New Testament Assembly Tooting (NTA Tooting) has a big heart to share the gospel with its diverse local community. Thanks to training from LCM, church members now have the know-how to share Jesus with confidence, and are beginning to see the fruits of their labour through the Holy Spirit.

"We were so timid we couldn't give out a tract, let alone speak to anyone," says Sister Gloria, a long-serving member of NTA Tooting.

“We used to go out to share the gospel with people on the street. But every week, we’d come back with all the tracts still in our hands, we weren’t connecting with people” she recalls.

Tooting is known for its rich cultural diversity: mosques, temples and gurdwaras are dotted across the area. “We need to effectively engage with the Muslim and Hindu communities surrounding us,” Pastor Andrew at NTA Tooting explains.

“We are now confidently building the body of Christ for all generations and cultures, showing our love for God and our neighbours as we serve together.”

ENCOURAGING AND BUILDING UP BELIEVERS FOR EVANGELISM

Every Saturday, LCM Missionary Gifty Dhanapal leads a group of dedicated church members to share the gospel with the diverse communities around their local church.

Rather than simply hope for conversations on street corners, they learn effective relational methods for evangelising, ways of crossing cultural barriers, and engaging styles to speak with people. For example, Gifty helped them to understand people’s interest levels using the ‘traffic light approach’: red for not interested, yellow for somewhat interested, and green for those keen to follow Jesus. All of this teaching has been helping the church to build relationships and share their faith at the right pace.

Sister Gloria is just one of many people Gifty has trained to have the confidence to share Jesus with the local South Asian communities, along with many others, through more relational outreach.

In the busy streets of Tooting, they put the training into practice, visiting homes nearby, making evangelism relational. Gifty’s training has changed the way they’ve been able to meet and speak with people, building friendships and bringing a confidence to share the gospel at the right pace.

“I have no fear now,” says Sister Gloria.

CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY

Taking this step outside their comfort zone, and boldly sharing the gospel with locals on their doorsteps has led to encouraging fruit!

“Please pray for my brother-in-law in India, who is going through a very bad time.”

The small group had knocked on the home of an Asian family. Unable to do anything from halfway around the world, in desperation, the woman at the door asked for prayer. Moved by the Holy Spirit, they prayed for the woman’s relative there and then.

A month later, they returned to visit the woman.

LCM Missionary Gifty (left) takes Sister Gloria (centre) and Sister Monica (right) out into the local community to share the gospel

“It’s you!” she exclaimed as she opened her front door and ushered the visitors inside. “I was just thinking of you. After you prayed, my brother-in-law came out of his depression!”

The encounter was an amazing encouragement, not just for the church members but also for Gifty.

Sister Monica, who’s been attending NTA Tooting for the past five years, says she used to be fearful of taking part in community outreach. Not only did she have a disability that made walking and conversations difficult, but she also didn’t know what to do or say.

“When I first started, a fear took me. What am I going to do? What am I going to say to people? Shall I use this verse or that verse?” she recalls.

However, over time, and with the training they received from Gifty, there was a significant shift in their effectiveness to share the life-saving news of Jesus.

“Gifty’s excellent. She has helped me a great deal. She builds your confidence,” says Sister Monica.

GOSPEL FRUIT

The impact of this partnership with LCM is being felt today. People living near the church now recognise and remember the people who visit their homes.

But more than that, church members have been given the confidence to introduce what they’ve been taught into their normal day-to-day interactions. Far from the shy woman who couldn’t share the gospel with a stranger, Sister Gloria saw a woman walking alone on the side of the road one day and kindly offered her a ride to the bus stop. During the car ride, Sister Gloria shared her faith and invited this new friend to church.

Intrigued, the woman accepted the invitation and it was at that church meeting that Sister Gloria’s passenger gave her life to Christ.

“The Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts of people who worship at NTA Tooting. And we praise God for their love and courage in sharing the gospel with their community,” says Gifty.

The church is now excited to expand their community gospel outreach later in the year. They’re planning to open up a drop-in café - a space where all are welcome, where anyone can share food and company, and hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

For Pastor Andrew, LCM’s support has been invaluable.

“Several of our church community now engage with confidence in ministry to our local Asian community. LCM has helped us to see the strengths and areas of development in our mission and evangelism strategy,” he explains.

“The expertise of Gifty in leading evangelism and outreach to different cultures and backgrounds, especially those of the Muslim and Hindu faiths, has been illuminating and empowering.”

The outcome speaks for itself: not only does the church now feel it can effectively engage with the diverse communities in its local area – people in Tooting are coming to faith in Jesus Christ.