Battle Log
Sunday 2 August 2026
Posted 2 August 2026, 5:52 PM by Glen Richards. Permalink
I arrived at the corner of Riccarton and Rotherham on time, but Andy was already there, deep in a chat! It was Thursday afternoon, and the weather was mild for winter.
So, I decided to start my loop (up and down on both sides of Riccarton Road to reach all the people at the bus stops). I got out my tracts and put a copy of the gospel of John in my back pocket. I spent some time in prayer. It wasn’t a dull day. It took me an hour to complete my first loop!
I thought it was going to be a slow day because I got no takers going through the westbound bus stop. So I crossed the road to head down the other side when I noticed someone sitting at the benches on the corner of Riccarton and Kauri Street. So, I headed over to say hello and offer a tract. And I got engagement. He didn’t want the tract: “I’d just throw it away, and I’d feel bad”, he said. But, not to be deterred, I asked if I could ask a question. And from there we ended up having a 30-minute conversation.
It was a very non-standard chat. Because my attempts to stay on script were pushed back by subject changes. He was listening, but I knew I couldn’t push. So I had to listen a lot and gently chip away as I could. He opened up about his life (he had been to prison) and his previous religious experience.
At one point, he asked me about why I became a Christian - he wanted to know what I did. My answers frustrated him. “When did you ask Jesus into your heart?”, he exclaimed. This is a subtle reflection of modern evangelism's effect, which teaches we have to do something to be saved (raise a hand, pray a prayer, walk an aisle, etc.) So, to contrast, I just talked about how I didn’t do anything to be saved. I hated God and loved my sin. People shared the gospel with me, and one day, God changed my heart in an instant. It’s by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone. Now I love God and hate my sin.
And I think my witness indirectly spoke to him too. Because he was drinking a beer as we talked. I didn’t mention it as I went through the law, but later he brought it up. He knew drunkenness is a sin. I offered him grace. But he wasn’t willing to accept it, for now. It felt like I was chipping away at a mountain with a toothpick. Impossible.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” - Mark 10:27 (ESV)
Interestingly, at the end of our chat, I offered him the tract again, and this time he decided to accept it. I was surprised. Maybe he’ll keep it? He doesn’t want to feel any worse, right?
I then proceeded down the other side of Riccarton Road: eastbound. There were lots of people out. It wasn’t long before I was into another chat. And interestingly, it was strikingly similar to the previous chat. The guy was actually professing faith, and yet he seemed far from understanding the gospel. I find it hard to articulate why, but again I felt like I was chipping away at a mountain with a toothpick. I would say something, and the response would be about something else - and yet he was listening; there was an openness. It was like he could only cope with a little dose of medicine at a time. And this guy had also spent time in prison and was an ex-gang member. So, I decided not to push it. He had gladly accepted a tract.
So, I continued on my loop. Now I was heading past the eastbound bus stops with a long row of people waiting. My usual trick is to go down the line and offer tracts to start a conversation. I had an instant hit. A young man took it, and I asked if I could ask him a question.
Finally, I was talking with someone who would engage me directly and freely. I was able to step him through ‘the script’. And although he was rejecting it for now, the gospel is the power of God for salvation. A nice, friendly chat.
So, that was my first hour. I was then able to catch up with Andy, who was also between chats. And so we decided to head off again for my 2nd loop. Andy got into a good chat with a couple of Mormon missionaries (pictured), so I left him to it and got into another great chat of my own.
It was with a young guy, an electrical engineer, who had just arrived in NZ from the Philippines. Again, I was able to have a fairly standard chat. But this time it went longer. In the end, I gave him the copy of John that I had in my back pocket. He said he would read it.
It was a wonderful outreach of soil plowing and seed scattering. May God raise a crop for his glory. Thank you for praying that our feeble efforts will do so.
I’m taking next week off for some rest, so no report next week. But I’ll be back on deck, God willing, the week after. SDG!
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View previous Christchurch (NZ) report (26 July 2026)
Christchurch (NZ) Team
Weekly outreaches:
Tue 3:00pm - 5:00pm - Riccarton (corner of Riccarton Rd and Rotherham St; Led by Roger)
Thu 3:00pm - 5:00pm - Riccarton (corner of Riccarton Rd and Rotherham St)
Fri 1:30pm - 3:30pm - City (Bridge of Remembrance)
Sat 11:30am - 1:30pm - Riccarton (corner of Riccarton Rd and Rotherham St)
Sun 1:30pm - 3:30pm - City (corner of Colombo St and Cashel St) - only 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays of the month.
Contact Glen Richards or Andy Barlow for more information.