Preaching  Teaching  Discipling

This was my second year participating in the Annual Swim Around Key West.� I didn t swim or kayak or even get in the water on June 26.� For 2 years, I ve brought a team from the Urbancrest Baptist Church in Lebanon, OH to Key West, FL to assist Pastor Bill Welzien in serving the swimmers in a variety of ways.� 12 members from my church helped stuff goodie bags, staffed the registration and check-in, carried kayaks, prepared food and had the joy of being the hands and feet of our Lord.

�When Pastor Bill and I first talked about partnering together on this event, he asked if I could bring a group of people that could come and serve and be the presence of Christ to people who need to know of His love.� It truly has been an honor to serve the Lord Jesus in this unique way.� It really is a lesson that all of life is a mission opportunity.� My team members were able to share personal testimonies one on one with several people connected to the swim event.�� We also shared with all participants a gospel tract and an evangelistic newspaper.� It was awesome to see folks reading through the material as soon as it went out to them.

The Annual Swim is an event that reaches into the lives of many people.� For some, it is strictly about the athletics of accomplishing an endurance swim.� For others, it might be an opportunity to come to Key West for the weekend.� But I ve seen first hand how the Lord can take the foolish things of this life and use them for His honor and glory.� What an awesome God we have that allows us to join Him in the work of the kingdom!� This event touches the city of Key West, the swimmers that come from all over this country, and now the hearts of a church in Ohio.� We look forward to a long relationship together in reaching this world for the cause of Christ.

David Bickers, Worship Pastor

Urbancrest Baptist Church

Lebanon, OH

By Tim Warner

You know of the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square as the venue for the evangelistic outreach of Bill Welzien to the many thousands of tourists who flock to Key West each year. While open air preaching is a hallmark of KEM there is another exciting aspect to the ministry.

This past spring Bill organized the 34th Annual Swim Around Key West as he has for the past several years. Each year hundreds of participants, some local, some from Florida, many from around the globe come to Key West to participate in what is becoming a prestigious 12.5 mile endurance swimming event.

What makes this swimming event a special ministry is Bill s community involvement in a very secular environment. First, as I ve noted hundreds of swimmers come to participate in this event. They bring with them husbands or wives, children and friends. Second, Bill works with many local business s to provide the necessary services to support the participants during their stay, everything from hotel accommodations, to boat and kayak rentals. Third, Bill works with local business that support the event itself and to arrange gift certificates and other awards for the participants. Of course, the swim itself requires coordination with local city officials and approval of the Coast Guard. Organizing this event is no small feat, it does take much time and effort, but it provides Bill a very special opportunity to impact the Key West community in a way which would not be possible without the swim.

Many people, not only in Key West of course, have a worldview that is in direct conflict with the teaching of Scripture. Let me illustrate. This year we set up on the beach at the start/finish line and were preparing food for the participants once they had completed the swim. What we did not expect was for several hundred  locals to descend on the beach for a  Hands Across the Beach protest of the oil spill in the gulf. Observing the protesters reinforced in my mind the secular culture of Key West. After they organized the several hundred protesters into a long line holding hands stretching along the beach they recited a pledge of allegiance to  Mother Earth which was followed by numerous protest songs opposing off shore drilling and the like. Though one may be sympathetic to their angst over the environmental damage caused by the oil spill, and while we should be cognizant of the Christian’s need to be good stewards of God’s creation, the contrast and conflict of the worldview of the protesters, “Save the Earth”, and that of a genuine Christian worldview was starkly apparent. The Annual Swim Around Key West opens the door for Bill to minister to this community!  

We saw tangible evidence of the engagement of the swim community Sunday morning. All swimmers had received a ‘goody’ bag prior to the swim; it contained a variety of sample products, a ‘newsprint’ style evangelistic magazine, the Gospel tract Bill wrote, and an invitation to our Sunday morning service. We didn’t know if anybody would take notice of the invitation, but Sunday morning we had a full house at church as God blessed our efforts with many visitors!  

 KEM is committed to bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire community of the Lower Keys. This is accomplished in part through the distribution of gospel literature to participants, personal encounters during the swim event, and as Bill led the participants in prayer prior to the swim and again before the post race buffet praying in the name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. Your special support of the “Annual Swim” helps make it possible for Bill to engage the Key West community as he reaches across the cultural divide with the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Ministry Trips Past and Future

Pastor Bill spent a couple of weeks on the road in July.  He flew to Chicago for Church business from July 7th until the 14th but was able to get out to minister at Gospel Life Presbyterian on Sunday, July 11th.  This is an energetic ethnically diverse church plant in the Loop area of Chicago.  He encouraged the small congregation in the area of deliberate Evangelism and in the “fellowship hour” gave a presentation of his Easel Evangelism.

The next Sunday he returned “home” to Union Congregation Church in North Aurora, IL.  Bill ministered among this group of Saints more than 24 years ago for a period of three years. This church continues to be faithful in supporting the work of KEM in prayer and finances and have done so since the Welzien’s were first called to the Keys. After an adult Sunday school class Bill preached the morning message and then together they enjoyed a meal and robust conversation.

That evening of July 18th Pastor Bill presented the work of KEM, its joys and challenges to the believers at Covenant of Grace Presbyterian Church in Batavia, Illinois.

On August 19th, Brother Welzien plans to fly to Middletown, Delaware.  That evening he intends to instruct the congregation in evangelism and lead them in an outreach at the Annual Peach Tree Festival on Saturday the 20th.  After preaching at the AM Lord’s Day service he will travel to Ocean City, NJ to work with the Ocean City Baptist Church in an outreach on the Boardwalk before going to Wildwood, NJ. to work with the Saints at the Boardwalk Chapel.  He is then scheduled to work with KEM Board member, Pastor Ed Moore and the believers of North Shore Baptist Church in Bayside Queens, NY. from Wednesday August 25th until September 1st.

If you are in the area when and where Pastor Bill is ministering please make contact.  His cell number is 305-394-5292.  It time we all come together around the Gospel and bring it to the streets!!  If he can serve your church and community make your request known.  If your church wants to send a group here to experience evangelism we want to hear from you!

A Swimming Success!

Bill Welzien

As you have read the 34th Annual Swim was a success.  The Lord blessed exceeding abundantly (Ephesians 3:20-21).  The swim happened as scheduled on June 26th.  On that Saturday I completed my 51st career 12.5 mile swim around Key West.  My time was 5:47:48.  I am thankful to remain physically and spiritually active.  The swim gave us a great opportunity to reach a wider audience with the “Good News.”  I know you will also be happy to know that we received $2,500. from all you who supported our fund raiser.  Thank you immensely!

BILL’S SERMONS ON YOU TUBE—The rest of the story...

The messages on You Tube (see below) are clear, creative and direct. They are very helpful to show the nature of this ministry.  BUT, they are not able to convey the dynamic context in which they are presented. It is that Mars Hill / market place context that is the cool part. The dialogue and discussion inspire us.  The people who write back of what God did in their lives motivates us.

 BILL’S SERMONS ON YOU TUBE

STRAIGHT FROM MALLORY SQUARE

Video Presentation – see and hear the Gospel go forth from Key West

go to www.youtube.com  then search for “keyschristians”