On the last Saturday of the month, LCM Missionaries and the church volunteers they trained, meet in Lewisham to share the good news of Jesus with strangers they meet on the street.
Aysan describes herself as a former Muslim, turned follower of Jesus.
One Saturday, many months ago, she stood nervously by the Lewisham clock tower. It was her first time participating in street evangelism, and she was finding it difficult to overcome her anxiety.
“I was shaking. I just thought, ‘What if people reject me? What if they laugh at me?’ I was really scared about bumping into people I knew,” she recalls. “But my church pastor was with me, and we had prayed. So, I just took a deep breath and went for it.”
Not where you'd expect to hear the gospel
It’s not the first place you’d think of hearing a life-transforming message. Still, underneath the Lewisham clock tower, every last Saturday of the month, you’ll often find LCM missionaries and volunteers from different churches sharing the good news of Jesus.
The missionaries will set up a speaker and some mics, plug in a guitar and start sharing the grace and salvation found in Jesus through music and preaching.
What they do might seem unconventional, but there’s no doubt that they are being faithful to Jesus’ command to go out and share the gospel so that God’s house may be full (Luke 14).
Some people walk away, repelled by the message, their faces stern. Others view it as pleasant entertainment. They stop for a second before moving on.
But still others are drawn to the message being preached. They linger around the edges of the market beneath that clock tower, listening to the music and soaking in the gospel message.
This is when trained church members and other LCM missionaries strike up conversations with them. The conversations can range from the weather to the depths of their troubles. Missionaries and church members explain why they’re under the Lewisham clock tower, sharing why Jesus is such good news to people.
They listen to people's stories, and where it feels right to do so, they offer to pray with strangers. Sometimes these strangers accept.
The impact of training Local Churches
Weeks before the street outreach event, LCM missionaries from the Lewisham team trained local church members on how to introduce Jesus into their conversations.
Aysan remembers it well.
“The missionaries taught us how to approach people and start conversations, and they shared some practical tips and role-playing exercises. It was helpful and made me feel a bit more prepared, even though I was still nervous,” she shares.
She turned up, despite her fears, because of a strong prompting by the Holy Spirit to share her love for Jesus with others.
“I just felt like I needed to do something, to share my story and help others who might be feeling as lost as I had. I wanted to give back and show people that they are not alone. I wanted to let people know there is hope and a community waiting for them.
“A mum and a daughter in hijabs were looking over in our direction. So, an LCM missionary encouraged me and another woman from my church to walk over and talk to them. The conversation with them was a little awkward at first, but also encouraging. The daughter was particularly open to hearing what we had to share.
“I would never have been brave enough to approach anyone who was clearly of another faith. But after a while, I realised that I could do this. I could share Jesus with strangers. The evangelism training we had helped, because I wouldn’t have known how to start a conversation like that otherwise.”
The collaboration in Lewisham is also a witness to the remarkable unity found in the gospel.
“One Saturday, a Christian couple from Eastern Europe was so moved by the outreach that they asked for my church details and attended the following Sunday,” recalls Guy.
“At church, they connected with someone from their home country, forming a bond that eventually led them to share the gospel with that person’s housemates. I love seeing how these ripple effects unfold!"
For Guy, street evangelism is about heeding Jesus’ call for Christians to be part of his mission.
“Given the gospel’s urgent call to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19) and to ‘compel them to come in’ (Luke 14:23), it’s both a privilege and a duty for us as Christians to initiate these discussions.”
We’d be delighted to partner with your church to share the gospel in your local community. For more information, visit lcm.org.uk/yourchurch or call 020 7234 3570.
