Letter from Wayne:

Dear Leader,

Fourteen years ago, God gave me a vision to take a small group of college students to New Orleans during Mardi Gras to walk the streets and talk to those hurting and willing to listen. Hundreds of salvations and thousands of participants later, it has become so much more than that.

Every week I have the honor of standing in front of thousands of people, hold a microphone, and give a call for the lost to make Jesus their Savior. Yet, there is something in my heart that understands there has to be more than a “big event” where a speaker and a band get paid to come lead friends and family members to Jesus. God has called us to “equip the saints.”

Mardi Gras has become a place of equipping. It has become a place of training students, leaders, moms, and dads to become soul-winners. As we pour out our hearts and knowledge on how to win souls, we are also seeing the fruit in our participants going home and being able to win their own friends and family to Jesus. Do not come to Mardi Gras to go “witnessing” at an event; come to Mardi Gras to train yourself and your team on how to win souls when you go home. We invite you to the Answering the Cries 2011 Mardi Gras Outreach!

Wanting To Do It Right,

Wayne Northup

References:

Church Leaders:

As both a dad of a young adult, and a global speaker, I observe as never before, a generation that wants to be God's solution for our times! Certainly this is evident in the attitude demonstrated with the Mardi Gras team. It is my privileged opportunity to invest in their efforts!

-Sy Roger, International speaker and author

Mardi Gras is a must for leaders that want to stay fresh and want to keep their Church fresh.  This outreach is just what you need. Just show up and watch God work in your teams’ lives!

-Pastor Gary Grogan, Stone Creek Church Urbana, Illinois

The Mardi Gras Outreach challenged us to be like Jesus in every way. In my 13 years of being a pastor to young adults, I have never experienced a more powerful and impacting mission trip as Mardi Gras.

-Pastor Lane Arnold, Family Faith, Huntsville, Texas

Leadership School Leaders:

Mardi Gras outreach is the most significant, life-changing experience of the year for our team.  God moves in and through each of our students. Join us this year and be a part of what God is doing in New Orleans, you’ll never be the same again!

- Pastor Chris Railey, Director of the Oaks School of Leadership, Red Oak, Texas

Masters Commission Leaders:

The experience that our Master's Commission students had in New Orleans was clearly life-altering. Our students returned with a strong determination and focus on prayer and reaching the lost. I strongly recommend that other groups partner with Answering The Cries to bring the love and grace of Jesus to Mardi Gras.

-Pastor Art VanZanten, Fort Myers Master's Commission Director

Answering The Cries and their Mardi Gras Outreach has always done an excellent job of prepping, protecting, and providing my students with the right Spiritual atmosphere for God to do an AMAZING work in them and to give them longevity and boldness as lifetime soul winners.  I trust Answering The Cries Leadership with my students and have been for the past eight years.

- Pastor Derrek Sulivan, Decatur Master’s Commission Director

Mardi Gras Outreach is an opportunity to see people saved for the first time. There were also many opportunities to minister, but the greatest thing I saw was that those opportunities were preceded by training. Training to do it better than maybe anyone has done it before, and a freshness to stay up on that training. If I could give you anywhere to go for Mardi Gras, it would be with Answering the Cries.

-  Pastor Lloyd Zeigler, Relevant Church, Addison, Texas

College Leaders :

Mardi Gras forces trip members to be “all in” as a Christian...  For those looking for a challenge, it can be the most life changing experience of a lifetime.

-Nate Ruch, Vice President of University Relations at North Central University, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Mardi Gras opens students up to prayer, moving in the gifts of the Spirit, and evangelism in fresh, new ways. Wayne and Kristi and their team are well-organized and take care of the teams so they can learn and grow. I highly recommend it!

- Carolyn Tennant, Former Vice President, of Academic Affairs, North Central University, Minneapolis, Minnesota

The experience of leading a team of my own peers into a battlefield such as Mardi Gras is beyond indescribable. I witnessed a new calling birthed deep within each person.... "Do you hear the cries of a lost and dying generation? Will you be the one to step up and answer those cries? If not us, who will?" Matthew 9:38

-Blake Patterson, Junior at Southwestern University and third year Mardi Gras Leader

Bringing students to Mardi Gras is discipleship on steroids. Every young adult should come to Mardi Gras at least once.

-Pastor Sam Farina, Vice President of Trinity Bible College, Ellendale, North Dakota