We Love Living Waters!

 

 

It was my extreme joy to recently return to “my equipping evangelism roots” with Living Waters in Southern California!
 
Just in case you haven’t heard, here’s the basic backstory…
 
The year was 2006. I’d been pastoring a little over 5 years and hit a wall of hypocrisy hard. Like, REALLY hard! I was constantly preaching and teaching evangelism with my local church, yet I literally had no clue how to equip anyone by example to share Christ.
 
So, I began to pray.
 

Soon after I brought my sins of fear and apathy to the Lord in prayer, a friend sent me a life-changing sermon by evangelist Ray Comfort called “Hell’s Best Kept Secret”, along with a shocking “caught on video” clip of actor Kirk Cameron sharing the gospel with an L.A. street gang.
 
Lord, could I somehow learn how to do that and equip others? Enter Living Waters.
 
I was then led to go on mission to America where I walked under the evangelism leadership of Living Waters and was forever changed by experiencing equipping evangelism first-hand for myself. Shortly after I returned back home to Canada, I founded The Cross Current.

Fast forward to February 2025. Now, almost 20 years later, my wife Dawn and I were graciously invited by our friends and gospel partners at Living Waters to have me sit in as their studio guest to teach a series for the Living Waters TV and podcast programs.
 
Here’s a snapshot of the 3-day production schedule we enjoyed together:
 
Tuesday, February 11, 2025 | Living Waters TV Teaching Series
 

On the first production day I taught a series of five, 40-minute messages for Living Waters TV on the topics of conversational evangelism, apologetics, church on mission, and the role of the equipping evangelist in the local church.
 
Wednesday, February 12, 2025 | LW Equip Q & A
 

On day two I was “hanging in the hot seat” on the Living Waters Equip program to equip the saints with answers to 80 tough questions related to topics such as; God’s existence and nature, the Bible, Jesus, Science and Faith, Religion and Christianity, Morality, and Personal and Practical concerns.
 
Thursday, February 13, 2025 | Living Waters Podcast Guest
 

On the last production day, I was invited to sit in as a guest on the Living Waters Podcast where we discussed the topic “The Power of Leading by Example in Evangelism”. With such a plethora of passion, wisdom, and experience around the table, we enjoyed a powerfully collaborative conversation about the importance of gospel leadership in the local church!
 
Not only was it a humbling privilege to give back to such a solid ministry that has so richly blessed me and so many others, but I was also deeply encouraged when the leaders of Living Waters each shared these commendations:
 

“I thank God for the wisdom He has given Cory, and for his deep passion to reach this world with the gospel. May God explode his ministry and use him to further equip the Body of Christ to reach the lost.” ~ Ray Comfort, Founder & CEO
 

“Cory is a bold and faithful evangelist and apologist who proclaims the Gospel with clarity, conviction, and compassion. His unwavering commitment to truth and his ability to engage both skeptics and seekers make him a powerful ambassador for Christ. Whether in one-on-one conversations or public settings, Cory skillfully defends the faith while pointing people to the hope found in Jesus alone. His passion for souls is evident, and his ministry is a blessing to all who hear him.” Mark Spence, Senior Vice President
 

“Living Waters regularly works with the most respected voices in evangelism, apologetics, and theology. Cory McKenna stands out among the most talented for his humility, wisdom, and ability to winsomely communicate deep Biblical truths. I particularly respected the way he engages with the mindset of non-believers by the way he answers the pressing questions of our day. Our followers are going to be encouraged and equipped by the incredible gifts of Cory!” ~ Oscar Navarro, Vice President of Ministry Advancement
 

Right: My “then and now” pic of where I was standing the very first time I “broke the sound barrier” by preaching the gospel open air!
(Yes, that’s – um – Spider-Man in the background…only in Hollywood!:)

Outside work hours we were able to step out onto the streets of L.A. to revisit the places and spaces where I first preached the gospel under the leadership of Living Waters. Dawn and I were also beyond blessed by the rich times of church fellowship we enjoyed with our American brothers and sisters in Christ!

Despite what we’re hearing about the current political division between our respective countries, as brethren in Christ so true are these words of the psalmist: “How delightfully good when brothers live together in harmony!” (Ps. 133:1)
 
Living Waters is literally the gold standard for all things street evangelism and open-air preaching. This is just one reason of many why we plan to continue partnering in the gospel together for mutual mentorship and to also disciple all the members of our new Equipping Evangelists Training Network (EETN) to increase our experience and expertise.
 
We love Living Waters! So please join us in praying for these gospel partners, and I also strongly encourage you to connect with their ministry to get better equipped by the best of the best in evangelism!
 

• Please pray that God’s grace rests on the entire Living Waters team and all of their vital equipping ministry with and for the Body of Christ.
• Please pray that God continues graciously growing the partnership in the gospel He’s brought between Living Waters and The Cross Current.
• Please pray for the Holy Spirit to move the hearts of all the equipping evangelists we’ve invited to join us as founding members of the EETN.