Gospel in the Sunshine – Andover Evangelism

The sun was shining brightly in Andover today and, as the warmer temperatures were enjoyed, the nine of us on the team had many opportunities to speak to people about Jesus.

After setting up in front of a boarded-up shop, we began to hand out tracts. Then the preaching started as Paul spoke on “What Is the Greatest Danger?” In this message, he mentioned several perceived dangers in the world, but then showed the greatest danger – sin – and the only solution – Christ.

Once Paul had finished preaching, it was time for me to preach. I spoke on “The Three S’s”. As I explained sin, substitution and salvation, a few people listened, including one man who walked forward to receive a copy of John’s Gospel when it was offered.

A team member later had a long conversation with that man. He has been through many hardships and has come close to death, yet all those situations have brought him to the place where he is thinking about God. He was very open and perhaps not far from the Kingdom.

Local Christians were also encouraged. One lady spoke with Paul, asking how she could get involved. Others stopped to say how much they enjoyed hearing the gospel in public.

Next up to preach was Alex, who presented the gospel simply and clearly. As he issued the call to repentance and faith, people listened and then took tracts from team members.

For the final open-air, I preached on “Are You Sure You’ll Go to Heaven?” A few listened, with several good conversations taking place afterwards. One man gladly received a copy of John’s Gospel at the end of the message.

One of those who listened shared with me that she had been reading the Bible and had many questions. I commended her for seeking answers and tried my best to address the issues she raised. She told me that she had formerly been an atheist but had come to believe in God. Her questions centred on feminism, the role of women, the gender of God and the manipulation of the Bible. We spoke for some time about how Christianity has elevated women and how women are better off when the Bible is followed. She agreed that biblical morality is good for women, but she was concerned that people have manipulated Scripture. This got to the heart of the issue, namely, whether the Bible is trustworthy. She took several booklets on the subject and said she would read them.

Another highlight of the day was seeing Paul share the gospel with two Kurdish barbers. They listened and took tracts in their own language. Both seemed surprised and touched that he had material in their mother tongue.

Andover is a small town, yet many were still open to hearing the gospel. Please pray for all those who heard the good news.

SDG!

_____

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.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAGAZINE AND PRAYER NOTES