A Grey Day in Reading
It was overcast as the outreach got underway in Reading; for the rest of the afternoon, we experienced grey clouds and occasional spots of rain, but nothing to prevent the gospel ministry. I do think the weather made the area a little quieter than usual, but still, many people engaged with the gospel through tracts, one-to-one conversations, the literature table, and open-air preaching.
There were eleven of us sharing the good news today, which meant most people who walked by were at least offered a tract. It was a joy to have my seven-year-old son join me; he darted back and forth offering people tracts and pointing them to the literature table. The literature table proved to be busy as usual. While we were setting up, a young Muslim lady came by; she stopped and asked, “Do you have the Injil?” We told her we did and gave her a copy of John’s Gospel. She quickly took it and disappeared into the crowd. Something I’m noticing on the streets is an increased interest and openness from young Muslims. Please pray they will seek the truth and find it in Jesus.
The preaching started when I spoke on - “Steps to Peace with God.” A few people listened to snippets of the preaching, including two Christians from a local Gospel Hall who were encouraged.
Trevor (Pastor – Whitley Wood Reformed Baptist Church) preached next. He used John 14:6 to explain that Christ, not religion, is the only way for us to be saved. Following Trevor, Bill preached. Bill spoke on “The Mediator’s Great Sacrifice.” A few listened, including one who wanted to talk further after the message.
We were blessed to have many preachers today, so we went one after another. Next up was Richard who spoke well from John 3:16 – several people paused to listen. Then, Richard (Pastor of Outreach – Carey Baptist Church) spoke on “Six Truths about Jesus.”
One lady who stopped to listen to Richard preach made her way to the literature table where I spoke with her. She told me she had a Roman Catholic background, but she had little knowledge of Christianity. She hadn’t heard of the Ten Commandments, nor the Gospel. We chatted about the gospel and God’s love. She listened and asked good questions. At the end of our conversation, she took John’s Gospel, a tract, and details about an evangelical church near her.
It was now nearing the end of outreach, so I preached once more, this time on “The Way to Heaven.” A few people listened, but there was no real engagement.
Despite the grey weather, the gospel advanced in Reading. 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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