Countrywide Outreaches on Woman's Day

​Every year, since 1995, Africa Christian Action has used National Women’s Day on 9 August, as an opportunity for outreaches in shopping centres. This year ACA mobilised outreaches in shopping centres countrywide. Tens of thousands of leaflets and Gospel tracts were printed and 3,000 balloons with Scriptures and pro-family messages were produced for the event. Taryn made up many boxes of literature, balloons and posters to be shipped to Christian Action contacts as far afield as Port Alfred, Trompsburg, Queenstown and Mossel Bay. We especially printed copies of: “The Christian Liberation of Women”, “The Greatest Book in the World” and “Women Need Protection and Respect” for these outreaches.

​Over 60 volunteers took part in the various outreaches in Cape Town alone. The Director of Africa Christian Action, Charl van Wyk, led 16 volunteers at the Sanlam shopping centre in Khayelitsha. This included American Evangelist Paul Young, whose Chalk Talk outreach attracted crowds as he preached for over an hour and a half. Boxes of World Missionary Press Gospel booklets in Xhosa were distributed, along with boxes of Frontline Fellowship and Christian Action tracts. Over 700 balloons with Scripture messages were also distributed in Khayelitsha. There was tremendous enthusiasm and an overwhelmingly positive response.

The Hammond family set up two ACA display tables at one of the busiest intersections at Somerset Mall. They were right by the escalators and entrance 4 leading to the food court and cinemas. There was great interest and many positive responses from passers-by. Numerous individuals expressed great appreciation for the work of Africa Christian Action and Frontline Fellowship. Many mentioned how they listened to ACA’s Salt and Light radio programme on Radio Tygerberg every Tuesday night, others mentioned how much they enjoyed the Christian Action Magazine and all of the regular ACA and Frontline E-updates. Some were very enthusiastic about the articles in JOY! magazine. There was also a very good response from teenagers to The Way of the Master evangelistic tracts and to our Evangelism Explosion conversations.

We fielded numerous questions from passers-by and numerous evangelistic conversations ensued. Many of the Christians at Somerset Mall expressed their appreciation for how we make this stand against the exploitative pornography industry and have an outreach in their shopping mall every year. It was clear that there is a deep penetration of the community from the various mediums of our ministries. Several of the people were on our mailing list, e-mailing list, listened to the radio and subscribed to JOY! magazine as well as having attended various of our meetings or outreaches, and having read several of our books.

From the testimonies we personally received from passers-by at Somerset Mall it is clear that the Gospel is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes”, that “Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God.” That the Lord’s Word “never returns void”, it always accomplishes what the Lord has sent it out to achieve.

In the afternoon the National Co-ordinator of Africa Christian Action, Taryn Hodgson, was assisted by Gail and the Young family. However, despite the energy of all, and the vigorous attempts of the Hammond and Young children to ensure that every child passing by received a balloon, and every adult Gospel literature, we never had enough people at the Somerset Mall outreach to fully take advantage of the opportunity. It was hard to keep up with blowing up sufficient balloons for the children passing by, and we seldom had enough people to ensure that all the passers-by received literature. We could have done with another 12 people at Somerset Mall, especially for all of the evangelistic conversations which people were responsive to.

The third outreach in Cape Town, was in the largest and busiest shopping centre, Canal Walk. Here, John Leach, and other volunteers from Waymakers, and over ten volunteers from KwaSizabantu Mission, distributed many hundreds of balloons and approximately 10,000 Gospel leaflets. Many evangelistic conversations ensued, including with Muslims. There was much interest in the literature table and many of the children were plainly delighted to receive the colourful balloons. Soon the shopping centre was filled with children carrying balloons which declared: A woman who fears the Lord shall be praised; A family that prays together stays together; The Bible is the greatest Book ever written; Read the Bible everyday; Say no to porn; Whom the Son sets free is free indeed, and similar messages in other languages.

It is very hard, even for an irate atheist adult, to take a balloon away from a child!

Throughout the twelve hours of the outreach, many conversations, discussions, witnessing and counselling opportunities came thick and fast, and at the end of the day, many of the volunteers had aching legs and swirling heads. Everyone who took part in these outreaches rejoiced at the opportunity to sow Gospel seed and to take a stand in the busy shopping centres, being Salt and Light in the community. It was encouraging to receive many positive and enthusiastic responses from Christians passing by.

Thank you so very much to each one of you who had a part in organising, sponsoring, praying for, or conducting these outreaches. Thank you also to the lady who sponsored flowers to be handed to ladies at Canal Walk. Let us continue to pray that the Lord will mercifully and graciously work in the hearts and lives of each one who has been touched and impacted through the literature distribution, witnessing, conversations and counselling, or even through the simple Scriptures and pro-family messages on the balloons.

“Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gates in the city she speaks her word.” Proverbs 1:20-21

Should you be interested in starting, or joining, an Action Group or Reformation Society in your area, please contact Africa Christian Action and request a Starter Pack, purchase a copy of Make a Difference : A Christian Action Handbook for Southern Africa and request the: How to Start a Reformation Society in Your Area article.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world…in the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16

Africa Christian Action 
P.O. Box 23632
Claremont, 7725
Cape Town, South Africa
Tel: (021) 689-4481
Fax: (021) 685-5884
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:www.christianaction.org.za and 
www.ReformationSA.org