At 12:01 A.M each year on the Fourth of July, Gatlinburg, Tennessee begins the nation's celebration with the first parade of the day. It has become so popular that the streets are lined along the long parade route hours before the beginning of the parade.

Mass tract distribution in major spectator events is one of the main methods we use in the street ministry The Lord has given us. We have worked parades all over the nation, walking along the route before it begins, handing out Jesus Loves You stickers and Gospel tracts to those gathered on the streets waiting for the parades to start. So it is only natural that God would allow me to minister here, in my own hometown, to its parade goers.

Stroller Witnessing :)

This year, our church team consisted of five of us...Carolyn, Michael and Mandy and Harley, and me. We split ourselves so that we could cover both ends of the parade route. Michael and Mandy began on one end of Gatlinburg, pushing Harley (just a few months old) in his stroller...which also had a good supply of "Jesus Loves You" gospel tracts and stickers tucked away in it. This new little family spent the next couple of hours distributing the love of Jesus, offering tracts and stickers to anyone who wanted them. "Just like God's Love...they're free!" Carolyn and I then went to the opposite end of town, and each taking a different side of the street. We then worked our way through the thousands of folks gathered on the Parkway to watch the festivities. This was her first time to take part in public evangelism, and she had a wonderful time doing it. Maybe YOU would enjoy doing something like this, too... Sharing Christ Jesus with others IS wonderful! It was a great time to let His Light shine through us and show the love of Jesus to people from all over the nation who had come to celebrate the Fourth of July here in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

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Contact Mark Martin Email: GoPreach@webtv.net