Breaking More New Ground at SLM: Gay Pride Parade Outreach

This past weekend marked New York City's 44th annual Gay Pride Parade, as well as Street LIFE Ministries' first outreach to the Gay Pride Parade. Saturday we prayer walked the entire parade route beginning on Fifth Ave. and 36th St. and ending at Greenwich St. and Christopher St. in Greenwich Village. Akilah voiced what many of the team felt in writing, "The prayer walk was crucial to the parade ministry". The team was broken up in groups of two and set out to push back the powers of darkness as well as release the word of the Lord - words of life and healing over the area. We each felt the importance of what we were doing spiritually to prepare the way for the outreach on Sunday, as well as to make sure that God would receive glory through our prayers and lifting high His name. We concluded Saturday evening with more worship and prayer back at the SLM base. Sunday morning we left with eagerness and anticipation at what the Lord would do. There was tremendous favor for parking, setting up the table to pass out free water and lemonade, as well as participation and receptivity as our team used a survey to engage in conversation with those present. We recognized much of the fear some initially felt was intimidation from the enemy and an illusion to keep us from reaching out to those who identify as LGBT. They are people who need to hear the love and truth of God just like everyone else. Speaking of an encounter with a gay young man Angela shared, "Brian didn't ask for prayer for himself but for world hunger. I told him that was good but that God was interested in him. That Jesus loves him personally, which is why we were out there. Before leaving he said he liked our approach." We set out to represent the Lord, build relationship, and plant seeds, which we believed happened. We look forward to more opportunities to reach this community.