Manchester Outreach – Day 2
Yesterday, we were kept busy with numerous conversations, and people seemed to be ready to engage. Today, I found it to be slower and less engaging. Some of the team members said they felt the same, whereas others didn’t notice any difference.
As with all team event reports, I can only share some of the stories of what I was involved in. I hope these brief encounters encourage you.
The first good conversation I had today was with a young man who was observing the literature on the table. I approached him and pointed out that all the material was free, and that he should help himself. I then asked, “Do you have any religious background?”
The young man replied that he had no religious upbringing and that all his family were atheists. However, he couldn’t hold to that belief. I asked him why he had given up on atheism, and he replied by pointing to creation. He mentioned the fine-tuning argument, explaining how the earth is just the right distance from the sun for life. Then he said, “God had to have made it. I just don’t know who or what He is!”
This young man knew that God was there, as creation revealed that truth (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:19-22). But he was an agnostic. He wasn’t sure who God is. I asked him if someone said they could reveal what God is like, would that be a big claim? He agreed it would be a massive claim, one that was either true or false. I pointed out that this is what Jesus says about Himself (John 1:18).
I was able to share the Good News and then gave the man a copy of John’s Gospel and an in-depth booklet. He excitedly took them, saying he’d be reading them this evening. Please pray he’ll come to know the true God.
Another conversation I had was with a man who had just gotten out of prison after serving eight years. He was dismayed at how much Islam had grown in that time, so he appreciated us being out preaching. He told me he was a Roman Catholic, but not a very good one, as he never went to church, and he wasn’t sure if there was a Heaven or Hell. We had a brief gospel chat, but before we could go too far, his phone rang and he had to leave. Before he left, he asked for a tract.
The rest of the day for me was spent handing out tracts and briefly speaking with people. I didn’t get to preach today, as we had an abundance of men who were able to proclaim God’s Word.
Day 2 of the Manchester outreach is complete. Please pray for those who heard, and those who will hear in the coming days.
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