On his way to an appointment, an administrator paused in the school yard filled with the playful sounds of recess. Enjoying the snow, the students took full advantage of the colder season. Within moments, the man observed something new and unconventional:
Most children were wearing one glove.
Intrigued, the administrator was stunned by the response from one of the children. The student body included a large immigrant population, many of whom lacked proper winter clothing. Some were unaccustomed to weather changes, or their families hadn’t shopped yet. For others, mittens were outside of extremely modest household budgets.
Seeing the dilemma, the students created their own solution. Those with two mittens gave one to a friend without any. This way every child had at least one hand covered and could play in the snow. They sheltered their bare hands in their pockets for protection.
They could’ve tried taking turns wearing both sides of mittens or waited for new students to get their own pairs or skipped outdoor recess altogether. However, most children would’ve missed out on playing, sunshine and fresh air in part or entirely.
In trying something new and unconventional, they were able to include everyone.
Temporarily sacrificing personal comfort, every child was willing to try something new for the benefit of their friends.
Are you willing to try something new and unconventional to include as many as possible?
Christians are charged to share the gospel with others. One of Jesus’ final directives before ascending to Heaven was to go and teach others about Him. While we may help introduce them to Christ, it’s the Holy Spirit who will work on transforming their hearts.
The gospel-sharing methods the disciples once used are not as effective today. Even what we did in 2019 needs to be tweaked and adjusted for today.
In addition to trained evangelists, we can all participate in sharing the gospel with the gifts we have. God works through us to help meet the needs of others. Through every act of kindness, every smile, each time we listen without judgement, and speak words of hope to someone in need, we are teaching about Jesus.
To share the gospel effectively, we must be willing to get involved in trying something new and unconventional.
On October 29 & 30, 2021, Henderson Highway Church is hosting an evangelism conference. It’ll be a weekend of equipping and inspiration. Let’s use this time to remind ourselves why the gospel is important to us personally and why it’s still a relevant message worth sharing today.