The sounds and smells of the Manchester Christmas market wafted their way through the city centre. As people rushed to and fro on their way to keep appointments or get in some Christmas shopping, a sound was heard – the message of the season – good news on the streets: the Saviour has been born!
Amongst the hustle and bustle, a team from The Open-Air Mission had set up and was busy sharing the message of God’s love. A few people paused to listen, others took tracts and spoke with team members. Also set up was a ‘Free Bible and Literature’ table, which proved to be a magnet for people. As people walked by, they stopped at the table to browse the literature, then they would take a booklet or Bible.
Throughout the day, I had the joy of being able to share the good news with numerous people. An Atheist student from China asked if he could read the New Testament, as he had become intrigued by the person of Jesus. He took several booklets and listened to the message of the gospel. Then a Roman Catholic man wanted to talk, as he had never read the Bible and wasn’t sure what would happen to him after death. He heard the message of grace, and he left with a copy of the Scriptures and a book. Then there was a young man from Africa, who thought he was a lifelong Christian but wasn’t sure how good he had to be to earn Heaven. He listened to the good news of Jesus paying for all our sin – he too took material.
'What do you mean?': The most important question in mission
When sharing the gospel, we seek to contextualise without compromising, so that people can better understand concepts of sin, salvation …