Revive Manchester: A Light on a Hill
Photos by Raul Gonzales
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7
Dean Barham, senior pastor of Lighthouse Calvary Chapel in Manchester, NH, shares his heart for revival for the city during a morning worship session.
Over 70 missionaries from various regions of the U.S. came together for a weeklong event sharing the life-changing message of Jesus in the city of Manchester, NH. The group of believers, from elementary students to senior citizens, came alongside Pastor Dean Barham and the congregation at Lighthouse Calvary Chapel determined to see revival in their city.
Two young men joyfully cheer on the ministry team that had just shared the Gospel message with them. The seeds of faith planted in the hearts of the people of Manchester that week will be watered with the prayers of the saints at Lighthouse CC.
Known as “Queen City” because the population is larger than its capital, Concord, Manchester was inundated with intercessory prayer, vivid worship, and the clear presentation of the Gospel throughout the local community. In-depth Bible studies focusing on the Book of Revelation and evangelistic training were integral components of the daily itinerary.
Cindy Stahlhut kept the children involved throughout the week's activities, teaching them from the Word that Jesus loves them and has a purpose for their life. Her husband, Pastor Roger Stahlhut, associate pastor overseeing Calvary Chapel Christian School at CC Downey, CA, is the leader of Revive America.
Roger Stahlhut, associate pastor overseeing Calvary Chapel Christian School at CC Downey and leader of Revive America, shared, “Our goal is to see revival of the city by presenting the Gospel without fear or argument, door to door, place to place, and trying to saturate the entire city with the good news of Jesus Christ. As we share the Gospel, we also do a spiritual survey and present each home the Gospel of John and a booklet about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”
And [Jesus] called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, … So they went out and preached that people should repent. Mark 6:7-12
Roger gives final instructions before the teams disperse throughout nearby neighborhoods, sharing the Good News via door hangers, Gospel tracts, and invitations to the church’s Saturday baptism and barbeque ending the weeklong outreach.
A team prays over their assigned neighborhood prior to their door-to-door evangelism.
Witnessing door to door can be rather intimidating and requires much preparation and teamwork. Prior to hitting the streets, the group spent time in morning devotionals after their personal devotion time, followed by prayer for one another as well as the community. Opportunities to practice sharing evangelistic Scriptures and their own two-minute “elevator pitch” testimony with each other helped calm anxieties and sharpen their delivery.
Filled with the Holy Spirit, teams were sent out with strategic maps of the community, divided up into sections that would be covered each day. Every evening, Lighthouse CC would open its doors, welcoming the community to share in worship and teaching—a timely instruction on the seven churches in the Book of Revelation.
Gospel tracts, door hangers, and invites to the church BBQ and baptism were left on unanswered doors, but some believers even utilized people’s Ring cameras to leave a brief Gospel message for the homeowners. Creative opportunities arose as teams covered the neighborhoods, stopping to talk with people out walking their dogs, playing basketball, or hanging out at a local park—even singing “Jesus Loves You, Yes I Know,” flash-mob style, in a nearby crowded restaurant. Roger shared that they even had a team member who thought she knew Jesus “[get] saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, and she continued serving the Lord with us!”
Every evening, Lighthouse CC welcomed the community to join in worship and hear from Assistant Pastor Mitch Inglis (left) of Lighthouse CC and Bruce Kozzman (center), pastor of Jesus Fellowship CC in Leonardo, NJ, as they dove into the Book of Revelation. A special message from Jed Gourley (right), pastor of CC Tbilisi, Georgia, revealed how God has been at work in that region since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The most amazing story of the week, though, was of a homeless man who, after giving his life to Christ after hearing the Gospel, joined the team to evangelize. He even got baptized at the BBQ event Lighthouse CC held on Saturday, and the church was able to secure housing for him. The story doesn’t end there though, Roger joyfully reported. “His daughter came, saw him, and was blown away! She gave her life to Christ as well.”
Revive America started as a passion of Pastor Roger. He explained, “The future goal of Revive America is to cover as many cities as we can before the coming of the Lord. Right now, we have two cities that we are praying about.”
During the first day’s afterglow service, Roger exhorts believers to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit’s power as they prepare for a week of sharing the message of salvation found only in Jesus Christ.
[Gallery] The weeklong outreach was saturated with praise, prayer, and study as believers came together in the power of the Holy Spirit, obeying Jesus’ command to go out to make disciples of all peoples—even in Manchester, NH.
For more information on bringing this ministry to your local community contact Roger Stahlhut at rstahlhut@calvarydowney.org
For more information on Lighthouse Calvary Chapel Manchester New Hampshire visit lighthousecalvarychapel.com
© 2023 Calvary Chapel Magazine (CCM). All rights reserved. Articles or photographs may not be reproduced without the written permission of CCM. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.® Used by permission.