Let the Little Children Come! – Southampton Evangelism

The city centre was quieter than it has been over the past few weeks, but that was no surprise, as school has now resumed after the summer break. Still, there were plenty of people to share the good news with.

A few weeks ago, I decided to put children’s tracts on my board so that, with parents’ permission, we could give the gospel to children. Over the summer, this proved to be a very fruitful ministry, and today we were able to do the same once again. I am reminded of the words of the Lord Jesus: “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14). Today, children gladly accepted tracts, and parents encouraged them to consider Christ.

At the start of the outreach, as Jeremy preached on “Bridging the Gap”, a Romanian family stopped at the literature table. Previously, I had given them material in their own language, though their English is not bad. Today, they asked if I had anything for children. I replied that I had three tracts for kids, and that they were welcome to take one of each. They were delighted to receive material for their children – and the little ones who were with them were equally excited, asking if their mother could read it to them.

By this time, Jeremy had finished preaching, and it was Ben’s turn. He spoke on “Our Greatest Problem.” Both he and Jeremy did a great job explaining our need for Christ and showing how Jesus is the only hope for humanity.

After Ben finished, Colin was ready to preach on “Warning: Six Deadly Lies.” As he shared, an Indian lady with her young daughter stopped to listen. She took a Gospel of John and then sat down to read it. I picked up a children’s tract from the board, walked over, and asked if her daughter would like a copy. The mother gladly received it, and then did perhaps the sweetest thing we witnessed all day – she sat her daughter, about four or five years old, beside her and began to read the booklet aloud. As she did, she pointed to the pictures and explained the message. In that moment, both mother and daughter were hearing of Jesus. As Christ said, “Let the little children come to Me…”

Next up to preach was Mike Mellor, who spoke on “Symptoms.” A few people stopped to listen to the good news, including several who later spoke with team members.

Then it was my turn. Today, I preached on the “Three S’s.” A few people listened, and four received a Gospel of John at the end. Team members were also able to have conversations with those who had heard the message.

The final preacher of the day was Richard, who spoke on “Life: What’s the Point?” I wasn’t able to hear his message, as a man who had listened to me preach came over to talk. He told me he had grown up in a rough environment and had been deeply hurt by the Church. He shared his painful story, explaining that the ‘so-called Christians’ he had met seemed to think they were better than him. I told him that Christians are simply forgiven sinners, and that by nature we are no better than anyone else. He continued to share his concerns, and I was able to respond. In the end, he accepted a tract and a booklet addressing the question of why there is suffering.

The time seemed to fly by today. It was a good afternoon of outreach, with many hearing of Jesus. Young and old alike – all need Christ! Please pray for those who heard the gospel.

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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