“How much does it cost to pray?” That question from a passing stranger began the culture shock for 22 Free Will Baptist Bible College students who spent a week in New York City standing on street corners wearing bright red smocks emblazoned with “Prayer Changes Things.”
We traveled to New York March 12-18, working with an organization called NYC Ministries that trains and sends Christians into New York City to give the gospel of Jesus Christ to those in need of a Savior.
Did Not Fit In
To be honest, I was a little worried whether 22 English-speaking college students, most of whom think Nashville is a big city, could blend into the Melting Pot of the world. I was right. We didn’t exactly fit right in the Big Apple.
We stayed in the Grand Hyatt, a $300-per-night hotel in the heart of Manhattan. That was not what we expected for a mission trip. Standing around the hotel lobby in our T-shirts and jeans watching corporate executives in Armani suits talk on cell phones, we realized we were no longer in Music City.
The ministry group consisted of 22 FWBBC students and 16 other people. We split into three teams. Each day, each team went to a different part of the city, ministering in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Harlem, Central Park and Union Square Park.
Commuting on the New York City subway, we tried (but failed) to be like other New Yorkers. Our group leader informed us that only tourists talked on the subway. Believe me, we proved him right.
Prayer Stations
NYC Ministries’ main outreach is through prayer stations which we staffed daily. A prayer station is a simple table at a central location stocked with tracts, gospels, and gospel bead bracelets. Group members wear red smocks imprinted with “Prayer Changes Things” and position themselves along the streets. As people walk by, they ask, “Is there anything I can pray with you about today?”
This outreach method was far outside our comfort zone. However, it would have been a long week if we stood there in our red smocks with our hands in our pockets.
We quickly realized how lost people are. Some wondered how they could pray with us free of charge. Others stared in disbelief when we told them God listens to us outside of church and on weekdays, and He wants a personal relationship with everyone.
One woman learned first-hand that God answers prayer. She prayed with a group member about her son. The next day, with a different group in her area, she stopped to say her prayer had been answered and to tell us “God is good!”
Big Apple Tourists
Most people were receptive to our message. The only hostility we met came from those “in a hurry” or who “didn’t need that stuff.” We had few safety concerns, except for aggressive homeless people and the drunk who took a swing at me. The group went sightseeing each evening. Some rode to the top of the Empire State Building. We spent one evening in Little Italy and Chinatown bargaining with local merchants. We rode the Staten Island Ferry. And for our final, true New York City experience, we attended a Broadway play, Fiddler on the Roof.
Unforgettable Week
Our group prayed with over 1,100 people, shared the gospel with 900+, and led 61 people to Jesus Christ!
NYC Ministries’ motto is, “If you reach New York City, you can change the world.” Although we did not reach eight million New Yorkers or the 180 people groups who reside there, we made an impression on those we did contact. They, in turn, made a profound impact on us.
In one unforgettable week, 22 Free Will Baptist Bible College students came face to face with how lost people are, and we will never be the same.
ABOUT THE WRITER: Ryan Lewis is the director of recruitment at Free Will Baptist Bible College. He graduated in 2005 with an exercise science major.
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