School of the Bible

The University of Wisconsin Madison is infamous for its Halloween “celebration” each year. Last year, the spontaneous party drew 80,000 costumed partiers to State Street, the bar-lined road that links the capitol with the university. Police quelled riots with pepper spray and hundreds of arrests and fines. Playboy magazine cited the Halloween party as one of the reasons it named UW-Madison the nation’s top party school. It’s a night when chaos and immorality is the norm.

Not only did the City Council prepare for the party by roping off areas and charging admission, but Christians in Madison, including YWAM, prepared the area spiritually by meeting together and praying. The former Adult Video Arcade on State Street was rented for a few nights by a Christian ministry to reach out to the party goers with a sobriety center, a visual gospel presentation, and counselors.

People spent hours praying in the building, cleaning it, and redecorating it for the night’s events. YWAM Madison’s Phos House on Langdon Street also hosted 24/7 prayer targeted at campus and the Halloween parties.

A Conversation with Jesus on State Street

This year, the School of the Bible planned their outreach around the Halloween party. “It was the best night of witnessing in Madison I ever experienced,” said School of the Bible student and Madison native, Kate Pechacek.

“We worked alongside other Christians at the former pornography store at the top of State Street,” said Kate. “I could tell this Halloween was different than years before. There wasn’t as much of a party atmosphere as we expected,” said Kate. “We got there early enough to talk to the people before they were drunk.

“In fact, I had a really good conversation about God with someone. He was dressed up like Jesus!” Kate laughed. “He was raised Jewish, but became angry at God when his parents divorced. At first, he was really defensive. But when I said I was only there to tell him that God loved him and wanted a relationship with him, his whole countenance changed. ‘Thanks,’ he told me.”

“We invited people inside to warm up—and sober up—with coffee and donuts,” said SOTB student Brooke.

“I felt confident talking to people because I knew I had the truth,” Kate said. “God wants and deserves their hearts and lives. And it was refreshing to reach out to others after all the training and teaching we’d had in class.”

A Noticeable Difference

This year, thanks to the city’s preemptive measures and the influence of Christians praying, the Halloween “Freakfest” was much tamer than past years. Police made less than half the arrests as the year before and the evening ended without violence.

School of the Bible students and staff were pleased with how the outreach turned out. They had several thoughtful conversations with people to help them think through their belief systems.

Thank you for your prayers!

Tonight I was thinking of something to do, so I decided to go to Fish and Rice. Fish and Rice is a time where YWAM’ers come to the Phos house (YWAM Christian housing on the UW campus) and we talk with international students. We also have a message that is taught. This Friday when I went, it wasn’t a normal night for them. Instead we had a short message on David and Goliath. Then we had a time to pray for the Christian organizations and Christian leaders of the UW campus. It was a really great time. Then we felt that we should go down to State Street and prayer walk. State Street is the street that connects the Capitol with the University. It was so great to be praying for the campus and for the walls to be broken down. I also had this vision for the name a movement for an up rising of strong and courageous Christian leaders on the UW Madison campus. I really have high hopes for this campus and for a huge movement to happen on this campus. I see a huge revival and for God happening within the next few years. 

~Missie~

I am a part of a group of students that goes to Juvenile Hall. We have a time of getting to know each other, then a message, and then we get into groups with one or two of the teens that are there. I have had a very encouraging time going there and talking with these teens. Tonight there were more of us YWAM’ers then kids there. So it was really great because we got to have a lot of time talking with just one kid. I was talking to a girl named Ashley (*not her real name). It started off really rough. She wasn’t really talking and was looking around the room. Last week in class we were leaning how to prepare teachings and I felt God tell me to prepare my testimony. So here I am talking with Ashley, and I decided that I would share my testimony. I started to talk and she started to listen. She didn’t give her life to the Lord this week, but it was a changing moment for me. I have always been afraid to share my testimony with others. It wasn’t until tonight that I felt like I could give it and be effective. But I realized that it is not me being effective, it is the Holy Spirit that is working within the person and my story is a tool used by the Holy Spirit to talk to others. So I look forward to next week when I will get to hopefully talk with her again.  

~Missie~