Reddish

During my time in greater Manchester, I have had the privilege of serving two areas of the Stockport: Heaton Moore and Reddish. Recently, a few of us within Emmanuel Community Church had the opportunity to engage with people in Reddish through outreach. Outreach consisted of setting up a table with “Soularium” (an evangelistic tool containing cards of generic images) and Christian literature. We also handed out free “ice lollies” (popsicles for all you Americans) for anyone who was interested. We even had a sign that read: “Answer a question – Get a free ice lolly.” Using the Soularium, we were able to encourage spiritual conversations. One of the common questions we asked people was: “If you could use any image to describe God, what would it be and why?”

One of the things the Lord has continually been teaching me throughout this summer is that we are ultimately not in control of the circumstances around us. In regards to outreach, we cannot force people to have conversations, let alone be in control of who comes to our table. In all honesty, we did not get many opportunities to implement Soularium during outreach. Though we were well prepared, Reddish proved to be a challenge; one that required us to reevaluate our approach later on. The foot-traffic of where we had set up our table was almost non-existent. There were times when I had to push myself to approach individuals sitting on the benches nearby.

However, it was in the midst of the challenge and loss of control, God was faithful and gave me a humble sense of peace and joy. I was filled with complete awe and excitement for the opportunity to simply engage with the people of Reddish in hopes of sharing Jesus with them. There was a moment when I approached a couple of elderly gentlemen (unfortunately, I did not catch their names) on a bench to engage them in conversation. They were curious as to why we had a table set out in Reddish square. I was able to explain to them that we were part of a church and were wanting to get to know the community of Reddish better by engaging in conversation and handing out ice lollies.

One of the gentlemen asked, “Are you very religious then?” I answered him saying that I wouldn’t consider myself religious at all. My response seemed to perplex him and I went on to explain how religion (the practice of doing good deeds) is something individuals partake in, in order to make up for all the mistakes they have made. But, I told him that because of our brokenness and the things that we do that goes against God, there is no way for us to atone for our sin and achieve salvation. This opened up the opportunity for me to share the gospel with him and allowed me to ask about his experiences with the church.

He claimed that he grew up in a Catholic home, but does not really care to practice his faith. It was after this point that they did not want to continue the conversation and we parted ways. Though the conversation did not lead to anyone accepting Christ, these types of encounters remind me that I am not in control of people hearts. As a Christian, all I can do is remain faithful to what the Lord has called me to do and to trust him. I have to trust that the Lord is sovereign, and the seeds that are planted will grow and flourish.

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” ~1 Corinthians 3:6-9