International Newsletter February 2022

“I was told that New Yorkers have heard everything and it wouldn’t work, but it does.”

When a young adult group from Times Square Church in New York City invited Steiger to give a seminar, they weren’t quite sure what to expect. They’d heard from many that street evangelism was a lost cause. Steiger leader Angela Tkachenko pulled together a dynamic group of Steiger missionaries and volunteers from around the world, and the team planned on giving a powerful one-day seminar at the church.

Wearing white masks, the team engaged in impactful evangelism in Times Square

Just after the team arrived, they learned of a Covid outbreak and had to move the training online. Steiger Denver team member Emma was a part of the group. “We felt very much under attack by the enemy,” she shared, “but it ended up being really good. Angela was able to deliver a powerful message to the young adults, challenging them to proclaim the Gospel in a bold and new way.”

The following day, the team headed to the center of Times Square where 85% of those who had participated in the seminar showed up to engage in creative evangelism. The young people, who had previously been scared to even broach the topic of spirituality, shared the message of Jesus with courage, love, and conviction.

Young adults from Times Square Church stepped through fear to talk with those they encountered

“I felt led to talk to this guy who was a part of the LGBTQ+ community. I felt like God was telling me, ‘Tell him that I love him.’ I told him I wasn’t there to cast judgment. My sole purpose in that moment was to let him know that there is a God in heaven who is crazy about him. He said I could pray with him and the Holy Spirit moved heavily. ” - Arion

“I was very nervous about doing the whole outreach thing. That day God gave me such peace. I wasn’t afraid but I was filled with purpose and felt really happy that I was doing what God commanded us to do - to make disciples.” - Kyono

Equipping and unifying the local church to effectively reach the young people of their cities is one of Steiger’s key objectives. With this particular training, we began building a solid foundation for pioneering a new Steiger City Team in New York City, one of the most influential and secular cities in the United States.

The group was surprised to see that young people were open to gospel conversations

Minneapolis Steiger team member Justin shared, “It was so encouraging afterwards to hear the people in the young adult group saying, ‘We had been praying for this!’ And the Young Adult Director said, ‘I was told that New Yorkers have heard everything and it wouldn’t work, but it does. God is in this.’ It was beautiful.”