Steven Paez is a sidewalk outreach missionary in Pomona, California under the leadership of Pastor Ron Rose. While his state was busy passing legislation that essentially legalized abortion to the moment of birth, Steven was busy leading prayer walks and on the sidewalk in front of abortion centers. In the past six weeks, Steven’s outreach team has led seventeen people to a profession of faith in Jesus. One day last week, nine people professed to submit their lives to the Lordship of Jesus under Thursday lead, Sal Hernandez. What is happening in this liberal enclave at one of the darkest places in that city?

“There is so much brokenness in the people heading to the abortion centers,” Steven told me. “We know true change is about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that is where we start. We have fifteen seconds sometimes. That is all. So we ask them, if you were to die today, do you know for certain that you will go to heaven? They may not want to stop and talk about the upcoming abortion or other reason they are there, but sometimes that question stops them in their tracks.”

Steven attended training through ‘The Call Ministry’ aka Evangelism Explosion, under the leadership of John Terry. The Call Ministry has partnered with Love Life multiple times by coming to prayer walks and joining on the sidewalk. When the latest group of The Call finished their session, several decided they wanted to continue going to the sidewalk. Now, they would go as sidewalk volunteers as well as trained evangelists. Steven says of the the ten sidewalk outreach team members with him at one Pomona location, nine are from The Call Ministry. 

The result has been mind boggling. The group started six weeks ago on the sidewalk. Using the Gospel presentation taught by The Call, they have seen 17 salvations in the past six weeks. These seventeen commitments were not only made by mothers going in to abort, but also by other wounded and spiritually lost people entering the clinic for various reasons. 

However, Steven said his pastor (Jack Hibbs) has been so vocal about abortion from the pulpit, that recently a mom chose life after attending that church. She was considering abortion, but changed her mind after hearing the heart of the church committed to helping women in vulnerable pregnancies. This mom ran to the church instead of the abortion clinic and was providentially matched with John Terry of The Call, who then connected her with Steven for Love Life resources and discipleship. 

“This is what we need to do…involve the church. Get to these women before they ever go to an abortion center. They need to run to the church, and that happens if the pastor and the members are speaking against abortion and offering help. People in the church are seeing all this and growing hungry to do the will of the Lord.”

Steven said The Call teaches a clear Biblical method of sharing the Gospel. After the leading question of where the person believes they will go, they are asked on what basis do they believe they should be allowed into heaven. They move into a discussion of sin, and how it separates us from God. We can NEVER work our way into heaven. The Bible is clear that it is faith that saves, not works. But because of the justice of God, there must be a penalty for sin or He is not just. That penalty is death, eternal separation from God, Hell. We are doomed….

BUT Jesus came to earth, fully human and fully God, and never sinned. He alone could pay the penalty on our behalf and He did so on the cross. If we confess our sins, repent of our sins, understand that submitting a life to Jesus requires us to change in response to what He did for us, we can be forgiven, made right with God, and reap the reward of Heaven. 

Steven says many people want to make a profession of faith. The team gives them a Bible and encourages them to go to church, be discipled, and of course grow from that initial faith commitment. However, he says not all agree to do so or he never hears from them again and is unsure of where that faith commitment led. 

He recognizes that his role is to clearly express the Gospel, offer the truth of what it takes to be saved, offer the opportunity to profess faith in Jesus….and then the rest is up to God and that person. He knows he cannot force that faith to take root and grow. 

One of the most dramatic stories he recalled was a mom who came to abort but was too far along, five or six months. The clinic would not do the abortion. One of the sidewalk counselors, Katrina, told the mom that the church would help her. They appointed a mentor, shared the Gospel, and extended an invitation to church. The mom attended church, and rededicated her life to Jesus. When the team met her, she and her boyfriend were homeless. The boyfriend was a drug addict. They now are off the streets and growing in their walk with God. Their lives have dramatically changed since being enveloped and loved by the church. 

“It starts with the Gospel,” Steven said. “We HAVE to share the Gospel and then try to plug them into a church. Babies being saved is important, don’t get me wrong, but when these broken people find Jesus, it can change the world. We have to share the Gospel.”

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,”

I Corinthians‬ 15‬:1‬-4‬ ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬