and encourging pew-sitters to get up and go out.
Lectures in the Classroom
As always, Jon Neifert, the brains behind Tulip Gospel Outreach, brought engaging Christian speakers and evangelists to be a part of this amazing event. Each day started with great teaching in the morning, followed by street evangelism throughout the festival. The lectures presented were:
- Evangelism Lessons from Jonah (Jon Neifert)
- Navigating a Gospel Conversation (Tony Ramsek)
- Open-Air Preaching Workshop (Dr. Anthony Silvestro)
- Understanding Presuppositional Apologetics (Eli Ayala)
- How to Reach Catholics with the Gospel of Grace (Tony Ramsek)
- The Evils of Marxism (Dr. Anthony Silvestro)
- Engaging the Atheist (Eli Ayala)
- Engaging the Mormon (Eli Ayala)
All the teaching this weekend was great and helped us share the gospel more clearly and boldly. The tools we learned helped us understand how others believe and how to ask relevant questions for today’s world.
Conversations on the Street
This year was different for me in a good way. For some reason, I can only tribute it to God, was that this year I had no fear whatsoever. From the first tract I handed out to the last, everything went well.
Jadon
The very first tract I gave out was a Living Waters Million Dollar Bill to a young man named, Jadon, who doesn’t go to church anymore, but attended a United Methodist Church when he was younger. Part of our conversation is that he struggled to see his sin as exceedingly sinful (Romans 7:13), and didn’t understand how one lie could send a person to hell for eternity.
“Well, would you agree that lying to your sister is different than lying to your mom? What about lying to a cop? A judge? The President of the United States? What if you lied to the leader of North Korea? What do you think he could do to you?”
“Well, he’d probably kill me?”
“Yeah, so if God is so much holier than him, and the President of North Korea killed you…what type of punishment is stricter than death?” You can tell the wheels were turning in his mind. I continued, “So, in all reality, if we get these laws from the Ten Commandments, it’s God’s Law, not man’s law. We broke His law, and we received death. That’s pretty serious, huh? The sin (lying) didn’t change, but the punishment got worse depending on who we offended.”
At the end of our conversation, he said I was one of the most “chill” people he’s ever talked to about the subject of spirituality. I don’t know if that’s a good thing sometimes. But he did take the time and listen. He didn’t agree with everything I said, but I hope he reads the gospel of John and look at the information I gave him. His mother, who waited patiently, had some words for me when we were done.
Braiden
The best conversation I had was with Jared talking to a 14 year-old boy named Braiden, wearing a medical boot leaning up against a light pole by the canal. He was on his phone and thought it would be great to strike up a conversation using the same million-dollar bill as I did with Jadon. When I asked him the million-dollar-question: “Will you go to heaven when you die?” He froze and looked at us not knowing what to say. I investigated further, “Do you believe there is a God? Heaven? Hell? Jesus?” He just looked at me and said that he’s never been to church and never really thought of that before or if there is even life after death. He was really flabergasted becasuse he had no clue who Jesus was and what He did for him.
Jared was stunned and couldn’t believe someone who grew up in America has never heard of Jesus, but this is an increasing trend with youth his age. Unchurched kids grow up to be unchurched parents of unchurched kids. Pretty soon you have generations that are clueless about the gospel. That’s why it is vitally important to share the gospel to strangers. You may be the only Christian they ever come in contact with. This was Braiden’s delema.
When this happens you must go back to the beginning because they do not have a foundation of God. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1). We see this was what Paul dealt with when he shared the gospel to the Greek philosophers on Mars Hill (Acts 17:22-34). He used something in his shared space with them: an altar with the inscription—TO THE UNKNOWN GOD, then proceeded to proclaim who He is that they ignorantly worshipped. “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.” (Acts 17:24) And what was the result? Some mocked, others procrastinated, and some joined them and believed (Acts 17:32-34).
Therefore, we could not start with Jesus like in Acts 2, but build a foundation of a Creator that made everything (including us) to whom we are accountable. Thankfully, we can use these verses in Acts 17 as the blueprint to share who God is, and the reason why He sent His one and only Son to die a horrible death in our place, be buried, and rise from the dead.
At the end of our conversation, Braiden was extremely thankful, patient, and kind. He received a gospel tract and pointed the three websites on it, as well as a Ten Commandments coin and Gospel of John. Pray that he comes to know the Lord and the God who made Him. Ann, one of our team members, pointed out that we walked all the way across the campus to just have a conversation with Braiden, then had to walk all the way back to get ready for the last session. That’s the good shepherd, and how God works. He would leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness to go after the one lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7).
Open-air Preaching
Once again, Dr. Anthony Silvestro, D.D.S. of Creation Training Initiative (cTi), trained in a classroom setting and also out in a corner of the festival, the skill of open-air preaching. Towards the end of the second day, I was able to leave my group for a few minutes and join them. I took Jared along for the ride and if he chose to preach or read something he had the option.
Knowing I didn’t have long, I prayed about what to say. At lunch earlier while my wife and I were sitting in the car, Jack, a friend from Las Vegas, sent me a message with funny worldly truths. The more I thought about it, the more I felt it fitting to open up talking about that.
So, I started with Ten Truth’s of Worldly Wisdom:
- Every sixty seconds in Africa, a minute passes.
- In Japan, there’s a legend that says, “If you can’t sleep at night—you are awake.”
- Confusious says, ‘To find your way, you must first be lost.’
- In the silence it’s quiet, until someone speaks.
- You’ll never forget something you can remember.
- If you walk far enough—you’ll be somewhere else.
- If you hold your breath—you won’t breathe.
- If you turn around, you’ll see what’s behind you.
- A mirror only reflects what is in front of it.
- If you’re a good person—you’ll go to heaven.
Then, I honed in on #10 and declared that no one is good except God, and that the test of knowing if we are good is the Ten Commandments—God’s standard of goodness. I swung to one of my favorite chapters of the Bible—Ephesians 2, and then ended the preaching showing how a glove describes how we are made in the image of God.
Jared then “broke the sound barrier,” got on the stool to preach through the gospel of John chapter 3. He did really well. What he said was clear, concise, and there were several that passed by to stop and listen. Even though he mostly read, it was equally brave to get up and do it.
I remember the first time I preached in the open air at the Des Moines Farmers Market—I was so terrified. My hands refused to cooperate; locked up like I suddenly came over with palsy. My stomach was tied in knots, and my tongue went on strike. For a moment, I was worried I was having a stroke. Needless to say, Jared completely crushed my first attempt—let’s just say the only thing tingling was the excitement on the corner! His hands were steady as a rock, and spitting out full sentences like a seasoned pro. Great job, Jared! You’ve officially outdone my awkward debut!
Brave and Bold
All of those who were in my group were both brave and bold, and shared the gospel to those around them without reservation. It didn’t matter if we were at the prayer stand, the parade, or wandering the canal searching for those who looked like they had some time to talk or wanted a picture. They boldly stepped forward, offered a tract, and asked in many or few words: “Have you heard of Jesus Christ?” The ladies like Kelly and Ann were amazing, and I loved the independance of Jill, who many times departed the group to engage with someone that caught her eye. Their enthusiasm was infectious; it ignited a spark of curiosity in the hearts of those we approached. Each interaction was not just a chance to share our beliefs, but an opportunity to connect on a deeper level with members of our community. Even Nicholas and his brother, Elijah, who had only a day did not waste it and boldly shared Jesus by passing out tracts and engaging in conversation. We listened to the stories of people we met, often punctuated by laughter and thoughtful reflections, creating a genuine exchange. Even in the face of indifference, we remained undeterred, knowing that each willingness to engage could be the start of a transformative journey: changing their hearts, their minds, and their destinies.
Keep this Alive
All that Jon Neifert does, whether it’s acquiring speakers and tracts for the Tulip Time Outreach, the acquisition of the IowaGO! Creation booth at the Iowa State Fair, or smaller events like the Des Moines St. Patrick’s Day Parade, cannot be done without your prayers and support. These events are geared to equip you, the churchgoer, in venues that are safe and family-friendly, to go into all the world and preach the gospel and make disciples. As an evangelist, he has a heart to make disciples who make disciples.
Whether you go attend the events in person, watch past lectures on the YouTube channel, or simply want to bless the ministry because you see the tremendous worth it brings—consider making a donation today by clicking the link below. With your help—let’s keep this thing going!
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