A Special Outreach in Slough
It is always good to visit a new area for evangelism. Today, I headed north to Slough, a town of around 150,000 people just west of London. This community is known for having a higher-than-average crime rate, and, as we discovered, it is a community that is severely lacking in biblical and evangelical churches. The outreach had been arranged by two other brothers from The Open-Air Mission, so it was a joy to partner with them in this effort. It was also good to have five others join us on the street.
From the outset, the literature table proved to be a drawcard for people to stop and chat. A Spanish-speaking man was amazed that we had material in his language, so he gladly received a copy of John’s Gospel and a tract, both in Spanish. Fiona then had a lengthy conversation with him.
I began the preaching by speaking on “Who is Jesus?” Since there is a high number of Muslims in this area, I thought it worth beginning by nailing our colours to the mast and declaring the truth of who the Lord Jesus really is. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the Muslims who objected to the message; rather, it was an older white British man who decided to rant at me.
The man told me to get a job and pay tax (I have a job and pay tax!), then he told me to “get a life.” I replied, “I have life. The Bible says, ‘The one who has the Son has life!’” (1 John 5:12). Unfortunately, the man wouldn’t stay around to engage. At the end of the message, five people who had listened nearby took copies of John’s Gospel.
Next up to preach was Clive, who did a good job challenging people to consider whether they are right with God. The message was clear, and anyone who listened would have to wrestle with the question.
After Clive finished preaching, we spent time handing out tracts and engaging people in conversation. It was good to see Natalie busy at the literature table, speaking with people from different backgrounds, including a religious lady who believed she was a Christian but was trusting in her works.
As the outreach progressed, we met numerous Christians who were encouraged by the preaching. Sadly, many of them were looking for good churches, and the recurring theme that kept coming up was the lack of biblical and evangelical churches in Slough.
Next up to preach was Tim, who spoke on “Are You Good Enough to Go to Heaven?” As he clearly explained the gospel, I noticed a few people pause to listen. Most of them also took tracts.
One man who started listening to Tim then went over to the literature table, where I spoke with him. He told me he was thinking seriously about heaven and asked if we had any material on that subject. I showed him in John’s Gospel where Jesus spoke about heaven and also gave him a booklet by John Blanchard on the topic. The man was very grateful for these resources.
I preached the final open-air message of the day; this time I spoke on “God is Love!” A few people paused to listen. I thought this would be the end of the outreach, but the Lord had other plans.
As we walked back to the car, a charity worker trying to collect money for wildlife stopped us. Fiona gave him a tract, and the man replied, “I believe in God, but Jesus isn’t God!” Well… a conversation was about to commence!
It turned out that the man was a hardline Muslim—so hardline that he affirmed terrorists as true Muslims. He presented a series of strawman arguments against Christianity and wouldn’t listen to correction. I engaged with his arguments and kept bringing the discussion back to the gospel. This man believed it was abhorrent that people could be forgiven of all their sins without good works—this really is the heart of the matter in all false religion. All false religion is built upon pride: the idea that I must do something to save myself. Christianity, on the other hand, lowers man and elevates God—we cannot do anything; we need God to rescue us.
Several times I explained the gospel to him, but he wouldn’t listen. It was clear he had memorised a few arguments, but once those were addressed, he couldn’t engage coherently. Still, he heard the gospel and was called to repent and believe.
As I drove home from Slough, I found myself thinking about whether this location could become a regular outreach, as there certainly is a need in the area. It is a matter I need to commit to prayer.
Please pray for all those who heard the gospel. May the Lord build His Church in this town.
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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