Dive into 25
Often the latest evangelism ideas can be the ‘same old same old’, or nothing to do with communicating the gospel at all or the latest great thing that will change the world (but won’t).
I read about Chrisie Richardson in a recent LWPT (Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust) update, who is based in Southampton. She has launched a homeless ministry using cooking as an evangelism tool across the city with University students leading it, started a Youtube podcast interviewing different people about their faith journeys and looking at issues like depression and human trafficking that a lot of people are affected by and has developed support groups for people facing PTSD and anxiety in their lives.
Are these ideas the same old same old’, nothing to do with communicating the gospel or the latest great thing that will change the world (but won’t)?
For me, these are focused on the gospel (if it is good news, it is good news for everyone and for everything), focused on people (needs of physical, mental, social and spiritual heath) and using old and new ways to communicate Jesus.
What ideas have you got for communicating Jesus in 2025?
Second half 2024
Met with a Jehovah’s Witness
We met up for a chat again during the summer holidays, focusing on discussing the book of John chapter 5 at his request and applying it to people having a second chance of salvation after death, which we had different views on which is always interesting. He said that he did not want to talk about Jesus’ identity from it, which I said shouts out from the passage. We did then discuss who Jesus is on text after meeting up and he said that as we clearly have different views about this, he did not want to meet up again. Please pray that he will know God’s grace through faith in Jesus in his life.
Helped at Love Essex Southend event
I was part of a large team from churches and organisations across Southend and Essex putting on a street event in Southend in September. I was overseeing the four street teams talking to people walking past, stopping to listen to live music or wanting to find out more about what they had heard from the rapper / Bishop / Man with a pet carrier (all true) speaking. I had great conversations with a spiritual man, two Mormons and someone searching for a church. Please pray for all the responses as there are plans for another event in Southend in 2025.
Supported Carols and Quiz
I supported Life Church Chelmsford running this event at a local pub again this year. There was one team from the pub taking part in the quiz – and they won. The right team won….
Led Street Carols
(but not the singing)
A local road in Chelmsford that has a street social group organising events throughout the year, asked me to host their Christmas carols event this year. So between the band leading carols, I shared some Christmas fun facts (do you know how many sprouts we buy every year in the UK at Christmas?), Christmas cracker jokes (you know I would) and the point of Christmas for all of us.
Spoke at Cafe Church
Great Leighs Free Church held an informal service involving lots of food, drink, chat, music and videos with people from their midweek youth, family and seniors work before Christmas. I asked them to list out what we all get busy with over Christmas and challenged them to not get too busy for God, however ‘good’ the things we get busy with are.
First half 2025
UEC
I have had a meeting with the Secretary of the Union of Evangelical Churches (UEC), a group of 14 churches across London and Essex, and then met with their ministry leadership team in the autumn, offering help and support to their churches to communicate Jesus to people around them, as some of their churches are struggling to do this due to the culture, their resources and the traditions. Please pray that the right people and the right churches hear and respond to the Holy Spirit for the way forward, as with God, all of us are always in the changing game, however hard that is.
Good Friday Community event
Similar to last year, a local Chelmsford Church Pastor and I have discussed running an outreach community event in Chelmsford High Street after the Good Friday service this year. We feel we have things we learnt from last year’s event to put into action this year, for example position the free food more front and centre to be more part of the event and put the team in more visible t – shirts to be more easily seen (sorry team), that will all help to have more of a positive impact on the city. We have a meeting later this month with people involved last year, to plan the event and get more people involved in leading it this year. Please pray that the event comes together, and that more people are met and respond to Jesus as a result of it. We have heard two great stories of people we met last year who have become Christians since – we want more this year!
The Word on the Street
I was unable to be part of this in the autumn as it clashed with other already booked events (like my daughter’s wedding), but it is really encouraging that it continues to happen in Chelmsford High Street, with people from different churches having many conversations, positive interactions and giving out resources every time. Please pray that this outreach continues to grow in 2025 with more opportunities and more people responding to the gospel.
Prayer
Thank you for all your support praying for the Evangelism Consultancy work. Please also pray for my family, my work – life balance, my witness to friends and family, and my witness in my work place as there are opportunities, expected and unexpected, that happen there.
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