John and Inez Carney, who live in Pueblo West, Colorado, continue to find creative ways to share the Gospel. Several years ago they passed out “kindness kits” (which included water, food and toiletry items, a WBS Intro lesson and a note stating “Here’s something to get you through the day, and something to get you through eternity.”) to the homeless. Next they began mailing WBS Intro courses to everyone in the Pueblo West telephone book.
In 2020, John and Inez began what he calls their “marketplace ministry”, patterned after Paul’s practice in Acts 17 of going into the marketplace to preach Jesus. It works like this. John and Inez park their car in front of a local grocery store and put a magnetic sign on their car door that reads “Free Bible”. They stack WBS Bibles on a tray hooked onto the open window and one of them sits in the car to give away Bibles to those who ask for them.
They also sometimes go to the shopping mall food court and into local Starbucks, where they set up a “Free Bible” tabletop sign. John said that this worked well until one man complained about the sign. Not being discouraged, John printed “Free Bible” on T-shirts that he and Inez wore to become walking billboards for their ministry.
John and Inez have personally given away 488 WBS Bibles. They have had discussions with a large group of Jehovah Witnesses and have had two men request baptism. Their helpers, Chad and Beth Potokar and Steve Holloway, have given away dozens more Bibles in recent years. When expressing his excitement to encourage others, John wrote, “Anyone can do this work.”
On September 21, 2023, Inez passed away at the age of 94. Please remember John and the Carney family in your prayers. John, thank you for your and Inez’s example in service to the Lord.
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