Gospel Presentations & Ministry Partnerships at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois

Jeff Goss spoke with a group of FFA youth. At times, the entire tent was filled with as many as five or six groups (up to 60 at a time)—all hearing the Gospel simultaneously

This season has been filled with incredible opportunities to witness the power of the Gospel, connect with people from around the world, and strengthen partnerships in ministry. Whether in a bustling farm tent or across international borders, God’s presence has been evident in every FCFI Gospel connection.

Gospel Connections at the Farm Progress Show

Volunteers Dan Anderson of BGFM (Brazil Gospel Fellowship Mission) on left and Susan and Art Free on right

At the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, in late August, missionaries from Brazil Gospel Fellowship Mission (BGFM) partnered with FCFI to share the Gospel with visitors from across the globe. Dan Anderson, a BGFM missionary, reflected on the joy of meeting and evangelizing many Brazilians at the event. He and fellow missionary Bill Graf spoke in Portuguese with visitors, while FCFI executive director Dan Janzen welcomed guests from Argentina and Uruguay in Spanish and gave them gospel presentations. A large number of South Americans visited the Farm Progress Show because their corn and soybean production systems are so similar to Midwestern farming systems. Many other volunteers assisted with evangelism and preparing the sticks with evangelistic tags and beads. Two board members and their spouses, the Keithleys and Herrolds, were present and also Kris, the FCFI office manager, helped.

Many were surprised to encounter fluent Portuguese and Spanish speakers at the booth, which opened the door for meaningful Gospel conversations. These moments were both evangelistic and encouraging, as missionaries discovered not only those who needed Christ but also fellow believers in the faith.

Sharing the Gospel with Many at Once

One young lady (above in red) was so moved after hearing the Good News at our tent that she immediately went out to gather as many friends as she could, bringing them back to hear the message for themselves.

Sandy Singer (pictured on the left) was there to present the Gospel to the group. Sandy and her husband, Pete, traveled from Minnesota to join in this mission effort and will soon continue their ministry in Florida, presenting at more shows.

Sandy Singer talking to a group of young ladies

And volunteer Bill Graf on right shares one one-on-one

Art Free (center), came all the way from Texas to shares the gospel. He is a former agriculture highschool teacher, teaching FFA students for many years. We witnesses to hundreds, if not thousands of youth who attended the Farm Progress Show

FCFI board treasurer, Tom Keithley, (on right) shares the gospel one-on-one

The Farm Progress Show generally has about 150,000 in attendance. In our 30×60 tent we witnessed to at least 3000 people by count of how many walking sticks and yard/meter sticks we gave away. FCFI not only shares the gospel but equips others to share with others resulting in multiplication of evangelism. Each stick went out with the 5 color gospel message sharing tag tool attached. Many gospel bracelets were also given away.

Moments like these remind us of the urgency of the message and the joy of seeing people respond. Whether it’s one young lady bringing her friends, missionaries traveling from afar, or youth gathering to listen, the seed of God’s Word is being planted in many hearts.

Meanwhile, the executive director was exploring various methods for initiating discipleship follow-up in collaboration with the volunteers who shared the gospel.