An Eyeopening Experience - A Little Light No. 6

Last Saturday, I participated in an Action Walk with Epiphany Fellowship Church. In September, I went for the first time, having no idea what we would be doing. I just assumed I would be going to a community event near the site of a potential new church. I was startled when I found out we were going to walk throughout the community in small groups of three to ask residents about their needs, what they would want from a new church in their community, and ultimately pray with them if they were willing. 

When I first thought of evangelism, I pictured people knocking on doors or standing on a corner aggressively handing out flyers asking people if they know Jesus. Instead, we were instructed to have genuine conversations with people to get to know them. If there was an outlet to talk about God, do so. If not, don’t force it. It was simple enough. 

Here are three things I’ve learned from the action walks ( though I could write much more )

You get what you give. Talking to random strangers seems like such a daunting task.I quickly realized people will react to the energy presented to them. Though it seems so obvious, if you start with a positive and open mind, people can usually sense it. To my surprise, most people responded to us with a receptive open mind. I expected a quick dismissal, but most people actually wanted to have a full conversation. We were very clear about our intentions as a group and I believe it showed when we began to talk to people. We wanted to show love throughout each interaction and as Christians, it was our responsibility to do so. 

Some just wanted a listening ear. As we talked to people and started to ask them about their life, family, and community, they began to talk. Some even told us their whole life story. I was surprised by how many people were willing to share the private moments of their lives. One person actually told us it felt good to talk about what he’s been facing for the past few years. In this case, listening was beneficial and a way to show compassion for the person we were talking to. There is so much that can be learned from others from just taking a moment, humbling ourselves, and listening. 

God's hand is in everything. The same person explained he struggled how to find God in his situation. He felt like he was doing all of the right things, but his life remained unchanged. He still felt like an outcast to his friends and family. He explained how he went to church when he was younger, sang the choir, but could not get much out of it. Ultimately, the church is just a place, and having a relationship with God is what matters most. Fortunately, a person in our group was able to answer his difficult questions. She was able to assure him that God has a special interest in each of our lives even though we might not understand why and how things are working. She explained, even something as small as our interaction can be a way God is moving in his life. They've actually had a few more conversations since our encounter last week.

Take this with you

This was an eyeopening experience for me. It has transformed the way I view evangelism by giving practical tools on how to engage people and confidence to do so. Though I don't have all the answers to the hard questions yet, this is a way for me to build on the foundation of my beliefs. Though the process initially sounded intimidating, I've enjoyed my experience and was truly blessed by just being apart of the group. 

Sometimes we don't always know what we're getting ourselves into, but I'm learning to trust God throughout the process. What is an experience you've been pleasantly surprised by? I encourage you to try something new, that might seem daunting with an open mind.