“You Cannot Escape!” – Derby Evangelism
It was a joy to join George and The Open-Air Mission team in Derby. It has been two years since I was last in this city, so it was good to return to share the good news. After a time of prayer, we headed into the city centre. As we did so, I noticed a man standing in the middle of the street; he looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Then it clicked! He was part of the Irish traveller community that frequently visits Southampton. I had spoken to this man previously about the gospel, so I decided to chat with him again. The poor bloke was completely stunned to see me and asked what I was doing in Derby (which is four hours from Southampton). I jokingly said, “I’m here for you. You cannot escape!” I saw him again at the end of the outreach. He was still shocked but wished me a happy Christmas and took a tract.
The weather in Derby was wet, and the drizzle persisted throughout the outreach, but despite the weather, the gospel was still proclaimed. George commenced the preaching by speaking on “What Happens When You Believe in Jesus?” He did a good job of challenging people to consider the state of their souls.
I preached next and spoke on “What’s in a Name?” In this message, I used the names Immanuel and Jesus to show the person and work of Christ. As soon as I started, a young man stopped to listen and began to engage. He was open to hearing about the gospel, and we had a good back-and-forth. At the end of the message, he took a copy of John’s Gospel. I also spoke to his friends who were with him; they all said they had listened to a preacher in Derby a few weeks ago.
Three other brothers then preached, one after another. All did a good job of explaining the gospel and calling on people to trust in Jesus. One man who listened to the preaching spoke with me. His big question was, “Why does the date of Easter change each year, but Christmas remains the same?” I answered his question, and the man happily took a tract.
To finish off the outreach, George and I both preached again. George preached on “What Does Christmas Show Us?” In this message, he did an excellent job of summarising the big picture of Christmas and the gospel. Then I spoke on “Christmas Signs.” Using prophecies from Isaiah, I showed that the birth of Jesus was foretold, as was His mission. A few people listened, and three took copies of John’s Gospel.
Overall, it was a productive day in Derby. Please pray for all those who heard the good news. May the Lord save them.
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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