A Wet and Grey Outreach in Newbury
All my weather apps informed me that today would be cloudy and cold, but not wet. The reality was rather different. As I stood in Newbury with drizzle gently falling, I can safely conclude that the weatherman isn’t always right!
Due to the weather, the town centre was much quieter than usual; still, there were enough people for us to share the good news with. We set up the literature table and open-air board (with their waterproof covers) and began to share the gospel.
The first preacher of the day was Trevor, who spoke about God’s greatest gift to humanity. He did a good job of clearly presenting the gospel call to come and follow Jesus.
When Trevor finished, I preached on “Wages or Gift?” from Romans 6:23. There was little interaction, though people did hear snippets as they passed by.
Around this time, we focused on handing out tracts and trying to speak with people. I noticed a few team members engaged in conversation, and a few others browsing material at the literature table. Despite the wet weather, the gospel kept advancing!
Bill preached next; he spoke on “Four Things You Can’t Keep!” It was a solid gospel message that challenged people to think seriously about their souls and eternal destiny.
It was then my turn to preach again; this time I spoke on “The Way to Heaven.” At the start, a few people paused to listen for a little while, but they didn’t stay long. One lady on a mobility scooter parked and listened. She ended up having a conversation with a team member. I also noticed a few people standing further back, including two young ladies who both took Gospels at the end of the message.
The final preacher of the day was Bill, who preached on “Bridging the Gap.” As with most of the other messages, there was little engagement.
Some days in the open air are hard and there is little interaction; however, our mission is to be faithful and to continually proclaim the good news. We rest in the knowledge that God sovereignly ordained the weather, the responses, and the situation we found ourselves in at Newbury. His purposes and plans will continue.
Please pray for all those who heard the good news.
SDG!
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Josh Williamson is a full-time evangelist with The Open-Air Mission. Since 1853, OAM has been sharing the good news on the streets of the United Kingdom. To stay updated about the work of the Mission, please sign up for the free quarterly magazine and monthly prayer notes.
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