“I Need a New Beginning!” – Andover Evangelism

It has been many months since I was last in Andover. Due to other outreach commitments, I’ve often found that I’ve missed this Hampshire town. Today, it was good to return. Andover isn’t the busiest of places, but nearly every time we visit, we see wonderful blessings. Today was no different!

As we set up the literature table, an older man stopped and began to talk. He was dismayed by what he perceived as ‘contradictions’ between religions, beliefs, society, and how humanity interacts with one another. Some of his views could be described as mystical and New Age. He was very friendly and wanted to chat.

While sharing his thoughts, he mentioned how he longs to be ‘one with the universe’. I replied by pointing out that Christianity doesn’t promote being one with the universe; rather, it explains how we can be one with the Creator of the universe. This allowed me to share the gospel and urge the man to consider the Creator of all things. He gladly received a booklet explaining how to know God.

As this was taking place, Tolu was engaged in conversation with two young men who knew bits and pieces of the Bible but weren’t clear on the gospel. He did a good job of bringing them back to Jesus and stressing their need to seek the Saviour.

Back at the literature table, a flamboyant homosexual man stopped to talk. He was friendly and polite, sharing that both he and his partner had been talking about Christianity and now desired to read the Bible. I was able to give him a New Testament, which he very gratefully received. He then looked at me and said, “You’re Australian! That’s great. You remind me of Dannii Minogue – but just in drag!” He meant it as a sincere compliment, but it was the first time I have ever been compared to a female Australian singer and to being in drag!

While Tolu and I chatted with people, Paul began to preach. He spoke on the subject of “What’s Gone Wrong?” As he proclaimed the gospel, a man smoking a cigarette stopped and began to heckle. “How do you know Jesus even existed?” was his first question. Paul did a great job of answering. The look on the heckler’s face revealed he hadn’t expected a reply, so he fired another question: “Why isn’t God a woman?” Again, Paul answered well. The man knew he was beaten, and it was clear he wasn’t interested in the answers, so he wandered off, muttering something about not believing.

It was now my turn to preach, so I spoke on “The Three S’s.” Even though Andover is a quiet town, the Lord very kindly allowed a small crowd to gather and listen. People, including Paul’s heckler, stood quietly as the gospel was explained. Then, at the end, when copies of John’s Gospel were offered to those wanting more information, six people took a copy.

One young lady who listened to the preaching shared how she had been feeling angry, but hearing the message helped her. Her mother was nearby, so I found myself chatting with her, while Tolu spoke with the young lady. Both were very open and friendly. Coming from a culturally Christian background, they had some basic knowledge, but it didn’t appear that they had personally trusted in Christ. Both listened to the gospel and indicated they needed to start attending church. We were able to refer them to a church nearby.

As the outreach continued, I spoke with a young lady who identified as a gypsy. She shared a bit about her background and struggles, then mentioned, “I need a new beginning!” As she wrestled with how to have a fresh start, she realised the first step was to get to know God – but that created a question for her: “How?” She thought the answer might be to attend a Roman Catholic church and be baptised. We gently directed her away from dead religion and pointed her to Jesus. We urged her to trust in Christ. She gladly took gospel booklets, a New Testament, and details of a local evangelical church.

Paul preached the final open-air message of the day, on the subject of “What’s Your Excuse?” A couple of people listened, including a workman who received a copy of John’s Gospel.

It was an encouraging couple of hours in Andover. The Lord certainly blessed our time. 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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