Sharing the Gospel with Idaho Falls

 Sharing the Gospel with Idaho Falls

 

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.    Luke 19:10

And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."   Mark 1:17, Matthew 4:19

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?  And how will they hear without a preacher?  And how can they preach unless they are sent?  As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"    Romans 10:13-15

So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." John 20:21

…And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.   Acts 2:47

 

Do you think Jesus wants every person in Idaho Falls to hear and believe the gospel of His salvation and His kingdom?

Writing about circuit riding preachers who visited settlers in southeast Idaho in the 1860’s and 1870’s, Edith Lovell notes, “These gospel itinerants … had personal contact with nearly every man, woman and child in their territory and were welcome visitors in any home or any group.”[1] 

Rebecca Mitchell, who came to Eagle Rock as a self-supporting Baptist missionary in 1882, reportedly visited and shared the gospel with every family in the community shortly after her arrival.[2]

The first resident pastor in Eagle Rock, Rev. Martin T. Lamb, had previously pastored in Valparaiso, Indiana, and while there determined how many people in that city were not attending any church.  He then sought to take the gospel to all of them, first through evangelistic meetings and then by visiting every family in the community.[3]  When Rev. Lamb came to Eagle Rock, he quickly recognized the need to reach Latter Day Saints, which propelled him first into research of LDS documents and having many conversations with members of the LDS church, then doing a lecture series in Salt Lake City and taking on a ministry there and finally going on a nation-wide speaking tour to both bring Latter Day Saints into God’s kingdom and inform Christians of LDS teachings in order to be better able to win them to Christ.

111 years after Rebecca Mitchel came to Eagle Rock, Rick Brown came to Idaho Falls with a vision to plant a church that would bring the gospel to all the community.  In the next 24 years that Rick served as pastor of Calvary Chapel/Watersprings, hundreds of people came to Christ through Rick’s preaching, through the radio station he was part of starting here, and through other ministries of his church.

In September 2023, Will Graham of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association preached the gospel to 5639 people at the Mountain America Center in two days of meetings.  Called the “Look Up Tour,” Christians from 110 churches of the region joined together in prayer, evangelism training and numerous other preparatory activities, and then in contacting the 612 people who made decisions in these meetings to encourage their growth in Christ and help them find a church home.[4]  Other people responded to the message of the gospel prior to and following the meetings with Will Graham through the personal evangelism of those trained or otherwise involved with the effort.

How do we interest and engage those who did not come to the Look Up Tour meetings with the gospel, who would not attend a church service where they would hear the gospel, and have no contact with any Christian who is actively sharing his or her faith in Christ?  How do we take the gospel to all of Idaho Falls?

I believe to answer and act on these questions we need much prayer and discussion within the body of Christ in Idaho Falls.  As my initial contribution to those discussions, below I listed times and ways that the gospel has been proclaimed in Idaho Falls in the past to gain a historical perspective, and then I add a few observations, suggestions and some additional questions.

Historical Perspective

·         1900 – Evangelists came to Idaho Falls in July, October and November and preached the gospel to the community.[5]

·         Revival Meetings at the Methodist Church, 1905 – Revival meetings were held at the Methodist Church from January 2 to January 22.  From the Idaho Falls Times of January 6: "The revival meetings are well begun and the interest is steadily increasing.  A number have already sought the Lord..." From the Idaho Falls Times, January 13: "The revival meetings will be continued during the coming week. Everyone is welcome.  Sin and its awful consequences is evident all about us.  The only redemption for a community or individual is in the Gospel of Christ.  We should learn to hear and understand the voice of God speaking in our conscience, which is wisdom clearer and surer than any wisdom on man.”  The Idaho Falls Times of January 27 reported that 21 people were added to the church through the meetings.

·         Armstrong & Ireland Gospel Services, 1908 – “The gospel services conducted by Armstrong [Rev. Martin Armstrong of Kansas City] and Professor Ireland [Herbert B. Ireland, evangelist and gospel singer from California] for the last few weeks have been well attended and full of interest. It is said by many that these services have been the greatest of any ever held in Idaho Falls. Multitudes have been stirred, great numbers have been quickened to greater zeal in Christian work.  Many have been reclaimed and 78 people have made a definite consecration of their lives.  Evangelist Armstrong’s preaching is direct, concise, Scriptural and brotherly.  He hews close to the line in revealing sin, yet he makes you feel he is your friend and has come to help you…Sunday was perhaps the greatest day in the history of the Methodist church in this city.  About twenty-two were converted in the evening.”[6]

·         The Union Revival Meetings of 1909 – Rev. H. Wyse Jones, known as “General Evangelist of the Pacific Coast,” held 4 weeks of meetings, 6 nights per week, at the Broadway Hall in Idaho Falls. Rev. A. B. Clark of the Idaho Falls Baptist Church wrote following the meetings, “Most of the nights there was good attendance. The evangelist was a good speaker and best of all a good man.  Night after night he proclaimed the full message of the gospel with all the conviction that a sincere heart can contain.  His speech has been simple, plain and direct.  He has preached a gospel of love but preeminently a gospel of truth.  He has preached the whole truth without special privileges of any one or for any class.”  Following these evangelistic meetings, an evangelism training conference was held, which included speakers, in addition to Rev. H W. Jones and others of his team, from Idaho Falls, Pocatello, St. Anthony, Boise, and the Fort Hall Mission.[7]

·         Evangelistic Meetings, 1911 – A series of meetings were held in early 1911 at the Methodist Church, led by Evangelist Charles R. Haudenschield of Chicago.  Reporting on these meetings The Idaho Register said, “The evening services have been well attended. The preacher has a simple message.  It is the power of Christ to save.  He is plain, direct, convincing…”[8]  Also late in the year “a large temporary tabernacle” was erected at the corner of C Street and Shoup Avenue for a series of meetings led by Evangelist Francis A. Ware and his company of singers.[9]

·         The 1916 Taylor Evangelistic Meetings – Simultaneous daily prayer meetings met at about a dozen locations in Idaho Falls throughout the month of December, 1915 seeking the salvation of many in the city the following month. Late in December, 75 volunteers erected a temporary building that could hold 1,100 people. Nightly meetings were then held from January 2 to January 30, with additional meetings Sunday mornings and afternoons.  These meetings were led by the Taylor Evangelistic Company.  George Washington Taylor had been a Baptist pastor in Indiana and Kansas before he started touring the country.  The “Company” at times was just one other person besides George Taylor, but at other times included up to 7 people.  When they came to Idaho Falls the “Company” was George’s family - his wife Carrie who play cornet solos and his two sons Paul and Lawrence who were billed as tenor and baritone soloists.  In nearly all his crusades they formed a choir with an orchestra from members of the community, and in Idaho Falls the choir was directed by his son Paul.  At the time Paul was only 16 years old and his brother 15.  The local paper reported attendance of 1,100 (about 17% of the population of Idaho Falls at that time) on Sundays and on weekdays late in the month, and more than 200 conversions. The meetings were organized by a coalition of Idaho Falls churches. Many of the founding members of the Idaho Falls First Christian Church were contacts or converts from these meetings.[10]

·         The Hart & Magann Campaign of 1918 –  “Herbert C. Hart and Arthur S. Magann, whose remarkable success in conducting large gospel campaigns places them among the few great evangelists of the country, are now enroute from Chicago and have been secured for meetings beginning here next Sunday night. What promises to be one of the most effective campaigns for righteousness that has ever taken place in the Upper Valley is to be inaugurated here on Sunday, March 17.”  Sponsored by the Idaho Falls Ministerial Association, meetings continued for three weeks. The Daily Post reported, “Large audiences are attending and deep interest is manifested.”[11]

·         Tent Meetings, 1921 – Nightly meetings were held three days in August in a tent set up at the Riverside school grounds, led by Rev. J. Wesley Croft of Blackfoot, district missionary of the Baptist Church for Eastern Idaho.[12]

·         Union Evangelistic Services, 1925 – “Splendid results in confessions marked the union evangelistic services held last night in the Methodist Church…”[13]  A week of meetings were held at the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches led by Rev. and Mrs. Elmer P. Loose from Waukesha, Wisconsin.  In conjunction with the evangelistic services, ladies prayer meetings were held in 13 locations throughout the city for four weeks, four days each week.[45]  On one day, attendance at the prayer meetings reached 272 people.^[13]  The same couple also conducted an evangelistic campaign in Ashton in 1924.[14]

·         Tent Meetings with Rev. Lewis Hall, 1926 – From an advertisement in the Idaho Falls Post, August 6, 1926:  “An old-time revival tent meeting. Central School grounds, Idaho Falls, beginning Friday night at 8 and continuing each evening for two weeks.  You will hear the same old time gospel that was taught by John Wesley, General Booth, George Fox and others that moved men to God and righteousness.  Preaching and singing that you will enjoy. Church of the Nazarene, Rev. Lewis E Hall Evangelist, Rev. Hollis Grubb, singer.” The Idaho Falls Nazarene Church traces its beginning to these meetings.[15]

·         Revival Meetings, 1930 – Rev. Terrell C. Newby was a Whole Gospel Church Evangelist and his wife Anna K. Newby a Whole Gospel Church Pastor.  This couple had pastored a church in Mackay, Idaho in the 1920's, then pastored in Nebraska but returned to Idaho the spring of 1930.  They started a church in Firth and about six months later held revival meetings in Idaho Falls, which led to the formation of "Bethel, Church of the Whole Gospel” here. [16]  Anna pastored the church the remainder of the year before turning it over to Rev. H. R. Zelmer.  Bethel Church was initially affiliated with the Bible Standard association of churches, but in 1932 joined the Assemblies of God.  Also in 1930, a series of revival meetings aimed at the African American population of Idaho Falls was held.[17]

·         Native American Evangelist Meetings, 1931 – Paul Grant Wapato, a member of the Wenatchee tribe and an evangelist, spoke at nightly meetings at Idaho Falls churches from May 3rd to 17th.  The May 4th Idaho Falls Times reported that there was a "huge crowd" at the opening service Sunday night at the Baptist Church, "taxing the capacity of the church building," and so the  following night the meeting was moved to the Methodist Church to accommodate more people.[18] 

·         Week of Evangelism by Baptists, 1937 – Baptist churches in Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Blackfoot, American Falls, Arco and Roberts held a simultaneous week-long evangelistic campaign that included daily prayer meetings, three nights of preaching with special speakers and three nights of leadership dinners followed by visiting homes.  In Idaho Falls, Rev. W. A. Phillips, director of evangelism for Idaho, Montana, Utah and Nevada, spoke at the junior and senior high schools and to the Kiwanis club as well as at a meeting at First Baptist Church.[19]

·         Gospel Broadcasts over KID, 1940’s – KID Radio in Idaho Falls broadcast messages of Charles E. Fuller, American Baptist minister and radio evangelist, on Sundays from 11 am to noon in the program “Old Fashioned Revival Hour.”[20]

·         Evangelism of Japanese residents of the area, 1942-1946 – Miss Carolyn Teague and Miss Olive Curry were both long-term Methodist missionaries in Japan when World War II forced them to return to the States.  Reassigned to Idaho Falls, these two women led more than 100 first and second generation Japanese to faith in Christ, and formed them into two churches.  In 1946 both ladies returned to Japan, while the churches they formed in Idaho Falls continued meeting.[21]

·         Chief White Eagle, 1946 – Chief White Eagle, recognized at the time as America’s “foremost Indian evangelist,” spoke at meetings at the Baptist Church in Idaho Falls on June 30, 1946.  By then, Chief White Eagle had completed three preaching tours across the United States, and was on his fourth tour in which he planned to speak at 300 reservations throughout the country.[22]

·         New Life Movement within the Presbyterian Church, 1947 – Remembering the years 1947-50, Dr. Joseph I. Gulick, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Idaho Falls wrote, “If certain important events were like mountain peaks on the skyline of Idaho Falls Presbyterian Church history, the “New Life Movement” launched by the General Assembly in 1947 was the Mount Everest of them all! It was the period in the Idaho Falls Church’s history when the Holy Spirit’s directing Presence and Power, like that reported in the Book of Acts, was felt more vividly than at any other time.” Prior to this date, for many years the church had not been adding more than 20 members annually. One focus of the New Life Movement was personal witnessing.  Following a 5-day training session at a Regional Conference and a sermon series focused on an individual’s relationship with Christ, teams were ready.  On Monday, November 17, 1947, 18 men went out in pairs to share the gospel.  Though 16 of the 18 men had never spoken to anyone about a relationship with Christ before, that day the teams led 21 people in decisions to become followers of Christ.  The following Sunday 50 people became new members of the church, and over the next 13 months more than 175 people found Christ.[23]    

·         Idaho Falls Ministerial Survey, 1948 – The Idaho Falls Ministerial Association sponsored a religious survey in which 200-some people from the churches of Idaho Falls sought to visit every home in the city. The purpose of the survey was not specifically to share the gospel, but to determine the religious makeup in Idaho Falls, and this doubtless led to conversations about the gospel.  The volunteers visited all homes in town and talked to people in all but about 500 in which they found no one at home. Only 13 refused to talk with the volunteers.[24]

·         Idaho Falls Evangelistic Program, 1949-50 – In December, 1948, the Idaho Falls Ministerial Association outlined an evangelistic program in the city that would last 15 months [42]

·         Revival Meetings, 1950 – For a period of seven weeks pastors from five churches in Idaho Falls met daily at 10 am to pray for a citywide revival preceding a series of evangelistic meetings held in each of those churches.[25]

·         Billy Graham film showing, 1953 – The film "Mr. Texas" was shown in the O. E. Bell Junior High School auditorium to a crowd of some 600 people. The showing was preceded by a prayer meeting and following the film a dramatic presentation of Billy Graham's work was made, along with an invitation to receive Christ.[44]

·         Dr. Hyman Appelman Crusade, 1963 – A steering committee of pastors from eight Idaho Falls churches, including Calvary Baptist Church, Central Bible Church, Mission Covenant Church, First Christian Church, Church of the Nazarene, United Pentecostal Church and two others organized a 10-day crusade featuring Rev. Dr. Hyman Appelman of Kansas City.  Dr. Hyman had been born into a Jewish family in Russia, became a successful trial lawyer in Chicago, but when visiting Kansas City picked up a Gideon Bible at the YMCA where he was staying which started him on the path toward conversion to Christ.  He then studied at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Billy Graham wrote, "Dr. Appelman is one of the greatest and most powerful preachers of the Gospel I have ever listened to. I used to listen to him preach night after night and made notes on his sermons. Some of my own knowledge and inspiration concerning mass evangelism came from his ministry. Thousands of names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life because Dr. Appelman passed their way”.  Following his meetings in Idaho Falls, people from additional churches followed up on those who indicated making decisions to receive Christ.[26]

·         Campaign for Christ, 1968 – The seven day Campaign for Christ was held in the Civic Auditorium from July 28 through August 4, 1968.  The speaker each night was Wayne Emmons, a preacher from Lubbock, Texas, author of the book "Let's Go Visiting," lecturer and evangelist who would conduct about six gospel meetings per year. [43]

·         Billy Graham Movie, 1969 - "The Restless Ones," using a background of the 1963 Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles, was shown at the Paramount Theater in Idaho Falls September 21-24. Rev. Jack Nitz, pastor of the First Lutheran Church, said, "(This film) is a hard-hitting, bold approach to our social problems." [46]

·         Key ’73 was a nationwide program of creative evangelism, a brainchild of theologian Carl Henry and 5 years in the planning stage.  The Idaho Falls Ministerial Association elected Rev. Ray Glenn, pastor of the Nazarene Church, as chairman of the steering committee for evangelism in Idaho Falls.[27]  Key '73 included six phases.  The first, from December 15, 1972 to January 17, 1973 was dedi­cated to prayer for the extension of God’s Kingdom through response to the gospel by millions of people.  Phase 2 lasted from January 1 to Easter involved the distribution of the bools of Luke and Acts to every home in America and concentrated on evangelistic Bible studies. Phase 3 focused on evangelistic conversations on streets, in homes, and on college cam­puses. Phase 4, included televi­sion specials and witnessing through travel­ing teams of skilled musicians, artists, etc. in parks, shopping centers, and resorts, emphasizing youth.  Phase 5, was dedicated to presentations of the gospel at every state fair and additional community contact through mass media. The final phase began with Thanksgiving and ended with the beginning of 1974, with the emphasis on the meaning of Christ­mas. 

·         Dewey Wilmot, 1970’s – Dewey Wilmot and his family were faithfully attending a church in Idaho Falls when he was exposed to the charismatic movement of the 1970’s through a home Bible study. Energized by what he saw and learned, it wasn’t long before the Bible study outgrew the home it was meeting in and was moved to the Wilmot house and later to other larger facilities.  Dewey worked for local television stations, but spent many evenings, often late into the night, sharing the gospel and ministering in other ways to people the Lord brought to his home.[28]

·         Here’s Life, America (1976) – Spearheaded by Campus Crusade for Christ, telephone evangelism and other means were used in an attempt to share the gospel with every household in the nation. It was reported that nationwide 535,000 lives were changed and crime and divorce rates in America both decreased.[29] [I have not found any reports in the Post Register or any other source of efforts or results of Here’s Life, America in Idaho Falls.]

·         Gospel Crusade, 1977 -  Two Idaho Falls churches, Solid Rock Our Church and New Testament Way, joined in sponsoring a each evening April 24 through 29 at 260 Gladstone.

·         Evangelistic Bible Study, late 1970’s – Bob Seidel led a Bible study for non-believers in the late 1970’s that grew to become Eagle Rock Baptist Church. Rev. Joe Ison of Dayton, Ohio was the speaker. Rev. George Foster Jr. said, "His dynamic teaching and preaching will be a message of life..." [47]

·         Jim Johnson, 1970’s to early 2000’s – Jim Johnson was born in Rigby and grew up in the Ririe area.  When he was 12, his mother was killed in a gas explosion in a dry cleaning store in the building in which they lived, and Jim was sent to California to live with an older sister.  After college he went to work for Lockheed as an inspector of military aircraft. At age 31, a few years after he got married, Jim found salvation in Christ at a Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles.  He retired from Lockheed in 1976 at age 59, bought an old farmhouse in Iona and lived there until he died in 2009.  After moving back to Idaho he formed an evangelism team that visited hundreds of homes in Idaho Falls.  When people received Christ he continued to visit them in their homes to disciple them and encourage them to come to church.  At one time about two-thirds of the congregation of The Christian Center were people that Jim had visited and led to the Lord.[30]

·         Mister Gospel Guitar, 1981 – Dwayne Friend, known as “Mister Gospel Guitar,” came to Idaho Falls to sing and preach the gospel. He was one of the first Christian music artists from out of state to perform in the city.[31]

·         Great Mercy Band, 1989 – Some high school graduates in Idaho Falls joined their musical gifts and formed a Christian band that took the gospel of grace and forgiveness into the bars and night scenes all around the area over the span of several years.[32]

·         Concerted Promotions for Revival Speakers and Concerts, late 1980’s and early 1990’s – Pastor Rick Lunsford and others, mostly part of Family Bible Church, formed Concerted Promotions for Revival to expose Idaho Falls to leading Christian speakers and musicians.  Speakers that were brought in included Frank Peretti and Mike Warnke, and crowds came to the Civic Auditorium to hear them.  Popular Christian bands that performed in the same venue included Mylon and Broken Heart, Rick Cua, Morgan Cryar, DeGarmo and Key, the Imperials and others. In these events the gospel was preached, and many hands were raised at the invitations to receive Christ.[33] 

·         Josh McDowell, 1994 – Sponsored by eight Idaho Falls Churches, Christian speaker and author Josh McDowell spoke to parents and teens at the Civic Auditorium two days in early March 1994.  While the subjects of Josh’s talks in Idaho Falls were family, marriage and sex, he also presented the gospel as foundational to strong relationships, marriages and families.[34]

·         Evangelistic Crusade at Civic Auditorium, 1995 - “When Calvary Chapel pastor Rick Brown first thought about organizing an evangelistic crusade in Idaho Falls, he hoped he would be able to sign a major recording artist to help draw a crowd. By the time he was through planning, he had commitments from three well-known Christian recording artists. Suddenly, the project was too big for his church to handle. Brown enlisted the help of 10 other churches. Together they are hosting what may be the first ever crusade of this type in Idaho Falls. It's patterned after Billy Graham's crusades… The crusade begins at the Idaho Falls Civic Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Friday, and continues each night through Sunday.”[35]

·         Second Annual Idaho Falls Crusade, 1996 – Fifteen Idaho Falls churches joined in sponsoring the Second Annual Idaho Falls Crusade.  According to Pastor David McClain, the primary purpose was to challenge the church and believers to better fulfill their mission.  The secondary purpose was to proclaim the evangelical message to the community. Churches involved in the crusade encouraged their members to invite friends.[36]

·         Southern Baptists go door to door, 1998– 600 Southern Baptists from Oklahoma came to Idaho Falls and went door to door sharing the gospel.[37]

·         Area-wide Evangelistic Crusades at Science Center Auditorium, 1998 & 1999 –The Crusade in 1999 was held August 9-13.[38] 

·         Planting a church in Idaho Falls through outreach to LDS, 2022 – Using a method developed by a pastor in Nampa,[39] a group began planting a church in Idaho Falls in 2022.

·         Look Up Tour with Will Graham, 2023 – In addition to what I reported above about the results Look Up meetings, 1,300 people were trained in evangelism in May and August. An assignment during this training was to share the gospel with someone.  I heard of people coming to Christ as a result of these conversations.  Also 10,146 people viewed the live webstream of the October meetings, and 249 responded online to the invitations.  And at one of the early meetings, one of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association team members reported on people living in the area that had responded to earlier online BGEA events.

The above include:

•        Mass meetings led by evangelists from out of town
•        Concerts by outside Christian groups in which the gospel was proclaimed
•        Meetings in which well-known outside speakers presented the gospel
•        Mass evangelistic meetings led by local pastors
•        Performances by local musicians in non-religious venues
•        Evangelism through radio broadcasts
•        Evangelistic Bible studies
•        Door to door evangelism by teams and individuals
•        Telephone evangelism
•        Internet evangelism
•        Targeted evangelism of an ethnic group
•        Targeted evangelism of a religious group
•         Personal evangelism following evangelism training meetings

I recognize that the above list is only a portion of times and ways the gospel has been proclaimed in Idaho Falls.  Most are efforts that were reported in local newspapers or are people or activities that I have personal knowledge of.[40]  I welcome additions. 

What are the most common ways the gospel is shared through the body of Christ in Idaho Falls, now and in the past? Here’s my guess, (and again, I would appreciate hearing any insight and experience you have):

•          Preaching the gospel from pulpits at church services, often at the end of a sermon
•          Special church services or meetings in which the gospel is preached
•          Christian parents talking to their children about salvation and faith in Christ
•          Members of the body of Christ recognizing and taking opportunities to share the gospel with          neighbors, friends and co-workers
•          Members of mission organizations, such as the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission, sharing the                 gospel with a targeted segment of the city
•          Speakers at summer camps presenting the gospel to kids and youth.

A Few Observations, Suggestions and Additional Questions

1. Fruitfulness – The first observation I make from the above is that past evangelism efforts in Idaho Falls have been fruitful.  At numerous times in the history of our city, significant numbers of people have found salvation in Christ. Several Idaho Falls churches have been formed from converts and several churches have significantly grown through evangelism efforts.  Reports of many revival and evangelistic meetings included statements of positive responses and numbers of decisions.  10.9% of those attending the Look Up meetings made decisions, 71% of those decisions were for salvation in Christ.  Considering the number of believers who came to the Look Up meetings and the number of people who attended more than one meeting and hence were counted two or three times, this seems to me an incredibly high response rate.   We can be encouraged that the Holy Spirit has been at work drawing people to Christ and believe that He will continue to do so.

2. Prayer – An emphasis of the Look Up tour was prayer, monthly prayer meetings were held starting in November, 2022 and weekly prayer meetings began in early January 2023.  The Taylor Evangelistic Meetings of January 1916 were preceded by a month of multiple daily prayer meetings held throughout the city.  In 1950 pastors from 5 churches met for prayer every day for seven weeks prior to evangelistic meetings. Prayer was mentioned in the reports of many other evangelistic activities.  I was part of a weekly prayer meeting that focused on the city and lasted for five years starting in 1990.  Another weekly prayer meeting that has in part focused on the city began in 2011 and is still meeting.  Prayer must be central in any evangelistic effort, as shown not only by local history but also the history of national and world revivals.  That said, how can our prayer meetings be more effective, in hearing what the Lord is saying to us, in drawing us into His presence and seeing His glory that so transforms us that others see and desire it, in identifying and pulling down strongholds keeping people from Christ, in sending laborers into the harvest, in releasing signs and wonders that turn men and women to Christ…?

3. Responsibility – Many evangelistic efforts of the past have been organized or sponsored by a coalition of Idaho Falls churches, some by a single church or individual, others were solely the initiative of outside individuals or organizations and some involved both local church leaders and outside organizations.  Who is responsible for seeing that every person in Idaho Falls hears and understands the gospel?  We all have our circles of relationships as well as our callings and goals and commitments that fill up our lives.  Pastors can be overworked taking care of their own flock and balancing all the demands placed on them.  Jesus chose 12 men to take the gospel to all peoples; who has He chosen to bring the gospel to all of Idaho Falls?  The mission can easily seem too big and complex for any one person or church. While all of Jesus’s disciples in Idaho Falls share this responsibility and have a part, I suggest that for planning, coordination and leadership purposes, a team is needed to whom He has given a burden for the city, who have strong connections to the body of Christ in the city, who have diverse relational and organizational skills and who have understanding of and ties to many different segments of the city.  But on the other hand, Jesus sometimes chooses to use people who do not appear to us the most qualified.

4. Coordination – Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, the Head of the Church, the Lord of the Harvest, the One who commissions and sends His disciples to be His witnesses and ambassadors.  He can certainly coordinate all the different parts of His body in their efforts to proclaim the gospel.  All that He is leading individual churches to do now should continue.  I envision this team to be the catalyst for churches to work together on periodic larger evangelistic efforts, as well as discovering and addressing segments of our city not being touched by the gospel. By "addressing" I'm thinking that the team would develop plans in sufficient detail that individual believers (as well as churches) can grasp both the importance and the opportunities they have to be part of achieving the larger goal of reaching all of the city with the gospel. Harvesting a field of wheat or potatoes is systematic, sweeping across one row after another.  While the whole field may not be ready for harvest, I think we need a plan for ensuring that we are not neglecting parts of it.

5. Missions Mindset – While I suppose every believer in Christ would agree that the church has a mission, we could have a lot of discussion on exactly what that mission is.  Evangelical churches believe proclamation of the gospel is central to their mission.  While churches rightly send missionaries to take the gospel to unreached people groups and to work for the sake of the gospel in a variety of other ways throughout the world, is not the church (as believers) in a particular location God’s temple, Christ’s witnesses, Jesus’ kingdom ambassadors and His priesthood in that location, to that city?  A missionary to a foreign culture learns the language and culture of the people where he or she is sent, so that he or she can frame the gospel in terms that will be understood.  If believers are living in Idaho Falls, are they not sent by Jesus to Idaho Falls?  Should we not be seeking to understand the people we live among, their mindsets, their needs that can open doors for the gospel, and the barriers that keep them from receiving His gift of salvation?  I fear that many of us have become too entrenched in our own Christian subculture and have lost being connected to those we need to take the gospel to.  

6. Research – What’s the equivalent today of the religious surveys the Idaho Falls Ministerial Association did in 1940 and 1948, or Rev. C. E. Winning’s questionnaire he sent to leading citizens and civic groups in Idaho Falls in 1922?[41]  It’s not hard to list different segments of the population of Idaho Falls – LDS, youth, Hispanic/Latino, new residents escaping liberal states, INL personal, the medical community, agricultural workers and employees of food processing plants, the homeless, etc.  But probably few of these are sufficiently homogeneous to formulate a single evangelistic approach. Who are we not taking the gospel to?  What neighborhoods in our city have the fewest believers? What will help us view the city through the lens of the gospel and develop approaches that will produce a greater harvest? 

7. Resources – What resources do we currently have that will help formulate and carry out a plan to reach all of Idaho Falls with the gospel?  What resources do we have that could be shared more widely?  Could we form a repository of links to relevant sermons, sources for printed materials and websites, feedback from prayer meetings, training materials etc.?  What resources do you know of from outside authors and organizations that would be helpful?  What has been published about saturating cities with the gospel elsewhere that would be of use to us in Idaho Falls?

If you believe that Jesus wants every person in Idaho Falls to hear and believe the gospel, let’s talk about how it can happen.  In 2023 a large part of the body of Christ in Idaho Falls (and many other churches in southeast Idaho and western Wyoming) were involved with the Look Up Tour. Given Scripture that reveals God’s desire for all come to salvation, given the history of proclaiming the gospel to the residents of Idaho Falls, given all that the churches are currently doing in proclaiming the gospel, what are the next steps to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to all of Idaho Falls?

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[1] E. Lovell, Captain Bonneville’s County, p. 183.

[2] [source to be added] The population of Eagle Rock in 1882 was about 300.

[3] See https://jiif140yrs.blogspot.com/2023/03/rev-m-t-lamb-and-golden-bible.html

[4] See (a) Rett Nelson, East Idaho News, Sept. 22, 2023, “Billy Graham’s grandson inviting locals to ‘Look Up’ in eastern Idaho this weekend;” (b) Kali Zakariasen, “Will Graham Event Energizing Churches Ahead of This Weekend’s Idaho Falls Outreach”; September 22, 2023; https://billygraham.org/story/will-graham-event-energizing-churches-in-idaho-falls-region; (c) https://billygraham.org/gallery/look-up-tour-changing-lives-in-idaho-falls/; (d) https://jiif140yrs.blogspot.com/2023/10/seven-things-jesus-did-in-2023-through.html and (e) https://jesusinidahofalls.com/2023/10/18/20-highlights-leading-to-look-up-tour/.

[5] Idaho Falls Times, July 12, 1900, p. 2: Evangelists Young and Patterson of the Christian Volunteers Advance Brigade have arrived in this city from Butte, Mont., have rented a Barracks, the old Methodist church south side, where salvation meetings will be held every evening, 7:30 pm in open air & 8 pm in the Barracks.  All Christians are invited to co-operate with us in our effort in this city toward the uplifting of humanity and the extension of God’s kingdom...; Idaho Falls Times, Oct. 11, 1900, p. 1: Rev. J. C. Burns and wife, Evangelists, are conducting a revival in the Presbyterian Church of Idaho Falls every day at 2:30 and 7:30 pm…; Idaho Falls Times, Nov. 22, p. 8: Evangelist Rozelle is still conducting revival services at the Baptist Church.  The meetings will continue another week.  Rev. Rozelle is a forceful gospel speaker.  The interest is good and decisions are being made…

[6] Idaho Falls Times, Nov.18 & 24, 1908.

[7] See “H W. Jones x2 & The 1909 Evangelistic Meetings,” https://jiif140yrs.blogspot.com/2023/02/h.htm.

[8] “Gospel Meetings,” The Idaho Times, Jan. 3, 1911, p. 1 & ”Great Services at the Methodist Church,” The Idaho Register, Jan. 6, p. 5.  When Mr. Haudenschield came to Idaho Falls, “his experience in evangelistic meetings extended over a period of nearly twenty years and he has covered the entire country.”  He was known as the “singing evangelist.”

[9] “Evangelist Meeting,” The Idaho Register. September 15, 1911, p. 1 & The Idaho Falls Times, September 26, 1911, p. 5.

[10] “Interest in the Meetings – Tabernacle Filled at Each Evening Session With Many Interested People,” The Idaho Register, Jan 14, 1916, p. 1; “Last Week of Meeting – Great Interest Has Been Shown Throughout the Entire Series of Meetings,” The Idaho Register, Jan. 28, 1916 p. 1 [and others].

[11] Idaho Falls Daily Post, March 12, 14, 28, & April 5, 1918.

[12] “Evangelist Meetings Will Begin Wednesday,” Idaho Falls Daily Post, Aug. 10, 1921, p. 2; “Evangelist Meetings Draw Big Attendance First Night,” Idaho Falls Daily Post, Aug. 11, 1921, p. 2.

[13] “Evangelistic Services Pleases Large Crowd,” Idaho Falls Daily Post, March 20, 1925, p. 3; “Large Crowds Hear Evangelist Loose,” Idaho Falls Daily Post, March 11, 1925, p. 6; also Idaho Falls Daily Post, March 3, 1925, p. 5, March 4, 1925, p. 5, March 5, 1925, p. 6, March 9, 1925, p. 3, March 13, 1925, p. 3 & The Times Register, March 6, 1925, p, 5.

[14] Idaho Falls Daily Post, Jan. 29, 1924, p. 4, Feb. 2, p. 2 & Feb. 9, p. 11.

[15] The two-week campaigns which Rev. Lewis Hall conducted in Idaho Falls in 1926 and 1927 are well documented in the Post Register.  A 1939 Post Register article refers to a campaign he did in Idaho Falls in 1925, but I could find no mention of this in 1925 newspapers.

[16] See the Idaho Falls Daily Post, Sept. 4, 1930, p. 3 and other issues of the same newspaper through December.

[17] Idaho Falls Daily Post, March 3, 1930, p. 7.

[18] Idaho Falls Daily Post, May 4, p. 3; also May 8, p. 3 and May 15, p. 6.

[19] Post Register, October 28, 1937, p. 6.

[20] Post Register, July 28, 1940, p. 5, April 29, 1945, p. 2 and others.  Also for a period of time in the 1940’s the Idaho Falls Assembly of God Church broadcast the gospel on Tuesdays at 11 am, Post Register, July 21, 1944, p. 5 and First Christian Church broadcast gospel preaching services over KID Radio Sundays 7:30 to 8:30 pm, Post Register, Jan. 21, 1944.

[21] See “Well Known Missionary Plans Return to Japan,” Post Register, May 24, 1946, p.5, “Miss Olive Curry to Return Soon to Nagasaki,” Post Register, Nov. 18, 1946, p. 5, and numerous other Post Register articles from July 31, 1942 to late 1946.

[22] Article in the Post Register about the activities at First Baptist Church, June 28, 1946, p. 10.  Note that this article misidentifies the speaker as another Texas pastor, T. Gerald Cates, who was not Native American. 

[23] From the unpublished autobiography of Dr. Joseph I. Gulick, available in the library of the First Presbyterian Church of Idaho Falls.

[24] Post Register articles, March 4, 8, 11 & 14, 1948. The Idaho Falls Ministerial Association also performed a census in 1940, in which they contacted 12,653 residents, out of an estimated 15,000 total in the city. (Post Register, April 4, 1940, pp 1 & 3)

[25] “Churches Join for Revivals,” Post Register, Dec. 6, 1950, p. 13. Participating churches included the Assembly of God, First Church of the Nazarene, Gladstone Gospel Church, Mission Covenant Church and First Lutheran Church.

[26] Sources: https://www.sbcevangelist.org/hyman-appelman/ and Post Register, "Crusade Lectures to Begin Monday," July 7, 1963, p. 6.

[27] “Rev. Glenn to Direct ‘Key ‘73’ Program Here,” Post Register, May 7, 1972, p. A-9. [I could find no reports of the results of the evangelism efforts in Idaho Falls.]

[28] From an interview Charles had with Dewey in 2017. At its peak the Bible study grew to about 275 people.  Dewey told me he was amazed at the number of people the Lord brought to him, so many that he trained about a dozen other men to do what he was doing.

[29] John G Turner, Bill Bright & Campus Crusade for Christ – The Renewal of Evangelicalism in Postwar America, 2008.

[30] From personal knowledge plus “Life Sketch for Jim Johnson,” distributed at his memorial service June 20, 2009.

[31] Source: Lori Swisher

[32] Source: Mikey Middleton, who was part of the band.

[33] Mostly from email correspondence with Cheryl Lunsford, 2017.

[34] Gene Fadness, “McDowell to Tell Teens Why Wait,” Post Register, February 18, 1994.

[35] Gene Fadness, “Top Christian Musicians Slated to Perform at I.F. Crusade,” Post Register, August 10, 1995.

[36] Gene Fadness, “15 Churches Join in Annual Crusade,” Post Register, Sept. 13, 1996.

[37] Teri Anderson, "Knock, Knock - Southern Baptists find open doors and open minds as they share their faith in Eastern Idaho," Post Register, June 8, 1998; also “The Baptists are Coming,” front page story in Post Register June 4, 1998.

[38] Post Register, July 25, 1998 & July 31, 1999.

[39] See the website, Truth in Love Ministry, https://tilm.org/ to learn about their story and methods

[40] Others that I know of, but not in enough detail to include in the list are (a) evangelistic meetings featuring Andre Cole, I believe sometime in the 1990’s, and other large evangelistic meetings spearheaded by Larry Hall, (b) one of two back to back Sunday services I attended in 2013 at an Idaho Falls church in which more than 60 people came forward to be baptized, and I suspect many of those had recently come to Christ through the ministry of that church, and (c) very recently I heard a report of almost 100 children coming Christ in a few weeks through the ministry of a local church. Two other men who shared the gospel with many in Idaho Falls I know of are Herb Stoneman (pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, 1989-1995) and Norm Pace, an INL engineer.

[41] See footnote 4 of https://jiif140yrs.blogspot.com/2023/05/1923-1973-2023.html.

[42]  Post Register, December 8, 1948, p. 3.

[43]  "Campaign for Christ Set in Idaho Falls," Post Register, July 26, 1968, p. 8.

[44]  Post Register, February 4, 1953, p. 11.

[45]  Idaho Falls Daily Post, March 7, 1925, p. 8.

[46]  "Graham Film Comes Here," Post Register, September 13, 1969, p. 8.

[47]  "Churches slate Gospel Crusade," Post Register, April 22, 1977, p. B-6.