Until relatively recently, I confess that I had started to think that the era in which fruitful first-contact evangelism took place had passed.
However, in a recent CU events week at which I was speaking, half of those who professed faith across the week or in the following weeks had been first met through first-contact evangelism. CUs have hit upon a form that is opening conversations, growing relationships and allowing students to encounter Jesus.
Maryam’s story
This past week, I heard the encouraging story of Maryam*. Maryam isn’t yet a Christian but is hearing more of the gospel each week. She belongs to a midweek church Bible study based in the city in which she studies, and is currently working through the book of Romans. In the most recent study, she described how different following Jesus is to the Islam of her youth. She feels increasingly at home in this group and now considers the church family her very own.