A Windy and Noisy Outreach in Salisbury
If you’ve never been to the ancient city of Salisbury, let me try to paint the scene for you. Looming large over the city centre is the spire of Salisbury Cathedral. Down below are old, narrow streets. On one such street—High Street—is where we preach. It is not very wide, and it is lined with shops and cafés. The pedestrianised area isn’t very long, so when a busker sets up in the middle of the street, there is no escape from the sound. Today, there were buskers with amplification playing music very loudly upwind from us. This meant all their music blew down to us and made the outreach a challenge.
After setting up and praying as a team, I commenced the preaching by speaking on “God is Love.” It was hard to preach with the loud music in the background, but still, a few people seemed to pay attention, including one lady who took a Gospel of John. She told me she was a Gypsy and was greatly touched by the message of God’s love for humanity.
Next to preach was Paul, who spoke on “What Does It Mean to Be a Real Christian?” This is a rather fitting message for Salisbury, as so many people claim a form of godliness due to the cathedral.
Despite the noise, we kept on preaching. Next up was Tony, who shared from James 4 about the shortness of life, and how no one is assured of tomorrow. An Italian man stood listening, and I was able to chat with him afterwards. He gladly took a Gospel of John and a tract in Italian.
The literature table wasn’t particularly busy, but still, people made their way over to receive material. Little by little, the Kingdom is advancing.
I preached once again, this time on “Hope for a Broken World.” I found it challenging speaking into the wind and with the buskers’ music, but still, a few people stood nearby listening, and two sat on the bench next to me. At the end of the message, one person responded by accepting a Gospel of John.
As Paul prepared to preach the final message of the day, the buskers decided to pack up. This meant he could preach freely, now only contending with the wind. He did a good job using the Titanic to show how we cannot boast about tomorrow. A few people listened, with one gladly receiving a Gospel of John.
A particular highlight was meeting again a Dutch Jewish lady with whom we’ve shared the gospel many times over the months. I think nearly every team member has spoken with her, and she has listened to numerous open-air sermons. She first spoke with Paul, then with Liz. As she chatted with Liz, she said that she is now trusting in Jesus. Please join us in praying that she has truly come to know the Messiah!
Despite the challenges of the day, we rejoice that the Lord allowed His Word to spread. May He save many in Salisbury!
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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