Where It All Started
Chris Overstreet served as the School of Ministry Outreach Director and the Outreach Pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, CA for 15 years and also helped develop many outreach teams and outreaches that made an impact in Redding, CA and beyond. In 2016, when Stefanie had their daughter Brielle, she desired to move to the Northwest to be close to her family for greater support because she had severe postpartum depression.
Chris Overstreet loved his job and had no desire to be in the Northwest but he knew God was transitioning his family and he knew he had to surrender. He went into a room, got on his knees and lifted his hands toward the Lord. He said, “God, I don’t understand but I surrender.”
In his surrender, he told God that if he wanted him to work a 9-5 job to take care of his family then he would do it. It was there that Chris knew that he was going to transition not knowing what was going to happen next. His first priority was to take care of his wife and family.
He talked to the senior team and began to look for replacements that would take over his role at Bethel Church. Some time later Chris felt that he was supposed to start a ministry but he had no idea what to call it. After Chris surrendered, his wife’s postpartum depression went away.
After surrendering to the Lord, Chris had a dream about starting a prayer gathering. He felt an urgency to begin to pray. He gathered young people that were passionate about seeking God and they prayed late into the night which launched a weekly evening prayer gathering.
He sat with some of his friends and former interns and told them about his transition. He said, “guys, I don’t know what to call the ministry that I have to start but I know I want to reach and help people for Jesus.” Someone said, “Chris, why don’t you call it Compassion To Action! You wrote a small book about it and that is what you exemplify.” He looked at Zach and said, “Zach that's it! We are going to be called Compassion To Action.”
Months later Chris was in Stockholm, Sweden speaking at a stadium event with Awakening Europe. That Saturday morning Chris saw a vision of God moving in the Northwest in America and people’s lives being changed. He knew by the Holy Spirit that God was looking for a surrender in his heart before he ever showed him a vision.
Chris knew distinctly that he should pray over the vision since it included a large gathering that would draw pastors and leaders together and see people sent out by the thousands to preach the gospel on the streets of Portland, Oregon. Chris fasted and prayed until he received the gift of faith.
“Chris Overstreet is an evangelist, pure and simple. The impact of his life on our city is beyond measure. He has also an extraordinary influence upon me and my staff. I highly recommend this wonderful servant of the Lord, both for his gift and his integrity.”
— Bill Johnson
God had spoken to him that he would receive persecution and great resistance but that he should not back down from what he was called to do. In January of 2017, Chris met with 105 pastors and leaders in the Vancouver/Portland area to share the vision that God had given him.
In July of 2018, Chris and his family moved to the Vancouver, Washington area along with a team of 12 who came to join the Compassion to Action team.
In September of 2018, Compassion to Action hosted their first event that drew in 7,500 people. 5,000 people were trained and equipped in evangelism and sent out to share the gospel on the streets of Portland.
In 2019, we developed strategic relationships in the community while also training, equipping and mobilizing people to go out on the streets to be moved with compassion.