Manchester Outreach – Day 1

It was the first day of The Open-Air Mission Manchester team event. The city centre was busy, but the Lord provided a good spot for us to set up and preach. Throughout the day, we had several preachers, and the team had many conversations. I am not able to share their stories, so I will only focus on a few of the things I did.

While handing out tracts, I noticed a lady looking at the literature table. I spoke with her and encouraged her to take any material she might find helpful. Through an accent, she declined and quickly hurried away. About 15 minutes later, she returned with her husband, and it was then that she explained her behaviour.

It turns out she is an Israeli Jew, and with the high Muslim population in Manchester, and in light of growing antisemitism in the United Kingdom, she was afraid to reveal her identity. Her husband also shared about the fears they have and how they feel much safer back in Israel.

They were intrigued by a booklet we had on the table that is written for Jews explaining who the Messiah is. They knew we were Christians, but they wanted to explore what the Bible says about the Messiah. We had a nice chat about the gospel and how today is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. As we spoke, the husband said, “I know some say we should worship God in Jerusalem, but others say we can worship in Manchester.” It reminded me very much of the encounter Jesus had with the Samaritan woman in John 4:19-23. Using that passage, I explained the gospel and how God is not bound to a geographic region.

They were very friendly and invited me to visit Israel one day. They took the booklet about the Messiah and a tract. Please pray they would come to know Jesus, the Messiah.

It wasn’t just about evangelism today. There were many times when we spoke with Christians and helped them with their struggles. I spoke with a lady from North Wales who wants good Bible teaching, and then I spoke with a young man who is going through a period of backsliding. As I shared biblical truth with him, he began to weep. We were able to refer him to a good church near where he lives.

After several more conversations, it finally came time for me to preach. Today, I thought I’d speak on “Wages or Gift?” from Romans 6:23. From the beginning, people began to stop, and one man in particular looked to be paying attention, so I asked him a direct question. That question then opened up a back-and-forth, which drew in another heckler and also gathered a good-sized crowd.

The man I spoke with had questions about suffering and pain, namely why babies are born with different issues. He later revealed that he had suffered with a condition from birth, which is why he was asking the questions.

As I answered his questions, I wanted to keep bringing it back to the gospel. As I did, an atheist stepped up and began to heckle. He demanded that I “get with reality”. I assured him I was very much living in reality. The man started to speak about truth, so I asked if truth existed. At first, he jumped around and didn’t give answers, but eventually he said truth was not existent. I simply asked him, “Is that statement true?” The look on his face revealed that he knew he had been caught out, but his pride wouldn’t let him back down. He ranted a bit more, then walked away and had a long conversation with a team member 

The first man I spoke to was still there, so I went back to him. We went over the gospel, and I assured him that he wasn’t a mistake or accident. I explained God’s love and called on him to trust in the Saviour.

The Lord was very kind to allow numerous people to hear the gospel. Many of them spoke with team members afterwards.

That is Day 1 complete. We have another four days of ministry ahead of us. Please pray many would be saved. 

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