Here a Little, There a Little.

No sort of defense is needed for preaching out of doors, but it would need very potent arguments to prove that a man had done his duty who has never preached beyond the walls of his meeting-house. Charles Spurgeon

It would be fair to say that when we first began preaching in the park none of us had any idea.  We were totally clueless ~ & at least two of us were incredibly nervous.

We've tackled it a number of different ways: preaching & prayer.  All music. Straight salvation message.  Reading through the scriptures. Any or all of these get God's word out to people. At present we are simply transposing the morning service down to the park.

There is a reason for this.  It takes the burden off the preacher.  We have done a dry run.  We finish with prayer & this is a good place for the MOTH to give the salvation call as part of the closing prayer.

When we began 3 years ago there was hardly ever anyone in the park.  Those who were around bolted as soon as they realised it was a religious activity. *sigh*  Made us feel soooo wanted but at least no~one was attempting to toss us off cliffs.  I have so much more respect for Paul these days!

Three years down the track it is a very different story.  I don't think either Rabqa or I are ever going to love doing this but we are far more competent & far less nervous. We're not the *get up close & personal* sorts so this is better suited to us than one~on~one evangelism.

We chose this little park for a reason: absolutely everyone coming or going on the island must go by this park! During our couple of hours each Sunday we see 2 barges & 3 boats collect & deposit islanders & at high tide there will be swimmers & the dog bathers as well.  Captive audience ~ but they can still swim, swing the kids, bbq their sausages.

I think the thing that has attracted people more than anything is the music;  I'm an old hippy so my choice in music tends to the folk/rock & Celtic but we have had absolute hords of compliments on the music even though we are not live. For many I think it is the first time they have heard Christian music they can relate to: not the old, unsingable hymns; not the psalms in strange metres, just music you could dance to, clap your hands to & sing along to without much effort.

And what happens is very, very strange. This is a transition point so numbers fluctuate wildly.  Some people watch for a few minutes out of curiosity.  Some stay for the music. But there are the hard core lot too & their numbers are growing.  Heaven forfend they should actually be caught live at church so they huddle in the bus shelter & the taxi rank, perch on the stairs on either side of the road, wind down their windows in their cars as they wait for the barge, hide amongst the parked cars & pretend they aren't listening, occupy the seats...

We are no longer doing a straight salvation message.  We are teaching the same message we do inside the building on: Our Authority in Christ; the Power of the Holy Spirit in Our Lives; the Healing Power of Christ...& Rabqa & I both tend to be scripture heavy.  We define our terms & do word studies. We teach as much as preach because salvation is one thing but discipleship is what we are told to do.  It is not the sort of theology most are used to hearing.  It is not the sort of music they associate with church.  It does people's heads in.

The Anglican minister comes over twice a month by boat.  He literally crab walked down the hill his eyes bugging out of his head & he stood under the bus shelter till his boat came hardly believing his ears.  Not only was there open air preaching, it was a woman doing it!!!  Poor man.

Because we aren't aggressively approaching people it would be easy to think that nothing is happening but nothing could be further from the truth.  Of the group of teens who came to mock & flaunt their demonic powers 2 were saved & we see them regularly amongst those who come to listen & one came & asked specifically for healing prayer.  There was the young backslider who spent a lot of time talking to the MOTH & recommitted his life to Christ. There was the foster mum who asked for prayer & whom we see regularly.

This week it was a Christian man who [again]spent a lot of time chatting to the MOTH because the Holy Spirit was directing him to us but like so many others he has heard the gossip & back~stabbing & was quizzing the MOTH on what we actually believe & teach. Scripture says the Lord watches over His word to perform it so one of Rabqa's & my consistent prayers is that the Lord never allow us to teach or preach what is wrong.

Then there were the barge cars... & this made me sad because those parked up the hill could hear us but not see us & so, of course, there were some curious stares as the barge loaded but there were 2 different cars where someone was straining to catch the last of the salvation message as they boarded.  We must trust the Holy Spirit for the rest & that is one of the drawbacks of doing things this way.

Week after week, here a little there a little because the harvest is ripe but the workers are few.  I understand. As the MOTH says; everything we are as a church is completely exposed in the park.  You can't hide. If you don't believe what you're saying it shows. And as has been happening consistently, which is aggravating rather than flattering, another church has followed our lead ~ sort of.  They have set up camp but speaking publically in the public domain, rather than in the safe confines of a church building, is daunting & so they are remarkably silent for people who are supposed to be witnessing.  Those who mock our low numbers in a building need to open their spiritual eyes & see the 10,000 we are ministering to in the park each week.

We need our churches.  They are meant to equip the saints for the work of God but in this regard the church has been pretty disobedient for centuries & thus we find ourselves in dire straits at the end of the age.  It is time to do what we have been called to do.