Written by Allen Pfundtner, VCN Member and Gideon
Venice Church of the Nazarene has a long, historic link with The Gideons International. Members of our church, such as Merwin “Papa” Monroe, were a vital link between us and this ministry. Over the years many more of our members have joined with the Gideons, to reach out to our Venice, Nokomis, Englewood, and North Port communities with the gospel and share the good news of our risen Lord. Though over time active members such as Curt and Joan Eagle are no longer able to be with us, our church and the local Gideons continue to flourish.
Today members of the Venice Church of the Nazarene make up the largest population of our local Gideons. Nazarenes such as Stan Mills, Gordon and Joy Whitten, Mickey and Joan Ray, Rich Betrosian, and Allen Pfundtner help to make our area one of the most active in the state of Florida. Our Gideon brothers and sisters are extremely active, involved in various scripture distributions, fundraising events, and sharing Jesus in our communities. It is always heartwarming to see our members out along the highways and byways of life, sharing our Lord, Jesus Christ with those who are seeking the love of a Savior.
Isaiah 55:11 “So is my word that goes out of my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”.
VCN and the Gideons have a very close relationship. Annually, the Gideons give a brief report at VCN, on who they are, what they do, and where. This is a time when you might hear of many of the exciting things God is doing through the distribution of His Word, and how the Holy Spirit is changing lives as His people witness and share their faith. The Gideons have also started providing scriptures at our Mana food distribution, on Sunday evening. VCN has been providing a home for the Gideons' weekly prayer meeting and offering to provide tables and chairs for various events throughout the year. This partnership has allowed both VCN and the Gideons to grow in their ministry to our community.
Gideon Card Program: Send the Word
There are three basic ways the Gideons raise funds to pay for all of the tens of thousands of scriptures they distribute annually. One way is by the Gideons themselves; they hold several (faith fund) rallies each year where they collect donations from their members. A second way is from donations which come from churches that partner with the Gideons (such as VCN). A third way funds are raised for scriptures is through the Gideon Card Program: Send the Word. The Gideon card displays are available in most bible believing, evangelical, protestant churches in the south county area (including VCN). In fact, during December a special part of the Gideon Card Program: Send the Word will be occurring at VCN, called the Birthday For Jesus. At this time, you may contribute to the ministry and at the same time, write your name on an ornament and place it on the Christmas tree (just inside the front doors of the sanctuary) as a tangible reminder of your commitment to share scriptures with the world.
The local Gideons are hard at work. This past spring thousands of scriptures were distributed at both the Charlotte County and Sarasota County Fairs. In July our local Gideons placed 138 Bibles in The Gasparilla Inn & Club. Every week our Gideons distribute over one hundred scriptures at the Englewood and Venice Farmer’s Markets. One of the more interesting distributions recently was at a Harvest Festival (with a biblical theme), where we were able to witness and share God’s Word with nearly ninety people (mostly youth and children).
As said before our Gideons are distributing scripture weekly at Manna, where several people have been led to the Lord. Another large food distribution that has asked our Gideons to join them in sharing Jesus is at the Awaken Church in North Port, where we distribute hundreds of scriptures every month. The Gideons have many other distribution opportunities locally including at the Salvation Army with their Angle Tree ministry, Venice Christian School, other local hotels, USF Tampa, and more.
Matthew 9:37 “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few”.
You are encouraged to join with the Gideons on the front row of kingdom expansion. If you are saying to yourself, “I don’t have the skills to share my faith,” please don’t fail to join in the next time the Conversations evangelism training workshop is offered here at VCN (just another way the Gideons and VCN are partnering to raise disciples for the Lord).
In conclusion, The Gideons International and Venice Church of the Nazarene are a combination for the Lord Jesus Christ, which truly reaches into our community with faith, hope, and love.