Way of the Master Week 1: The Firefighter

Way of the Master Week 1 – The Firefighter: Learning to share the Gospel with courage and clarity.

2005 Archive: Launching the Foundation Course at Tri-Lakes Church

In August 2005, we kicked off Way of the Master Week 1 in Branson, unaware that this single night would shape years of evangelism ahead (spoiler: God showed up).

Over a hundred people gathered that night at Tri Lakes Church, filling the room with a nervous energy to learn how to share their faith.

More than a class—the Great Commission jumped off the page and into the lobby, saying, “I’m your responsibility now,” and the room felt it.

August 10, 2005: A Crowd Ready to Learn

The Branson air felt a little more vibrant tonight as a crowd of over a hundred packed into Tri Lakes Church, eager to finally dive into the Way of the Master course.

Our pastor, Pastor Mark Shorey, really has a heart for soul winning. He is excited about this training and is ready to take it to the streets of Branson, MO!

Preparation and Attendance: Building a Gospel Outpost

Before the 6:00 p.m. crowd rolled in, we turned a simple table into a mini gospel outpost.

Books, DVDs, and gospel tracts were spread everywhere—it felt like a candy store for evangelists, except every piece came with eternal purpose.

We were also selling the Study Guide to follow along with the lessons.

We sold all but 3 of our study guides (the church ordered 80, which we were asking only one per couple to be sure we had enough). It looks as if we'll be ordering more of them.

Tonight we had approximately 105 people attending the class. The church is located in Branson, so there are many visitors.

The visitors are taking the Study Guides back to where they live and are interested in getting it started in their church or at least attend the foundation training course.

The Class Begins: Conviction from an Unexpected Source

Getting equipped and ready to lead the first night of the course.

They wired me up with a wireless microphone and we were set.

We sang songs, the pastor made announcements and asked people to buy their study guides if they haven't gotten one yet. At roughly 6:30 p.m., it was time to begin.

I introduced my wife, Leann, and myself, gave a short bio on Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron and their websites, as well as mentioning "The Great News Network" (GNN).

Then I read a "Letter from an Atheist" that he (the atheist) had recently posted on his Xanga site (Xanga was a popular social site back then). 

There are a few of us GNN Seed Sowers that have been posting to his topic of Christianity.

The room went quiet—the kind of quiet where no one rushes to speak because the call to witness had just settled in.

The atheist mentioned how Christians should be extremely concerned about the fate of the unsaved. He said if Christians truly believe what the Bible says will happen to the unsaved, they should be sharing the gospel with the lost. 

This really brought conviction on the believers during the training. If an atheist thought this passionately about this, and the followers of Jesus don't, there is a problem.  

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The Firefighter Video: Discussing our Obligation to Witness

We then began the video for Way of the Master Week 1, titled 'The Firefighter.'

We have Wednesday night service out in the concession stand area, because we eat right before the service (not too bad!). 

The "concession stand" lobby was packed with over a hundred outreach laborers.

After watching the video, we discussed the questions in the study guide. This allowed us to talk a little about what we just learned during the video.

Like any first time class, the answers started out a little slow, but it picked up during the question and answer session. The class ended at approximately 7:30 p.m.

This lesson discusses the Christian's obligation to witness to anyone that is unsaved.

It also shows how it is the responsibility of the church to seek and to save the lost, not just be a gathering place for other activities. It was very moving.

I am normally a shy person when I don't know someone, but I thank God for giving me peace and courage for this class. We will be having 7 more classes during this course.

Post-Class Ministry: Moving from the Pews to the Streets

After class, we were passing out the "Letter From an Unsaved Friend" and the Million Dollar Bill gospel tract from Living Waters.

Many people talked to us after the Way of the Master Week 1 session, saying they felt this was going to be a very life-changing course.

Some wanted the Xanga website address to the atheist that wrote the letter I read.

Others wanted us to have available for them to purchase the gospel tracts that we had on the table. We will be ordering some of these to sell during the foundation course.

During the class, I mentioned that my e-mail address and phone number were stamped into the study guide book, and that people can contact me if they are interested in going out into Branson to street witness.

Pastor got up at the end of the class and said that after some of the training, we will not be waiting for people to call us.

We will instead be setting a time to meet and we will be going out to witness in Branson, so come on. Praise God.

There is a young man at church that goes on missions trips. He is headed for the Netherlands for a 10-day missions trip.

He really liked the class tonight and wanted to know if he could borrow the DVDs and watch them before he leaves...next week.

We loaned him one set of the foundation course. Praise God again!!

Please keep us in your prayers.

Main Takeaway and Call to Action: Your Turn

Main Takeaway:
Even in a room full of believers, nervous and unsure, God can turn ordinary moments into life-changing opportunities to share the Gospel.

I learned that faithfulness matters more than confidence, and that God equips even the shyest among us to speak up.

Call to Action:

This week, step into your own “lobby table” moment—start one simple faith conversation, whether it’s a question, a kind word, or a shared verse.

Don’t overthink it; just take the step and watch how God quietly works through your obedience. One small conversation could plant a seed that changes a life.

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