A Responsive Day in Reading

Reading is one of my favourite places for evangelism. On the streets of this town, we encounter people from different cultures, countries, and religions—all made in the image of God and in need of hearing about the Lord Jesus. Today, we had a good-sized team out sharing the gospel. Tracts were distributed, conversations took place, people received literature, and others listened to the preaching.

I began preaching with a message titled "Warning: Six Deadly Lies." A few people stopped to listen, but surprisingly, none objected or heckled. They stood silently and listened. This pattern repeated throughout the day—people were open and receptive, listening attentively as the gospel was proclaimed.

A man from Albania listened closely to the preaching and, at the end, received a copy of John’s Gospel. Bill spoke to him afterward and was able to give him a resource in Albanian. A particularly encouraging moment came when an 86-year-old lady expressed her excitement about the preaching. She told me she was a Roman Catholic from Spain but had lived in England for many years. She was deeply moved when I gave her a copy of John’s Gospel in Spanish.

Meanwhile, a steady stream of people approached the literature table to browse materials and engage in conversations with team members. Every time I looked over, people were stopped, chatting, and showing interest.

Next to preach was Jamie, who spoke on "What Are You Following?" As before, people stopped to listen, standing silently as the Word of God was shared. At the end of his message, Jamie had a meaningful conversation with two of those who had paid close attention.

Around this time, Noah had a heartbreaking conversation with a young man who was grieving. Just a few days earlier, four of his friends had been killed in a car crash. Upon hearing the preaching, he approached the literature table, searching for hope. Noah was able to share with him, give him a Bible, and pray for him.

On the streets, we meet people facing all kinds of struggles. As Christians, we are called to be a beacon of hope amid the darkness. They aren’t coming to church, so we must go to them.

We had three more preachers in quick succession after this. First, Richard spoke on "The Message of the Cross." Then, Bill preached on "The Mediator’s Great Sacrifice." Finally, Trevor delivered the last message, asking, "Where is the most evil place on earth?" Three men, from different backgrounds and with different preaching styles, yet all pointing the people of Reading to the Lord Jesus.

It was incredible to see what the Lord did today. When I got home, I was amazed at how much literature had been taken from the table and how many tracts had been handed out from the open-air board. Please pray for all those who heard the good news in Reading.

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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