The Gospel Works Everywhere!
Our team in Essex, England, has a vision. And it’s a big vision. We want to share the gospel generously, raise up disciples and churches with a “great commission vision,” and help these communities multiply across the UK. And we want to do this until we can genuinely say that there is no place left where people have not heard the gospel, been invited to follow Jesus, and welcomed into his Church.
Whether we’re working directly in the harvest (engaging with people far from God), or travelling across the UK to equip groups and individuals in disciple making, a large part of our work centres around engaging with people. God is drawing people to himself, and our team is committed to finding these people and investing in them.
This past year has been different than expected, to say the least. Our travelling has been interrupted, events cancelled, and our ability to be in the harvest has been limited due to multiple lockdowns and other restrictions. And yet God has been at work!
Here are a couple of encouraging stories:
The Church in Rosemarie’s Garden
One year ago, David, Dennis, and I began prayer walking and sharing the gospel on a local housing estate. We met Rosemarie and, although she was already a churchgoer, she let us share the gospel with her and pray for her. When she went home, she realised she had never actually trusted Jesus. She repented and began following Jesus in a whole new way. She now says, “I thought I was a Christian. But I repented, trusted Jesus, and now I’m a disciple!”
Fast forward a year later, and we still spend a “harvest time” on the estate every Tuesday. Afterwards, seven to ten of us meet as a church in Rosemarie’s garden (subject to COVID rules). Rosemarie has become the “person of peace” - the first new disciple - and now hosts the church and helps lead the ministry in the estate.
At last count, this work has multiplied into at least six new gatherings across the estate, a number of new disciples, and others interested in meeting, hearing the gospel, and studying the Bible. All because one person committed to seeing a harvest in their community.
Going Out Two-by-Two
A few weeks ago, we travelled to another UK town and trained a group of fourteen people in simple gospel tools: how to meet people, offer prayer, share the gospel, and arrange to follow up with those who want to know more. After the training, we sent them out, two-by-two, into their city.
An hour-and-a-half later they returned -- with joy! They had engaged fifty-three people, prayed with twenty-eight, shared the gospel with twenty, and five people had met and trusted Jesus.
I had been with the church leader who had invited us, and he personally led three men to the Lord, arranging to follow up with each of them and begin discipleship. He turned to me afterwards and said, "I've never seen anything like this. It must be because you are here, Russ!"
I made it clear that this had nothing to do with me, but was simply what happens when disciples take on the task of loving their communities, engaging with people far from God, and sharing the gospel with them. That day, Jesus worked by the power of the Spirit to draw people to himself, adding to the number of new disciples in that area. I was simply privileged to be a part of it.
"Whoever sows (the gospel) generously will also reap (a harvest of new disciples) generously."
2 Corinthians 9:6
What about you? Are you making disciples?
We’d love to support you if you’re interested in learning how to engage with people far from God, share the gospel, and make disciples in your community. Click here and leave us a message!
