A Cloudy Outreach in Newbury
Would it rain, or would it be dry? That was the question I asked myself as I drove an hour to Newbury. All along the way, the heavens were open, with rain steadily falling. However, once we reached Newbury, we noticed it was grey and cloudy, yet dry. The Lord kindly kept the rain away for the entire time we were in the town.
We had a large team today, with nine of us coming together to share the good news. It has been encouraging to watch this team grow and develop over recent months. During the outreach we met many Christians from local churches who were very excited about the gospel work, asking if they might join us in the future. We would love to see more workers and more churches involved in this vital ministry.
I began the preaching by speaking on “Lessons from the Boomerang.” A small group gathered to listen, with one person taking a Gospel of John afterwards. Several gospel conversations then took place with sceptics, Roman Catholics, and others who were open to hearing more.
Several Christians also stopped to encourage us, thanking us for not being like the ‘angry’ open-air preachers who simply shout at people.
Next up to preach was Trevor, who challenged those present to consider the person and nature of Jesus. He pointed out that Christ is perfect, and that no one can compare with Him. Trevor did a great job of making much of Jesus.
Everywhere I looked along the street, I could see team members busily handing out tracts or talking with people. The literature table had a steady stream of visitors requesting various booklets and Bibles. Even though the weather was grey, the light of the gospel was spreading.
Paul Adams from Open Air Campaigners USA preached next. He spoke on “What is Sure?” and explained how many things are uncertain, especially when it comes to the existence of God, our nature, and the work of Jesus. Today was the last time he would be with us, as he returns to the US next week. It has certainly been a joy to have him and his wife with us at different outreaches.
For the final open-air, I preached on “The Origins of Evil.” As I explained where evil comes from, using Mark 7:21–23, a young woman walked past, stopped, then shouted, “FREE PALESTINE!” It had nothing to do with my talk, so I asked her, “Free them from whom?” She clearly hadn’t expected that kind of response, so I followed up: “Should Palestine be freed from Hamas? The evil they committed on 7 October proves what Jesus said—that evil comes from within humanity.” The young woman quickly went into a coffee shop and did not engage further. At the end of the message, one listener took a copy of John’s Gospel.
It was a cloudy but productive day in Newbury. Please pray for all who heard the gospel, and for more gospel workers to be raised up.
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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