“We spent today roaming around Golden Gate Park and the Outer Sunset district, learning about gentle evangelism from our new friend Steve.
We split up into pairs and went to different coffee shops - not with the agenda to present our views to others, but with Jesus’s beloved “ministry of presence”. This approach is centered around listening & forming trust with people. To love them just to love them, not to get something out of them. It challenged us to let go of the evangelism “tactics” that we’re used to, and just be with people and love them like Jesus would. Not trying to convince people, teach people, or act like we have all the answers before we even get to know them as a person. (Picture of YWAM in Chinatown standing in front of one of many historic churches planted in the late 1800s)
Partnering with the Holy Spirit to bring His light to people requires us to let go of what a “successful” witness usually means. Maybe a person just needs to know that a person sees them. Maybe they just need the gentle presence of a Christian when all the Christianity they’ve ever encountered has been forceful and damaging. Maybe they just need someone to treat them with dignity and importance. Maybe they just need someone to hear their story.”
The Lord often plays the long game with wooing people’s hearts. He doesn’t work on our timeline or on our own efforts. Thank you, Lord, that you are God, and we are not!”
|