SHREVEPORT, LA -- Eric Gonyon and his wife, Jennifer, have already started leading people to Christ in Shreveport, Louisiana, during their preparation stage for (GNSB) The Good News Shreveport-Bossier City Crusade, Louisiana outreach for the Rodney Howard-Browne Crusade to be held there this summer.

More than 48,000 souls were won to the Lord in 1999 at the Good News New York Crusade (GNNY) held in a city of 17 million people. The six week out reach at the Good News Shreveport-Bossier (GNSB), will begin on June 20 and go to July 29 at the Hirsch Coliseum in Shreveport, La. The Shreveport-Bossier City area has more than 350,000 population according to Eric Gonyon. Everyone in the area will be contacted more than two times before the meetings even begin by volunteer workers who will be going door to door. Almost a million dollars has been set aside for advertising by bill boards, radio, and television.

Eric is the crusade director but his wife, Jennifer, is in charge of training the soul winning teams. Already at the time of interview Jennifer’s groups have won more than 2,000 people to Jesus. "In New York when we led the soul winning teams to the streets we would go to the street corners with a group of trained volunteers. Many were won to Jesus in that manner. In our outreach here we will touch each home at least twice while we are in our preparation period and during the crusade."

Jennifer learned a lot about how powerful the Holy Spirit can be when she was in New York. "During the meetings in New York at the Madison Square Gardens at night, I had the responsibility of the book tables. We would have to pack up every night and would leave totally exhausted. One night as we finished I fell into the back seat of a taxi. I was so tired but God spoke to me to ask the cab driver if he died tonight would he know where he would spend eternity. He said, ‘No,’ and with that I led him to Christ and he prayed the sinner’s prayer by the time I reached my destination, and he had been raised as a Muslim. It amazes me at how much of the work is done through the power of the Holy Spirit. We led several Muslims to Jesus in New York. I remember one man that I led to Christ. He kept bringing back family members and friends every night for me to lead to Christ. The Holy Spirit will do the job if we will be obedient to ask. People want to know God and they are waiting for you to ask them. We really learned in New York how much the Holy Spirit will do if you just trust him."

Eric spoke highly about Jennifer and her ability to lead people to Christ. "We went out to eat the other night and the restaurant was near the Marine Corp Recruiting station. All of sudden I couldn’t find my wife and I began to look around and when I found her in the recruiting office she had three large Marine Recruiters with their heads bowed praying the sinner’s prayer. She is incredible and has no fear when it comes to approaching people with the gospel. She is training all those here in soul winning and she was the trainer in New York for all the teams."

The ad campaign started with bill boards around the two cities that read, "Good News, Your World Is About to Change." These boards are so unique because they are large question marks without the full message. Placed in strategic places around the city they will be followed by another message on them at the time of the crusade that says, "Good News, It’s Here." It then has the Hirsch Coliseum and the dates and the times for the crusades. We have a budget for our crusade of over one million dollars and the bill board ads work in conjunction with our radio and Television blitz. We will do 9,600 spots on radio and television outlets in the city, including cable television. The television ads come out with the earth spinning and then all of a sudden it explodes but the message that comes through with people talking, "He keeps our marriage strong -- He helps me be a better father -- He helps me overcome drugs and then has a white person at the end who says -- He’s not white. These unique ads are designed to provoke and draw people into the meetings."

RODNEY HOWARD-BROWNE AT HIRSH FOR A MONTH

While the Hirsch Coliseum is being used by the crusade there are three arena football events scheduled. The unique outreach of evangelism will have Rodney Howard-Browne and the soul winning team in place at the end of each game to give an altar call. Several sports figures from NFL teams will be there to help at the end of the games. This outreach is going to be so strange and unique.

During the early planning sessions of calling the churches, Eric saw something come together that he didn’t see in New York . In New York we were basically dealing with the Charismatic and Pentecostal fellowships but when we came to this area we began to call upon Baptists, Methodists, and Episcopal Churches in the area. Many of the leaders told us we were confirmation of prayers being answered. Many had already been praying for revival and when the Good News teams called on them, they were willing to do their part to help in the crusade.

The unity of God is so apparent among those we have called upon. "We all have differences in what we believe and how we approached the churches was by what we have in common. We told them we were here for one purpose and one purpose only and that is to lead people to Jesus Christ. For year in this area any people have not joined together because of their differences and that has allowed Satan to control the land. We must focus on what we believe and winning people to Jesus Christ is what it is all about. We are here to bring people to Jesus Christ, we are here to ask them if they know where they are going when they die. We offer them Jesus and it is up to them to either receive Jesus or turn Him down. Sometimes you think they are just going through the motions when they receive Jesus but many times right in the middle of the sinner’s prayer they begin to weep."

Many people have been slated to come to the meetings during the month: Vickie Wynan; Bob Carlyle, Out of Eden, Christ for the Nations, Plus One, Clay Cross.

On June 30 and July 1 we are having a motorcycle rally. People are coming from all over the United States on that Friday and Saturday. We’ve invited the outlawed bikers -- we’re having a rally and a show. At the time they give out the trophies for the show it will be at the Hirsch complete with an invitation to come to Christ. Food Outreach dates begin Saturday, June 17, at the Hirsch Coliseum parking lot and end on Saturday, July 29, at the Hirsch coliseum parking lot.

Rodney Howard-Browne has a unique approach to the lost, "Just ask them do they know where they are going when they die. Many consider Browne as the Father of the new river of revival. In the last 12 years -- he wants no recognition for his work of revival. His heart and desire is to touch Louisiana and he has a vision to touch Los Angeles next. Great hope is being stirred among the clergy in Shreveport-Bossier City.

Eric and Jennifer are putting every hour and every day into this outreach. They are a couple of children in love with Jesus and they extended their hands to ask anyone who would like to participate in the meetings to get in touch with them at (318) 635-7500.