Monday, April 29, 225 Nazarenes of all ages took to the streets in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to share the message of the gospel in an Urban Invasion.
The event began with workshops led by Regional Global Missions Coordinator Rev. Scott Armstrong on urban evangelism strategies for adults, youth and children. In the afternoon the participants put what they learned into practice in five sectors of the city. They went house to house, as well as sharing in the streets, in businesses, and recreational areas through games and dynamic messages. They also shared personal hygiene kits and clothing in areas with the greatest needs.
Global Missions and the Genesis Initiative promoted the event in the Central District with the theme “A Genesis For Our Churches.” The objective was to awaken interest in missions, equip participants to evangelize in urban areas and share the message of salvation to more than 600 people in Santo Domingo.
The vision was to mobilize 100 Nazarenes from the Central District. The response from the church was overwhelmingly positive. In total, there were 225 participants from 19 churches in four districts (15 from the Central District, two from the East District, one from the Northeast District and one from the United States).
The event closed with the participants focused on the Eugenio María de Hostos Park located on the city pier. There they sang merengue praise songs and shared the message of the gospel with banners, messages of hope, prayer and preaching to the people who were in the area.
“In my 16 years of missionary service, this event was one of the most exciting that I have ever been a part of. The impact in the city was palpable, but the transformation in many of our participants was even more profound. I believe the Urban Invasion has begun to help our churches see our cities as God sees them, and that is something we should celebrate,” Armstrong said.
Source: Alexandra Gautreaux and Joán Paulino, Communications Links in the Dominican Republic and Sugey Barrón, Genesis Initiative Regional Assistant
