Dear CCW family,
I have cared deeply about evangelism for all my adult life. The fact that God moves me to share the gospel is oxymoronic — there appears to be more failure in it than success. If there is a drive in our hearts to do that, it surely must be from God. In the photo below, my father, who was strongly evangelistic himself, is holding the saxophone which he played in this tent revival that my equally passionate evangelistic grandfather and grandmother Elliff (far right) were engaged in. The hair of the man in the middle indicates what a stirring sermon my grandfather must have preached! With their great model of ministry, and encouraging stories, both in public and private evangelism, sharing the gospel became something embedded in my heart. It began in earnest to manifest itself significantly in my first all-out efforts in 1970 when I left Arkansas to work in a church in Garland, Texas, leading a few hundred youth in a church who were already highly motivated to make Christ known. My work there continued through the fall when I entered Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, receiving much inspiration from Dr. Fish, the professor of Evangelism who told us stories of his current experiences weekly in class. I’m a big believer that evangelism is more “caught than taught.” We prayed together weekly.
Coupled with seminary, by God’s grace, I was invited to churches across the country for various meetings and retreats, often 40 a year, over the next four years. That trek from the seminary in Ft. Worth to Love Field was an almost weekly event. After that first year of seminary, rather than traveling all over the country, my younger brother Bill and I went together to eight churches in Seattle, Washington, preaching the gospel among young people with encouraging consequences. This left an indelible mark on us both. These were the days of the Jesus Revolution, which significantly impacted us. In that period of 10-12 years or so, personal evangelism was unusually fruitful, as if God were opening hearts of people far beyond the normal, and I was learning much about the subject and refining my understanding of the gospel and its invitation. This desire to engage others about the gospel has not left me. I’m holding back relating so many stories that are rising up in my mind about those days.
As you know, when any of us attempt to evangelize, we must face failure after failure. Most people will reject Christ. Add to this that we are just inept in ourselves to carry such news in the right way. I feel that so often. But it is equally true that God has always used our inadequacies to accomplish his will. Evangelism is a humbling business, in my case. But, like so many of you, the deep desire is there to do what we can.
I had at times wondered if I was to attempt to be a mass evangelist. Some had encouraged me to that end. As I began to receive invitations to speak in some larger venues I saw God’s hand in all of it. To this day I wonder what life would have been like if I had taken that “road less traveled.” I have been “sorry I could not travel both,” as Robert Frost wrote so eloquently.
Just as strongly, personal evangelism continued to grip me. It was not unusual to engage several people in a day about their need for Christ. I was often warmly received and found myself stopping on the side of the road to talk with highway workers or truckers, speaking to others in the restaurant, at the service station, even in the football stadium, relating the beauty of Christ and seeking the salvation of open-minded people God had prearranged for me to meet in all kinds of venues. I used to say to my friends that we should not fill our cars up with gas so that we can stop at more gas stations to engage workers with the gospel. I remember once being on my knees with a service station owner praying about his earnest desire to follow Christ. My interest was especially generated by God creating compassion for those who are lost. I take no credit for it personally.
From there, it was off into pastoral ministry seeing more stories of God’s intervention in people’s lives, now coupled with decades of travel for the gospel and to teach the Bible in the work of CCW in almost every State and perhaps 40 countries. I wish I could recall every long discussion on an overseas airplane or a cafe or in a taxi or bus I was privileged to have over all these years.
40 Years of Evangelism through CCW
We are 40 years on our journey at CCW, beginning in 1986. Though our CCW communicators travel and teach the Bible to strengthen believers and build up churches, and write in the same way, there is something else driving us. A great part of our work in CCW for each of us is to evangelize. We are at it personally often and we write and encourage it as a major goal. We want to be exemplary, explanatory, and prayerful about this significant aspect of the Christian life.
One Final Thing
We want to say thank you for your prayers and gifts over this year. We set up our plans for giving at the beginning of the ministry 40 years ago (see “The Life of Trust” at ccwtoday.org). One key part of the plan was that we would not ask anyone for money, but rely, in the purest way we know how, on God alone. He has not disappointed us, sending the help we have needed for the entire four decades. Our communicators receive only what is designated for us personally. Otherwise, gifts go to other destinations or the general fund. In this way we are trusting God for the whole ministry’s needs and for our family needs.
God has sent CCW several million dollars over the years to carry out this work including all the printing and distribution of books, travel across the States and around the globe, expenses for various experts to help us do our work efficiently and legally, and to cover our individual needs. How he does it is often a surprise. Though we have been very close to not having what we have needed at times, it has always been supplied. He gets the praise. Only one time on my personal family needs was I unable to pay a bill by one day, and I’m positive it wasn’t God’s fault. It cost me $25 to pay late. That’s it. How good the Lord is!
Rejoice with us for God’s provision for all these years, without asking anyone for a cent except him. And please pray that God will add more powerful effects to the evangelism that we are attempting to do.
With Joy,
Jim Elliff, Steve Burchett and Marco Scouvert