May 2019 Ministry Update

This year our ministry has already seen the Lord do so many incredible things. We just wrapped up Revival on the River last month where thousands were impacted with the gospel. This summer, our entire team has various events planned that are aimed at making a huge impact for the Kingdom of God.

One of the things that I was reminded of this past weekend is the importance of living out our calling to make disciples and share the gospel daily. With our ministry, Take the City, we’re constantly planning events, serving local churches and communities and all of these things are incredible. With all the great stuff that we have the opportunity to do, the Lord keeps reminding me to remember to live this calling out daily! It’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day and forget to stop for the one that is right in front of us, even for those of us in vocational ministry.

Last weekend, we held an incredible training for leaders in Atlanta. We aimed to help raise up team leaders who can train and equip churches in evangelism. These leaders will work on equipping churches all over the metro ATL area for the next 2 years for our Reach ATL Campaign. The morning before the training, as I was preparing, I wanted to go for a run. It was on that run that God reminded me of the power and importance of living out our calling in our daily lives!

Toward the end of the run, I was in a pretty rough area of Atlanta. In fact, this particular area is well known for the drug trafficking that happens and as I was finishing my run I told the Lord, “If someone talks to me while I’m running I will stop and share my testimony with them.”

Sure enough at the very end of my run, someone made a comment as I was running by. I decided to come to a stop and walk over towards the group of guys, all of whom were obviously selling drugs on this particular street corner. After some small talk they asked me what I did for a living and were shocked when I told them I was an evangelist and preached the gospel. I then had a chance to share with them my testimony about all that God has done in my life these past 10 or so years.

After sharing my story, I had a chance to pray with the group of men. Once finished, I went back to the house to get ready for our training event. While waiting outside for my ride after getting ready, one of the guys came over and said, “I’m really thirsty, can I have some water?” Immediately, I was reminded of the scenario with Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4… I began talking to the guy, whose name was James and got him some water. After he had something to drink I asked him if he wanted to come to the event we were having that day and he quickly responded that he wanted to come with me. James then explained to me that he’d been addicted to heroin for the past 14 years and had been homeless in ATL for the past 7 months.

I had the chance to connect James with the Atlanta Dream Center (where the event was being held) and their team. Before lunchtime, James expressed he was ready to get some help and is already in a program that is going to help disciple him and offer a new direction for life!

God is so incredible and He delights in allowing us to be used for His glory when we choose to live out our calling daily. I want to ask each of you to continue to pray and support our ministry. But even more significantly, I want to encourage you to live out your own calling to represent Jesus in your daily life!

Always be looking out for the divine appointments God wants to bring into your everyday moments.

Andrew Chalmers
Founder of Take the City