Battle Log
Sunday 3 November 2024
Posted 5 November 2024, 4:35 AM by Glen Richards. Permalink
It’s been a month since my last report. I’ve decided to move to monthly reports - I’ll aim for the first Sunday of the month. This will mean I’ll have more time for evangelism, but for the few of you that read these reports, you’ll still have fuel for prayer (which is so vital!), and knowing that we are still active out there! Thanks so much for your support, it’s very much appreciated.
In the last month, the usual weekly street outreaches have been happening: Tues & Sat in Riccarton, and Fri & Sun in the City. We have also had a few special events: I ran a Saturday morning training session in Christchurch, and then the following Saturday we were at the Ellesmere A&P Show. And as I write Roger, Andy, and myself are in Whangārei with Phil & Emma Tunstall and their church: Maungakaramea Reformed Church for a week of street outreach. Today I ran the training session in the afternoon, after the usual morning gathering.
It’s been a wonderful month - with all the special outreach opportunities - and yet, it was a difficult month as well - having a major setback in regards to a future planned special outreach. I know God uses all things for his glory and our good, and so I’m going to rest in that truth, and continue to bring our future plans to him in prayer.
There is one conversation that has been burning in my mind all month. It occurred on the 18th of October during our Friday afternoon outreach in the city. It was with a Filipino man. He was sitting on a bench near the Bridge of Remembrance. I politely approached him with a tract and an offer to chat about the deeper things of life. He was welcoming, and so I sat next to him to have a conversation. It turned into a long conversation. He had a Christian background, but he was very unclear on what the gospel is. He pointed to keeping the commandments and asking for forgiveness as the reasons he would get to heaven. And so, starting from there I proceed to labour with him coming to understand the law and the gospel. I had to go over it many times, but it was wonderful to see the truth dawning in his eyes and thinking. He seemed very grateful, and if my memory serves me right, I gave him a gospel of John and a church contact card. I haven’t heard from him - but that’s okay. He is in God’s hands. Please pray for this man, that the Holy Spirit will bring conviction and conversation in his life, and that he will be knitted into a good local church somewhere.
The Ellesmere A&P Show was wonderful. A nice hot spring day. Andy & I were very busy all day, scattering seeds with the farmers passing by our hired site and flipcharts.
And the first outreach in Whangārei (2 hours in the morning) was off the charts good! I had four wonderful conversations with people who seemed deeply impacted. One young lad, who had obviously already been thinking about the deep things of life, even made a profession of faith! But what was even more encouraging is that the young Christian who was paired with me was being encouraged in evangelism! He seemed deeply impacted, and motivated to get into the harvest field, which is ripe! Glory to God alone.
View previous Christchurch (NZ) report (6 October 2024)
Christchurch (NZ) Team
Weekly outreaches:
Tue 3:30pm - 5:30pm - Riccarton (corner of Riccarton Rd and Rotherham St)
Fri 1:30pm - 3:30pm - City (Bridge of Remembrance)
Sat 11am - 1pm - Riccarton (corner of Riccarton Rd and Rotherham St)
Sun 1:30pm - 3:30pm - City (corner of Colombo St and Cashel St).
Contact Glen Richards or Andy Barlow for more information.