Great Awakening Tour City #20 North Miami Beach, Florida

I approached a man with the survey and he answered no, but I went up to him again today and he said yes.

This past Sunday, December 13th, I, like the last 2 months was involved with bus ministry. I encountered more children then I ever have on the buses. It seems to be that I saw more children then adults on those buses. They seemed very excited to come. I wonder if some of the kids are the ones that brought the parents to the River Church of Tampa Bay. I wasn’t in service until after worship as I helped out with loading all the busses with food. We had over 7 buses I believe which is the most I’ve ever seen. I like the fact that the church keeps on growing and primarily it’s from bringing people from other communities through consistent outreach. I believe as we tend the heart of God He meets our needs. His heart is house to house.

We are reaching people that won’t necessarily come to church. After we pray with them or minister to them they come to church, because in my mind of what God’s doing on the inside and people taking initiative door to door. I’ve never seen so many come up for an alter call in that main sanctuary since I’ve been here. No matter people theology and heart, the fact remains that there is fruit to this ministry and this is a GO YE church which follows the GO YE call in the scriptures. There was one child who one the bike after his name got picked and he was so excited. Children love receiving free gifts and even on the bus, which had no air condition, this child pressed through it and was very thankful and content it seemed. Some of the ministers or bus servants seemed more excited than the kid and that child was very excited. As we parted with many of the children and even parents, I don’t remember one argument or issue. They all seemed very thankful and gave hugs to many of them.

There’s something when people feel the love. I know we can say we love people, but when they actually feel that, there’s something that shifts or changes. Its an honor for me to be under a ministry like this which is new for me to a degree, because of the fruit and the fact that this isn’t new. This ministries been going on for years and I just know that there are few fathers but many teachers so thankful to be under a Father that’s walked it out. I’ve never heard of a negative report concerning anyone in this ministries love towards people. That’s massive. I expect more increase in souls, more people coming, as the day of the Lords return draws near. May we continue to hunger for the deep things of God both devotionally and in a corporate setting.

Cynthia B
Miami Florida United States

Great Awakening Tour City #20 North Miami Beach, Florida

Today I had the privalage through Jesus Christ to lead a lady who practiced witchcraft to our Lord Jesus.

Sunday December 13, 2009 was a special day at the River at Tampa Bay church. It was the first of two toy giveaways scheduled at the River for the surrounding communities. I began attending the River in April, 2008. My family and I started doing the bus ministry very shortly thereafter. Every Sunday we go out into the community and bring people to church from all over Tampa, FL they come to hear and receive from the Lord. They come from all walks of life. Many of them have not experienced the love of God and we have an opportunity as a body to demonstrate God’s love to them. Many give their heart to God and we see their lives transformed.

Last Sunday not only did the grown ups receive from the Lord but the children were blessed with toys. I had the privilege of handing out toys after the service. When I handed a doll to this little girl her eyes lit up and she had the biggest smile on her face. But when I looked up I saw her grandmother who attends regularly, she too was beaming from ear to ear. She was so happy you would have thought she was the one who received the doll. Their rejoicing blessed me. I saw them experience the love of God at that moment. I am so glad that the River Church is making a difference in the lives of people in the community. Pastor Rodney and Adonica Howard-Browne are committed to do what God has called us to do to take the good news of the gospel to every creature. I am privileged to be attending a church where we are sharing the gospel and winning the lost.

Sherly J
Miami Florida United States

Great Awakening Tour City #20 North Miami Beach, Florida

I used the gospel script toady on a woman who had intense pain and restricted movement due to herniated discs. She got saved and the power of God came on her. She started crying. Jake and I prayed for her after the salvation. Then jake told her to do something she couldn’t. She bent over and said she was healed, pain free and she couldn’t do thatherself – the pain was gone.

I was trained and how to minister the gospel effectively and then went into the streets. I ran into a man loading shopping carts in to the back of his truck when I asked Him if anyone has ever told him that Jesus loves him and has a wonderful plan for his life. He quickly pushed me away with vulgar language as he moved with haste to get his work done, but I felt that if I did not push in and make the importance of having Jesus known, then who else would tell him.

I kept reading down the soul winning script and he kept pushing me away. He wasn’t giving me the time of day, or so I thought. As I got to the end of the script and read the lines “ I am saved, I’m born again, I’m forgiven” he stopped in his tracks look at me with a broken heart and repeated the words as I said them. His whole heart had changed as if the Holy Spirit had grabbed his heart and made it new right there on the spot. He told me that no one has ever told him about Jesus and that He was real. The man had tears in his eyes and the once angry face now was draped with joy. So how can a man who had no interest in the Lord whatsoever all of sudden have a change of heart? Its 100% God and none of me, the Lord wants to reach the people but its through us, you and me and that’s why I go. It was Amazing and im so blessed, more than I even know! Thank you Pastor Rodney for letting me be apart of the vision for souls, I look forward to seeing that man again in heaven.

Richard M
Miami Florida United States

Great Awakening Tour City #20 North Miami Beach, Florida

I want to share how I lead a precious Jewish lady to the Lord. I said can I pray for you? She said I am Jewish. I said that’s O.K. Jesus was a Jew and he can be your Messiah and you can be assured that your name is written in the Book of Life and live forever in heaven with God. When I said the Bible says whosoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved-you are a whosoever right? She said that’s right. So we pray the prayer of salvation and she accepted Jesus as her Messiah! Halleujah! Praise the Lord! A lady in a wheel chair started crying after the first question.

This past Sunday was not just another Sunday, but a special Sunday. The atmosphere outside and inside was charged. I have had the privilege to serve in the bus ministry for a while, and have seen a lot of change. Every Sunday the people are coming with expectation. You see their faces as they are leaving the bus to go into the sanctuary, they are shining. You can see that God is about to do something new and fresh in their lives. The people are grabbing a hold of the Word of God and applying it to their lives. We can see on Sunday mornings the expectation on their faces growing and growing. This past Sunday morning was special for me because I got to see the Spanish community going to another level. They are wanting to engage in what is going on at The River. I got to meet new families and shake their hands, and greet them.

Some of the people were kind of shy and hesitant when they walked in but by the end of the service they were shining and their countenance was changed. Many went to the altar and gave their lives to Jesus. Even though they could not really understand the worship but I could see that they were worshipping still even with the language barrier. I look forward to what is ahead with the Spanish ministry and pray for even more souls and more lives to be changed. Not only for the Hispanic communities but for all of Tampa. Everything was organized like a military strategy, and flowed together. The love of God was seen and shown to every person that came not just the ones that came to receive the presents and food but for everyone else who was in the service. God is about to do a quick work with souls. And I feel I am in the right place at the right time to help reap this harvest. And I just want to say thank you to Pastors’ Rodney and Adonica for allowing me to help serve and ultimately impact eternity for Christ. Thank you.

Diane Z
N/A Florida United States

Great Awakening Tour City #20 North Miami Beach, Florida

One lady told me how it was so important to ask the question if she died NOW was she sure she would go to heaven. She said because Christian born again also go through temptaion and might sin and yet forget to repeat and just assume they are going to heaven. All the eight people were very glad that. Today I led one lady in her office to the Lord. She said I was a blessing to her.

We had a blast at the Toy giveaway at the River at Tampa Bay Church with Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne! One thing that has caught my attention about this ministry is the heart that they have for reaching others for Jesus¬- even those that speak different languages. The Outreach was focused on Spanish speaking people. Advertising was done, flyers were delivered, posters covered the walls of Hispanic stores and businesses, and the people came! Translation was provided at the Church, with well-able interpreters and people felt comfortable and at home. All the Church worked as a team, with 300+ workers volunteering to see one goal: SOULS. I could see the compassion of Jesus working through the church workers as they served the first time visitors and everybody who came through the doors of the River at Tampa Bay Church. Kids came expecting, and they were certainly not disappointed! For Kids’ church was amazing! With all the new equipment, teachers’ ideas and games! The children LOVE coming to church. People came with a merry heart and expectation and enthusiasm was in the air.

It was amazing to be a part of what this Ministry is doing, for the change in people’s lives is so evident, you can even see it before your very eyes. The event was a bomb! All the workers were in position by the time all the people came out of the service, things were done in order as much as possible, there were people assigned in the parking lot for directing the traffic of people, others were assigned to toys’ distribution and everything went smooth. If people got hungry, hot-dogs and ice-cold drinks were being sold at the property at very affordable prices. The event was awesome, people’s lives were changed, I highly recommend you make the River at Tampa Bay Church your home church!

Rose B
N/A Florida United States