Preaching Leads to a Long Gospel Conversation – Reading Evangelism
Reading was quieter than usual. The footfall was lower, and even the restaurants had fewer patrons than normal. At first, we thought it was a little odd, as after a grey start to the day, the sun had come out. Then we remembered it was Ramadan. This meant many of the Muslims we would normally speak with about Christ were not in the area. Still, we had a good-sized team, so numerous people would hear the good news.
I was the first preacher of the day. Since we are nearing Easter, I decided to preach on “The Big Picture of Easter.” As I spoke, a few people paused to listen, including two men who took copies of John’s Gospel. Something I look for after an open-air is the conversations that take place with those who listened. One man who received a Gospel spoke at length with a team member. For over an hour, he sat talking and hearing the message of the Bible.
I was later told that the man was very open and that he came from a Roman Catholic background. After he finished speaking with one team member, he then had a long conversation with another member of the team. I firmly believe that the best work in open-air evangelism takes place in these conversations after the preaching.
Next up to preach was Trevor, who seemed to speak with an extra unction today. He preached the gospel clearly, explaining the barrier of sin between us and God, and the will of the Father in saving sinners.
Around this time, Rich spoke with a Nepalese man who was interested. He was very happy to receive a copy of John’s Gospel in his own language. The nations are being reached from the streets of the United Kingdom!
One of the nice things about Reading is the number of preachers we have; as such, it means there are numerous gospel messages preached throughout the outreach. Next to preach was Bill, who spoke on the question, “Why Should You Bother with Jesus Christ?” He preached well, with a man at the end asking questions.
Throughout the outreach, team members were kept busy with different conversations. It was wonderful to see so many people listening to and engaging with the good news.
Rich preached next. He spoke about the good news that God is Almighty, but He is also the God who loves sinners. He then used the account in John 3 to explain the wonderful message of salvation.
As the outreach neared its end, Jacob stood up to speak. This was his first time speaking in the open-air. He did a wonderful job reading out John 3:1–21 and verse 36. A good way to start open-air preaching is simply by reading the Bible in public.
It was an enjoyable day in Reading. 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.SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAGAZINE AND PRAYER NOTES