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The Time Frame
History of Billboards for Christ, Inc.
1996
- The Lord gave me His desire for my heart, to post His Word
on highways throughout the USA.
1998
- The Lord made it concretely clear that I was to do His Will
of posting His Word on Highway billboards throughout the USA and then the world.
(See Testimony)
1999
- October, BFC is incorporated. (See Policy)
2000
- March, www.billboardsforchrist.org
is first published.
2000
- November, the first seven billboards are posted.
They remain up for at least 3 years.
~ Atlanta, GA - Austin, TX - Bridgeport,
CT - Indianapolis, IN - Nashville,
TN - Providence, RI - Richmond, VA
(Matthew 11:28/ 2Corinthians 5:17)
2001
- The website expands and millions read God's Word daily as
the Lord multiplies His Word's viewing ten-fold!!
2001
– 2003 November, 1 billboard
in Houston, TX (Acts
16:31/ 2 Cor 6:2)
2001
– August, a missionary distributes 100 Scripture bumper stickers to Pakistan
and India. BFC begins receiving emails
from that region.
2002
- November, www.NeedHope.Net is first
published on the internet.
2002
– December, God’s Word are in bus shelters in the five boroughs of New York
City ~ Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island on bus shelters.
(Psalm 34:18 /Jeremiah 31:3)
2002-5
- More billboards throughout Austin TX ~
(John 1:41 / Mark 1:17), (John
1:5/ John 8:12), (Matt 6:33 / John 3:5). First
Spanish Billboards (Bilingual) in Texas (John
14:6 /Juan 14:6) and (Matt 11:28/Mat 11:28)
8/2002-
11/2004 - Dallas, TX has a billboard!
2003
- Bus shelters in Las Vegas, Nevada and Oklahoma City, OK (Jer 31:3/ 2Cor 5:17)
and in Detroit, Michigan and Sacramento, CA
(Psalm 55:22 / 2Cor 5:17) and
in San Francisco Bay Area, CA (Jer 31:3 / Matt 11:28)
and in Greater Salt Lake Region, Utah
(Deut 6:4,5 NKJV/ Matt 11:28 NIV)
2004
– October, 200 Scripture bumper stickers were sent to St. Lucia, WI!
2005–6
September, Bus shelters are in Baltimore, Maryland, Detroit, Michigan, Las
Vegas, Nevada, Los Angeles, California, Minneapolis - St. Paul, Minnesota, New
Orleans, Louisiana, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC (Jer 31:3 /
Matt 11:28)
2007
- July, Bus shelters are in
Philadelphia, PA, San Francisco, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Las Vegas, Nevada, Denver,
CO, Salt Lake City, Utah, Detroit, MI, Washington, DC, Annapolis, MD, and
Montgomery County, MD. (1 John 4:18, 1
John 4:16, Matthew 11:28)
2007
- July, Billboards
are posted in New Jersey State, Philadelphia, PA and suburbs, Northern NJ and NY
City, Indianapolis, IN, Las Vegas, NV, and Los Angeles, CA. (1 John 4:18, 1 John
4:16, Matthew 11:28)
Please
note that locations include
the suburbs of each city, and in some cases the entire state.
The length of time for each postings usually exceed one year, and has
been for as long as 6 years. God chooses
to make the increase because HE cares about comforting every person personally. Please
note that BFC and NH websites get responses from around the globe
continually.
~Crystal Bowers
In February 2002, a young man
interviewed Crystal Bowers for his Bible class. Listed below is the interview
for those interested.
- In this field of missions work what skills and or tools do you need to be
involved?
First and most importantly, you need
to be born again, saved by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. You need to be
able to hear the Lord's voice (John 10:27) and test (1 Cor 2:9-16) everything by
the Word of God which you have been ingesting since you made Jesus Lord of your
life. Secondly, you need a heart for the lost (Luke 15:4), a soul for serving
the Lord Jesus Christ will all of your heart, soul and mind and strength (Deut
6:5; Luke 10:27). Thirdly, you need to be honest with money that comes to the
ministry, understanding that it only belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. (Lev
27:30; Ps 22:28) You need to be able to type letters like this, have a computer,
and be able to talk with many different types of people on their level in order
to accomplish the goals of the ministry.
Do you find that this field of missions is effective? Yes. We rest on
God's two promises: Isa 55:11 and Heb 4:12. Many have been saved by God's Word
on billboards, by reading them on the highways, bus shelters, and bumper
stickers and by reading the Scripture on the web site, www.billboardsforchrist.org.
Plus, it has been very cost effective. Not one dollar has been spent on
administration or anything except to the billboard companies themselves. That
means that completely 100% of every dollar goes directly to where it is intended
by the donor! Praise God, for He made it that cheap, by giving His children the
opportunity to help in donating their time and expertise without cost or
charge!! (Col 3:23-24)
What kinds of things (logos and such) do you put on your billboards? The
only thing on our billboards are God's Word, the Bible verse addresses and our
web site: www.billboardsforchrist.org
Do people seem to reject or accept the billboards? We have only received
favorable responses from the viewers. Considering the millions of people who
read the Scripture verses daily, this is quite a compliment to our Lord and
God!! We have never had anyone say anything bad about the billboards.
How did you come up with the idea for this missions work? This is my
testimony:
I would like to introduce you to the ministry of Billboards
for Christ, which I believe the Lord has called me to start. Since 1998 the Lord
has more fervently been pushing this idea into my mind and validating it with
concrete experiences. The most obvious example is this synopsis of one event:
After a Bible study in my home one evening, while we were gathered in prayer,
I asked the Lord aloud if He would show me if He did want me to put His Word
on billboards. I prayed, "Lord if this is my idea, then it is dead in the
water. But if it is Your idea, then it will fly. Please let me know concretely
if it is Your idea. If I do not hear from you, then I will just forget about
it because it will not bear fruit anyway. But if you let me know this is your
idea, then I will do Your will."
About a week later I got a flat tire on the highway. I prayed to the Lord to
send someone to come and help and to glorify Himself in the situation. He did.
Jesus sent a Christian billboard designer to fix our flat. Here was my
confirmation, and Jesus Christ was glorified! ~~ Crystal Bowers
How many people are involved in your work? There are many people all
over the USA involved!! There are Christians (2Cor 9:7) who donate funds to
exalt God's Word, who are praying (James 5:16) for the ministry and for the
salvation of souls, who are manufacturing the boards and posting them up, who
are donating space on their boards for God's Word to be posted, who are posting
God's Word on the web site, who are answering questions we receive (ROM 12:4-21;
1 Cor 7:7; 1 Cor 12:4; 2 Cor 9:15; James 1:17; 1 Peter 4:10; ), who are sending
us notes of encouragement.... And then the Most Important Person is Jesus
Christ, the risen Lord (Luke 24:6; Heb 4:14-15) Who goes before us in all things
preparing (John 14:3-4; Eph 4:1-13) the way and the Holy Spirit Who counsels
(John 14:16,26; 15:26) us in all things.
Where are you located? The ministry is in Maryland, USA, however, the
work is done on the computer for the Internet, and wherever we have posted God's
Word.
What would it take for me to be involved in this missions work? First,
you must be born again, saved by Jesus Christ's substitutionary death on the
cross. When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you will be filled
with the Holy Spirit Who will teach you of the Lord Jesus, the Lord God
Almighty. Then you must be doused in the Word of God, ingesting the Bread of
Life (Deut 8:3; Matt 4:4). Next, the Lord will call you into some service by and
for Himself (Matt 4:19; 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 13:47). He may plant a good idea in
your mind and heart, but it must be confirmed by the Lord Jesus Christ. See
question 1 & 5.
Where do your missionary billboards extend to (locations)? We have
billboards, bus shelters and bumper stickers all over the USA. Our bumper
stickers are in India and Pakistan. We even get e-mail from Pakistan and Africa.
God's Word is exalted throughout the USA! Please see our page www.billboardsforchrist.org/billboards.htm
How do you go about creating a Christian billboard?
First we wait for the Lord Himself to supply the money for the billboards. Next
is prayer. Confession of personal sin to the Lord Jesus Christ, and then asking
the Lord God Almighty: Where do you want to go? What verses do you want on these
boards? What is the weight, concern, sin of this area? How can You draw them to
Yourself in this location? Then after the verses are picked, we contact the
billboard companies for the space and manufacturing of the signs. Lastly, we do
a "write-up" explaining the verses and God's Love for the reader and
post it on the web site.
Are there certain things you can't put on the billboards? Only once did
an official say we couldn't post "religious" information.
Are there things you have found that offend the people? No, we have only
received favorable responses from the viewers. We have never had anyone say
anything bad about anything of Billboards for Christ, Inc..
How many billboards have you put up? To date we have 70 billboards and
bus shelters posted. We do not have a count on our bumper stickers which have
gone out.
How many years have you been in this line or missions? In 1998 the Lord
Jesus Christ made it concretely clear He wanted me to do this. In 1999
Billboards for Christ was incorporated. In 2000 the web site was first posted
and the first seven billboards were posted. In 2001 we reached more cities and
people, totaling to 70 postings.
Is this a profitable organization? It is very profitable in the stored
treasures in heaven (Matt 6:19-21, 33-24) ! The riches are in the souls being
saved from hell. Monetarily, the ministry receives no money whatsoever since all
the funds received are funnel directly to the billboard companies to exalt God's
Word. (2 Cor 2:17) We have no debt because we only post God's Word if He
provides the funds. This is another way we know if the Lord wants us to
continue.
Do you create the billboards yourself? We pray for the verses the Lord
Jesus wants. Early in the ministry, the Lord made it clear the design and format
He wanted. "White lettering on a rich dark color background." He even
gave us a visible example! Then we contact the manufacturer of the vinyl cover
and they produce it.
How did you become interested in the missions work? The Lord Jesus
Christ has been sooooo bountifully generous in His Mercy and Grace, Peace and
Joy in my life... His Word has been so healing and rectifying in my life. He has
grown me and changed me so much in His unconditional love, when I deserve
nothing. I have been moved by gratitude to the Lord Jesus Christ, and by a heart
for the lost who still do not know Jesus personally and internally. I am
saddened to know many people will perish in hell forever, yet encouraged and
edified by the Lord Himself that "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too
short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. " Isa 59:1. The idea came into
my head as something "simple" that I could do, but only with the
Lord's directing and permeating every moment and movement within the ministry.
People remind me that I have always been "evangelizing" by just
speaking to people personally, feeling with them, and encouraging them in a
relationship with he Living Lord God Almighty and His Son Jesus Christ.
Can you send me some samples of your work? You may
click onto www.billboardsforchrist.org/billboards.htm
to see whichever billboards you would like. Our bumper stickers are found on www.billboardsforchrist.org/bumper_stickers.htm
Is it likely that I’ve seen some of your billboards? You may have seen
our signs if you have been to any of the states listed on our web page: www.billboardsforchrist.org/billboards.htm
How could I get involved in this work? If
you want to help Billboards for Christ, Inc. We need: Prayer:
 | for the men, women and children who have grown closer
to the Lord Jesus Christ while reading our web site and boards. Please pray
for their continued growth in the Holy Spirit, discipleship through a godly
church, to be rooted in the Word of God, and to bear fruit through our Lord
Jesus Christ. |
| for the people passing by the signs to be moved in
their hearts by the Word of God. |
| for protection of the billboards, the bus shelters, the
website, the webmaster, the computers on which the work is processed, the
information posted and that it may only fulfill God's Will and Glorify the
Triune Lord God Almighty!! |
Donations are needed for
posting God's Word in the USA and beyond. Every dollar goes only to the
billboards companies. $1.00 pays for more than 10,000 people to read God's
Word daily. Funds can be raised from our solicitation suggestion sheet. Spread
the word about BFC and the website of BFC for
the edification of His children and for those who have yet to trust Him.
If you want to reach others for Christ, the
Lord has something specific for you to do. It may be to help us. It may be
to reach your own personal family through obedience to the Lord God Almighty
and witnessing (that is telling just the facts) of what God has and is doing
in your life. It may be something more. Please let us know whatever you find
out so we may encourage you and pray for you!
- What kinds of messages do you put on the billboards?
See our page Billboards
listing - www.billboardsforchrist.org/billboards.htm
for our messages.
Are you allowed to advertise bible verses? Yes. That is all we put on
our billboards. Scripture, Bible verses, the inerrant Word of God, the Living
Word of God, The Lord Jesus Christ. Our web site is beneath the Scripture to
encourage the reader to know and grow in their relationship with God Almighty.
Can you put anything you want or does someone control what you are able to
advertise? No one has control over us except One. If a door closes, we
know the Lord God is in charge of it. Otherwise, we have had no constraints.
How may countries have your billboards reached? To date, our
billboards and bus shelters are only in the USA. We have bumper stickers in
India and Pakistan. We hope to be going into more countries in 2002.
Do you only make Christian billboards? Yes, only God's Word is to be
exalted, for the glorification of the Lord God Almighty and for the reaping of
souls for His Kingdom!!
Only God's Word is true to His promises: For the word of God
is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and
attitudes of the heart. Heb 4:12
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but
will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isa
55:11
God bless you Garrick!! We
hope to hear back from you to let me know how this project went, and if you can
help us in some way!! Billboards
for Christ, Inc.
Bring me to What is BFC . |
