Church Life

A Sober Witness

Missionary drivers give drinkers free rides at Last Call

As western Michigan barhoppers pay their tabs on Friday and Saturday nights, “missionary drivers” wait in local coffee shops. With more than 80 volunteers, Last Call Ministries estimates it will give 1,800 free rides in Grand Haven by the end of the year, with another 1,000 in Holland—and it plans to expand to three more cities by November. More than 90 percent of the riders don’t attend church regularly, says executive director Gary Wybenga, but almost all are open to talking about faith. “Most riders aren’t highly intoxicated,” he says. “But a pastor once told me, ‘Don’t let inebriation stop you from sharing the gospel. You never know what the Spirit is doing.'”

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere

Related articles:

Ministry provides bar patrons with another last call—Advance Newspapers (August 20, 2002)

See similar Christianity Today articles in our Missions and Ministry archive.

Also in this issue

The TNIV Debate: Is this new Bible gender accurate?

Cover Story

The TNIV Debate

The Future Is P.O.D.

Danger Vans

Quotation Marks

Wedding Bell Blues

Not So Fast

Is Christianity a Religion of Peace?

A Crack in the Wall

Christianity Today Editorial

Freedom's Wedge

Jeff M. Sellers

Text Criticism and Inerrancy

J.I. Packer

Did Apostles Go to China?

A Clan of One's Own

'Cult' Report Legally Worthless

Jonathan Hanley

'A Blast of Hell'

Putting Troubled Lives on Hold

Deann Alford

Matters of the Mind

Richard A. Kauffman

‘I Didn't Want to Be Cute’

Doug LeBlanc

Election Day Jitters

Mark Stricherz

Breakaway Church Can Keep Property

Religion News Staff, CT staff

Interview: Eugene Nida on Meaning-full Translations

News

VeggieTales' Top Tomato

News

Go Figure

Music at the Theological Roundtable

John G. Stackhouse Jr

Bookmarks

Cindy Crosby

Is The TNIV Faithful in Its Treatment of Gender? No

Vern S. Poythress

Is The TNIV Faithful in Its Treatment of Gender? Yes

Mark Strauss

A Response to Vern Poythress

Mark Strauss

A Response to Mark Strauss

Vern Poythress

News

Evangelistic Circus in a Box

Todd Hertz

Dance of the God-Struck

Working With the Communists

Tony Carnes

Sex Ed: Federal judge says Louisiana is promoting religion through abstinence-only program.

Corrie Cutrer

Public Schools: California parents protest Muslim simulations.

Mark A. Kellner

Zoning Wars: Judge says city cannot give church land to Costco.

Marshall Allen

No Cost-Sharing Allowed: Kentucky says Medi-Share's insurance alternative is unauthorized.

Chuck Fager

North Korea: Christians on the frontlines help refugees escape a nightmare.

Tony Carnes

Making Columns

View issue

Our Latest

The Bulletin

Saudi Crown Prince Visit, GOP Realignment, and the Performative Male

Mike Cosper, Clarissa Moll

Trump hosts Saudi royalty, Republicans navigate shifts in the party, and a TikTok trend jokes about masculine sensitivity.

What Do a 103-Year-Old Theologian’s Prayers Sound Like?

Jim Houston’s scholarship centered on communion with God. His life in a Canadian care home continues to reflect this pursuit.

News

The Current No. 1 Christian Artist Has No Soul

AI-generated musician Solomon Ray has stirred a debate among listeners, drawing pushback from popular human singer Forrest Frank.

New Frontiers in 1961

CT considered paperback books, the Peace Corps, and the first man in space.

Mastering Masculinity

Jason Wilson’s rite of passage combines martial arts, emotional stability, and lessons from the Bible.

Wonderology

Fault Lines

Am I bad or sick?

News

Utah Flocks to Crusade Event at Campus Where Charlie Kirk Was Killed

Evangelicals take the stage for worship and altar calls in the Mormon-majority state.

The Just Life with Benjamin Watson

Jasmine Crowe-Houston: Love and Feed Your Neighbor

Reframing hunger as a justice issue, not charity.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube