It is about 9:00 Friday evening as a group of Christians gather at our home for a time of prayer, fellowship and preparation. Young and old are in attendance, experienced and novice alike. There is a mixed ambiance of excitement and fear in anticipation of what the night will hold. “I am sending you out as lambs amidst the wolves” (Luke 10:3) takes on sobering weight. A tasty, unprotected lamb amidst ravenous wolves? Lord help me!

What I am describing is a ministry of discipleship and street evangelism where a group of 3 to 20 people meet each Friday to proclaim the gospel amidst the Broad Ripple Village in Indianapolis. Most are from our church home at Second RPC, although there are some who join us from other RP congregations and other denominations.

Broad Ripple is an interesting place. It is near Butler University and enjoys easy access from all quarters of Indianapolis. College-age youth are predominant, having worldviews from a broad array of philosophies and world religions. Pluralism, relativism, and syncretism epitomize the Broad Ripple scene.

What happens from 11 p.m. onward in Broad Ripple? People come to Broad Ripple because of its nightlife. They party at the bars, hang out at restaurants, chat at coffee houses, play music on the streets, cruise their motorcycles, and more. Some go there because they are lonely and want to be around people. Homeless kids from broken homes live under a nearby bridge. It is a very active and diverse place. Eccentricity is the norm. It is common to happen upon people eager to discuss matters of philosophy, religion and the meaning of life. Others can be impudent, if not hostile, towards matters of eternity.

Frankly, much of what goes on in Broad Ripple is despicable and heartbreaking. Inebriated, foul-mouthed people abound. Some shout blasphemies against the backdrop of the preached Word. Many girls seek unhealthy male attention and dress accordingly. Hurting people traverse the streets of Broad Ripple.

Our group reaches out to them to tell them about Jesus Christ, trusting that God will draw out His elect and be glorified. We typically have one person preaching on a microphone while the rest canvass the area, passing out tracts and witnessing one-on-one. We engage in mercy ministries when needed, but our greatest emphasis is on the preached Word—the gospel.

Journey to Broad Ripple

How did God bring this ministry about? By God’s grace, I was born again in 1992. Some five years later, a man named Billy Brandle invited people at our prior church to something called Street Lights. I had a strange, recurring fear, yet I was attracted to this ministry. It turned out to be a great blessing from God! Billy and another man named Dan Greskamp discipled me around evangelism and apologetics. At that time, Billy, Dan and I would evangelize in downtown Indianapolis. We would encounter cultists, atheists, and garden-variety pagans. This forced me to become equipped to defend essential Christian doctrine and answer the objections of nonbelievers.

Later, I read a book called The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman. Coleman challenged me. He said that one day God might ask something like this: “Welcome to heaven, but where are your men?” Providentially, I then understood that a life of “lone ranger” Christianity was not God’s blueprint for ministry. God’s call upon the Christian is to become a reproducing disciple maker in accordance with Matthew 28:19-20.

Next, God brought Reformation truth into my life through the teachings of Dr. R.C. Sproul. How comforting and freeing it is to know that we have nothing to do with our justification before God. A dead sinner can do nothing to please God. Thus, Jesus Christ did it all—paid for on His cross. The only thing we contribute is our sin!

The doctrines of grace are the best apologetic you will ever find. Whether atheist or Mormon, unbelievers become quickly stumped when confronted with total depravity and the sovereignty of God amidst a consistent, logical, and biblical framework. An Arminian does not have these defenses and truths that you have. We should be busy in their deployment.

Evangelism is not an optional accessory of the church—it is our passion. Our aim is to disciple believers around all aspects of the Christian life, modeling for them the centrality of Christ and the Great Commission through practical evangelistic endeavors. Evangelism takes a prominent place in our ministry, yet we certainly do not ignore the practical struggles, questions and life issues that arise amidst God’s flock.

What we see God doing is what is taught in Will Metzger’s book, Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People. We emphasize evangelism, a vital element of Christian growth, because Christ said to make disciples. The lost are to hear the gospel and the disciple needs to grow in Christ.

The quickest and best way to make theological truth “stick” is to bring that truth to the lost, try to answer their hard questions, and then review any gaps in one’s theological understanding to be better prepared the next time. This ministry helps fasten the training wheels to equip God’s saints for lifelong ministry in any context where God has them.

Our work in Broad Ripple is intentional, but the evangelism does not end there. We encourage folks to witness wherever they are—the grocery store, the barbershop, the fishing hole—with a vision to make disciples and run their race well. As they grow and become more comfortable witnessing, that is exactly what they do.

Stories from Broad Ripple

As the saying goes, “truth is stranger than fiction.” The myriad stories and evidences of God’s providence we have personally experienced build faith and are wonderful to behold. Only God can bring these things about.

My favorite example is about an Ethiopian man who was passing through Indianapolis on his way to California. He was a student. I saw him out of the corner of my eye as he sat down on a large flower planter next to me and listened to the gospel. It was a warm evening and my legs were getting sore from standing, so I stopped preaching and just sat down next to him.

Absolutely no apologetics took place of which I am aware. I simply asked him if he liked the preaching. With a strong African accent he said, “Yes, I do.” I said, “Well, would you like to receive Jesus as your Savior?” And he said, “Yes, I would,” Glory be to God! And we prayed together right then. I have never seen the man again, but I believe the Lord is taking care of him.

My wife, Jennifer, recounts a discussion she was having with a young man when pandemonium broke out, with sirens and police cars all around. She did not get to finish witnessing to him because of the interruption. Jennifer is an attorney, and the next week an unknown appointment came across her desk. When the person arrived for the appointment, it was this same young man! So Jennifer and her boss were able to continue witnessing to him.

A few years ago, I witnessed to a young Hispanic man named Ralphie. I could tell something was troubling him. He said that he just had to get out of the house because of the uncanny noises he was hearing there. Ralphie asked, “Do you believe in ghosts?” I said no, and that these were not ghosts, but were demons that might stop if we pray. We prayed on the spot, and I asked our group to pray too. About two years later I ran into Ralphie and he asked, “Do you remember me?” I really could not remember him until he reminded me of our previous encounter. He said he went home that day and the eerie noises were gone and never came back. I hope and pray that Ralphie will remember these things and be saved one day.

My cousin lives in northern Indiana and is a Christian. We send her notes to pray for the people to whom we witness. Her two sons were in and out of trouble while living in Florida, causing her much heartbreak. They were in Indianapolis to party one particular weekend. I had never met them and knew very little about them. By God’s providence, while out that Friday evening, I witnessed to them. One acted as the leader and was especially angry and quick to end the discussion.

That evening, we put their names on the prayer list and sent it to my cousin. She responded, “Those are my sons you witnessed to!” How God arranges these things, I do not know, but it greatly encouraged my cousin that God was not done with her prodigal sons. I understand they are now saved, and one of them has been corresponding with me!

We have been so blessed. A team member witnessed to a man last summer and had many subsequent meetings with him. Recently he received Christ. He is being discipled and is already out witnessing with us!

We have been regularly meeting with a young Mormon convert we met over a year ago. She comes to our house for dinner and also visits us at Second RPC. We continue to love her and give her truth. Another team member has ongoing meetings with an atheist we met last year. Furthermore, the team member and his pastor have started a door-to-door ministry. Subsequent to a door-to-door encounter, he and his disciple met with two Jehovah’s Witnesses elders for lunch for further discussion.

We have also seen this ministry duplicate itself in Kansas City and Philadelphia. The Reformation gospel is afoot, and our young people are eager to grow in their understanding and proclamation of the doctrines of grace.

Broad Ripple and other places like it are places where Jesus would go—to the sinners, the despised, the dregs of society, the searching, the hurting and downcast in our communities. We are not to curse the darkness, but to build a lighthouse amidst the darkness, making disciples as we build.

Gary Van Keppel is chief financial officer for Implementation Services, a consulting firm based in Carmel, Ind. He and his wife, Jennifer, and son, Austin, reside in Broad Ripple and are members of Second (Indianapolis, Ind.) RPC.