A Spring Break Missions Trip.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
– Matthew 28:19
The chill of a Spring evening was no match for the anticipatory chill rushing through our veins. After hours of preparation, we were about to step out in faith. More accurately, we were about to step out and share our faith. With strangers.
The slanting sunlight cast a shimmering golden beam across the surface of the concrete plaza. A group of forty-some High School students stood in a loose huddle. With fingers quickly numbing from the cold, we clutched blue cloth bags. A handful of Christian magazines and miniature gospels (courtesy of ShareWord Global) rested inside.
Taking a deep breath, our youth leader stepped to the front for the final commissioning. Moments later, we broke off into four groups. Our one objective was to approach strangers and share the gospel.
Crazy? Yeah, probably. If you’re a normal person, you’re likely asking yourself, “What would prompt a group of High School students to spend their Spring Break ‘cold-calling’ strangers in real life and sharing the Gospel?” I hope another part of you is wondering, “How is this going to work out?”
Zipping up my winter coat and running a finger along the focus ring of my camera, I readied myself to take a leap of faith. What would God do?
Evangelism Training…
Last month, a speaker from ShareWord Global (formerly The Gideons) delivered a message to our youth group about evangelism. Little did we know that as part of our yearly Spring Break missions trip (called GoLove), this speaker was returning. He was here to transform a group of teenagers into ready-and-equipped gospel witnesses.
Bible case in one hand and outreach pamphlet in the other, we crashed onto bean bags in the chapel of our home church. We had 34 hours to get ready. Stepping to the front, the speaker launched into a multi-part presentation, kitted out with animated videos and “spiritual status identifier” question cards.
He began with the main reason for sharing our faith: it’s the Good News. We should want to share it. Moreover, we are commanded to share it. However….
We aren’t converting anyone. Jesus is.
In a sense, our job isn’t to “seek or save the lost”. Jesus already knows them by name, and He alone can save them. Our job is to faithfully follow Christ’s leading. We’re meant to find the lost, tell them about our hope in Christ, and let the Holy Spirit do the converting.
Then the speaker switched to something out of the ordinary. Many of us thought every encounter needed to highlight the core Gospel message. We assumed we’d need to memorize the formula for “Romans Road” or another in-depth theological message. Not so. We were taught that often our role is to plant “seeds” of faith, not to try growing full-fledged “trees”. After all…
We are seed-planters.
On average, it takes seventeen instances of hearing the gospel before someone accepts it. We need to share the gospel; this is true. But every encounter isn’t going to be a thirty-minute sermon about justification and sanctification. Incorporating a short testimony or reference to God’s work in your life can often be equally powerful. The hope of Christ lives in our actions and words.
We are called to share His message. We’re also called to be image bearers of what Christ’s Word has done in our lives. This gets people thinking, “I wonder what they have? How do I get it?” Plus, it eliminates the fear of, “What if I don’t have the theological knowledge to preach a gospel message?” As long as we have the Holy Spirit within us, we’re equipped.
The speaker’s third takeaway was…
Practice your testimony.
This past year, I’ve filmed several testimonies for a local church. Hearing believers share how God has worked in their lives is inspiring. It makes me long for a deeper relationship with God. Not everyone loves the Bible, but few people hate a good story – especially a true one. When we share how our circumstances or upbringing brought us to know God, we open a new door into someone’s heart.
While working at a homeless shelter, several students shared their testimonies during chapel. Many of those in attendance had heard the Gospel, but this was something new. Testimonies are a personal example of God at work. You can’t pretend they’re fake or outdated, because the person before you is a living witness to the power of Christ.
We were all encouraged to come up with a three-minute testimony and a thirty-second one. I’ll ask you the same question I was asked: What story do you have about God’s work in your life? When someone asks you about yourself, have you found a way to mention God? I guarantee it will be a less awkward way of bringing up the subject of religion than what we were about to do.
Snapping into focus, I looked around me. We were nervous. Small groups of students made their way towards people dotting the park. They walked towards shoppers, strollers, families, and security guards. People they’d never met. People whose eternal destiny was left unwritten.
Earlier that day, working downtown at a homeless shelter, we had traversed the streets, inviting people to an Easter dinner. Surprisingly, people were willing to accept the food and invitations we offered. With those invitations came a call to receive prayer. It was preparation, because…
God speaks through our actions.
We may not have had the right words. I certainly didn’t. But the beauty of it is that God provides the words we need. He didn’t choose us because we had the right words. He chose us because we said YES. Our actions and our willingness to step out and do difficult things opened the door.
As I watched students overcoming their fear and approaching strangers, I was reminded of the questions we’d been encouraged to ask. You could start a conversation with small-talk, you could begin with a personal question, you could kick it off with a spiritual question, etc.
We were told that questions are an incredible way to avoid feeling super awkward. Just ask, “Did you catch the sports game last night?” Or try, “What’s your favourite place to visit here?” If you want to go deeper, ask them, “What do you think about the Bible?” Um, just maybe don’t creepily say, “What do you believe in?”
From there, steer the conversation towards Christ. Again, if you’re nervous, try to…
Begin with a question.
All this in mind, I thought of the airplane analogy I had shared with the group an hour prior. It often takes most of your energy to reach cruising altitude. Once you get there, it’s smooth sailing. Sharing your faith seems to fall under the same category. I knew that once we’d all done it, we would be glad we had. We’d have conquered a major fear.
Step out in faith.
Camera still in hand (my job being to record the students’ experiences), I subconsciously prayed that I could use it to begin a conversation. I didn’t even realize I’d prayed this until afterwards. Time ticked by. Was this worth it? Was I being ridiculous?
At the far end of the plaza, two men walked in. A Nikon camera hung around the first’s neck. My mind jumped into doubt. Surely someone else will get to them. They’ve probably already heard the gospel. I have other work I can do.
Against the hard concrete, my black boots clicked in their direction. My heart rate spiked, just slightly. Before I reached them, I knew it was my turn to jump the hurdle and do what everyone was doing. I knew it would be worth it. I knew our training wouldn’t be in vain. I knew that sharing my faith was the most important thing I could do that night. I knew God wanted us all to live a life on mission, not just during GoLove, but throughout our lives. I knew He’d called every one of us there that night for a reason.
As the sun fell behind a clump of leafless trees and the temperature dropped, my fear withered. It was the Easter season, after all. What better time would there be to share my faith? Jesus was beaten, crucified, and rose to life for my sins. His death means all people can be forgiven and made clean. It’s the world’s most hope-filled message. Why shouldn’t I share it?
Turning to the men, I spoke. No fear. No regrets.
“Hi. I’m Samuel. Do you often come here to take photos? Random question, but have you ever read the Bible?”
To quote Luke 19:10…
“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
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