Regular door to door visitation is carried out in the immediate vicinity of the Church. We presently draw from a team of nearly 20 who visit on the last Saturday of the month.
We seek to be friendly and considerate but also faithful to the Lord. We are very aware of our need for wisdom. Am I talking to a person whose heart is breaking though the “mask” is in place? Does this person want to know more? What do you say when they say “But I’m not religious”, “I’m just too busy for all this” or “I don’t believe, you see I’m a scientist”?
What we don’t do is go with a prepared speech or sermon. We know it has to be two way: a conversation. Where are people coming from? How much do they know? What’s on their mind? We want to be courteous in the questions we ask. We want to be patient in listening. We want God-given discernment in knowing what to say next, wisdom in our use of Scripture and above all a real love for the person we are addressing.
Mike Curnow (formerly of Home Evangelism) and Alistair and Pat Stewart (formerly SASRA workers) spoke to members of our team in two separate meetings. It was encouraging to know that their approach was very similar. We want to win the right to be heard. We want to be channels for the Word and the Spirit. We long to get beyond the “cold” one off conversation to a relationship of trust and sharing when we call back.
Please pray with us. Why not join us? We are men and women from teenagers to pensioners. Some have never done this work before. But there is always someone you can team up with. What an encouragement for the experienced one to have the prayerful support of another, even if they say nothing.
A few people in the last six months have accepted an invitation and come on a Sunday, many have appreciated the calendars distributed at Christmas and others have received Gospels, tracts, “Ultimate Questions” and similar literature. We long for people to be saved. As we pray for revival, are we looking to a day when God Himself will constrain our immediate neighbours to “Come and see what the Lord has done for us”?
Kerry Orchard
