The Right Location at the Right Time – Southampton Evangelism

Open-air evangelism presents many challenges, and this has been further developed by the Christmas markets being in our usual outreach location. Space is now a premium in Southampton – we are looking for the best spot to work from, and so are the buskers. Often, we end up in the same location at the same time. Today, when we arrived, we had a nice open space with no noise, but as soon as we set up, a busker appeared and established himself a few metres away. We considered moving, but conversations took place that kept us there. It was clear we were in the right location at the right time.

Mike Mellor commenced the open-air preaching by speaking about Christmas. Then I preached from Luke 2 on why we need the Saviour. As we preached, the busker began to sing into a microphone. The noise and the distraction made it difficult. Yet, the literature table was still busy; people were browsing the items and taking material.

A Hindu man stopped at the table. He told me that he was intrigued by the Bible and had been reading it online – but this was the first time he had seen one in person. He gladly took a copy of God’s Word and the booklet “Ultimate Questions.”

At this stage, Mike was preaching again. This time on - “Where Are They Now?” As Mike asked about famous people who had died, an older gentleman engaged. He wasn’t overly interested in listening to Mike, but as he walked off, I gave him a tract and began to speak with him. He told me that he had never done anything wrong and that God would accept him into Heaven, as he had served in the army. As we spoke, he admitted to being a liar and a cheat, then said, “I don’t want to believe in Jesus.” This man was being honest – he loved his sin and was looking for any excuse not to believe.

Ben was the next to preach; he spoke on “What’s the Real Reason for This Season?” A few people listened as they walked by, but one young lady was intrigued. She didn’t say anything while Ben preached, but as soon as he finished, she said to me, “Christians steal everything from Paganism!” I asked her to support her claim, and a conversation was underway. From the outset, this young lady put all her cards on the table. She told me that she was a spiritual agnostic who was bi-sexual, pro-abortion, pro-same-sex marriage, and an environmentalist. I really enjoyed chatting with her; I found her openness and directness very refreshing. We covered all the topics she mentioned and a few more. The conversation went on for a very long time.

As we chatted, this young lady kept objecting to me saying she was sinful/wicked. This was at the heart of the issue. As John 3:19-20 teaches, she loved her sin and hated the light. She didn’t want to deal with the root of the matter. I stressed to her the gospel and the love of God for sinners. As we spoke, a pregnant, bi-sexual homeless lady joined the conversation. It was a wonderful discussion. We came from very different worldviews and understandings, yet we were friendly towards each other. As the conversation finished, the young lady shook my hand, called me her friend, and took a copy of John’s Gospel. We have invited her to return to chat whenever we are in Southampton.

When my conversation concluded, it was time to pack down the outreach. As we did, an older Muslim man wanted to talk. First, he spoke to Richard, and then I was brought into the conversation. The Muslim man wanted to debate Christianity; the problem was he didn’t understand Christian theology. He thought we believed in three gods and that Jesus was the physical offspring of God and Mary having sex. He also believed that the Bible was not divine revelation, rather it was written down by disciples hundreds of years later. We covered all these topics, and the man let us read Scripture to him. When our conversation finished, he shook hands saying, “I’ve learned much today. Thank you.” He took a booklet on the Trinity and another designed for Muslims.

Even though not much preaching took place, clearly, we were in the right place at the right time. The Lord had many people for us to speak with and many others whom He willed to take gospel tracts. 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.

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In common with many evangelistic reports, we have changed the names and some of the photographs to protect the anonymity of those mentioned.