For 15 years now, evangelism has been going on around RFC. By evangelism, I don't mean programmes or Alpha courses, I mean real people connecting with other real people. Over the years we have been going we have seen 104 people make a response to the gospel.
Some of those have matured and are going on with God at RFC; others have gone on and are living out their Christian lives in other towns and countries of the world. There are others still who we have lost contact with and don't know where they are. But each of these responses shows us that God is still at work today. Each one of those responses has a story behind it, and often a story that involves at least one person who is following Jesus.
As followers of Jesus we get the great opportunity to make real friends with real people and love them regardless of whether they follow Jesus or not. In the midst of that friendship, our expectation should be that there will come an opportunity to share our faith with our friends or family. We pray for the right opportunity and we take them when they come along.
That could be an act of kindness that goes above and beyond, it's an 'extra mile' type of act. You didn't have to, but you did! Now that is not unique to Christians, but maybe just finding the right words to say to display that you are doing it because of Jesus in your life, sets it apart.
Over the years people have loved their friends and their friends have noticed it which has given them the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with them.
Evangelism is not about clinching the deal - only God can do that - rather it is about representing Jesus wherever we find ourselves - living as he lived, around the people that he would have spent time with, responding how he would have responded, asking questions as he did, and ultimately giving people the opportunity to meet him.
It's not something that we do, it's the very essence of who we are - ambassadors of Jesus.
As a church we want to celebrate the times that we have been ambassadors. That's why I have reignited this blog. It's mainly to record the ambassadorial stories of RFC - those ambassadorial moments when you have shared your story, prayed with someone, had a word of knowledge and shared it: whatever it may be and whether it was received well or not! Let's get into the habit of sharing our stories in order to spur us and others on in our calling to represent Jesus.
Some of those have matured and are going on with God at RFC; others have gone on and are living out their Christian lives in other towns and countries of the world. There are others still who we have lost contact with and don't know where they are. But each of these responses shows us that God is still at work today. Each one of those responses has a story behind it, and often a story that involves at least one person who is following Jesus.
As followers of Jesus we get the great opportunity to make real friends with real people and love them regardless of whether they follow Jesus or not. In the midst of that friendship, our expectation should be that there will come an opportunity to share our faith with our friends or family. We pray for the right opportunity and we take them when they come along.
That could be an act of kindness that goes above and beyond, it's an 'extra mile' type of act. You didn't have to, but you did! Now that is not unique to Christians, but maybe just finding the right words to say to display that you are doing it because of Jesus in your life, sets it apart.
Over the years people have loved their friends and their friends have noticed it which has given them the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with them.
Evangelism is not about clinching the deal - only God can do that - rather it is about representing Jesus wherever we find ourselves - living as he lived, around the people that he would have spent time with, responding how he would have responded, asking questions as he did, and ultimately giving people the opportunity to meet him.It's not something that we do, it's the very essence of who we are - ambassadors of Jesus.
As a church we want to celebrate the times that we have been ambassadors. That's why I have reignited this blog. It's mainly to record the ambassadorial stories of RFC - those ambassadorial moments when you have shared your story, prayed with someone, had a word of knowledge and shared it: whatever it may be and whether it was received well or not! Let's get into the habit of sharing our stories in order to spur us and others on in our calling to represent Jesus.
2 comments:
Hi Scott,
I'd thought you'd like to know that I was one of those 104 people...
I was studying to be a teacher at the university at the time, and was invited to your Easter Sunday service by a friend. This was in 2008. I was moved to tears by the teaching I heard and put my hand up to respond to the call to meet Jesus. I remember feeling very overwhelmed, but also very loved.
I continued to attend weekly until I left the university in the summer and moved back to my hometown.
Since then, my faith has been up and down. But in the past 6 months or so, I have been discovering it again, and it's been magical. My faith remains a very quiet and steadying presence in my life. And while I've never felt like shouting it from the roof-tops, it has brought me such peace.
Much love to you all at RFC.
Hi Sally
Great to hear from you. God is good and is gentle in bringing us back to Him. Where are you based now? Are you still teaching?
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