We all know that church attendance in New Zealand is not on the increase, and a lot of people in our country are staying away from church. But the streets and markets are populated with people almost every day, and in my own experience over the last 45 years I have found that a great many of those people are longing for spiritual reality and hope.
While sharing the Gospel in outdoor public contexts is not something that all Christians are keen to do, I strongly believe it is still very important for the Church to be involved in sharing Jesus in such settings. The various outdoor markets around Auckland offer great opportunities for a local church or a group of churches to work together and regularly engage with hundreds of unchurched people. I have found many of those people are willing to stop and talk and listen as I have engaged them in a meaningful conversation about life and its challenges, and about the hope and future that is offered to us in Christ. I have very frequently been able to talk with people about the Gospel.
The biblical framework
The troubles of his people in Judah and the broken walls of Jerusalem burdened Nehemiah and motivated him to do something about it. He ‘prayed to the God of heaven…’ (Neh. 1:4; 2:4). He knew what he needed to do to fix the broken walls. Today we have broken lives that only Jesus can heal and restore, and we have the people empowered by the Holy Spirit and resources gifted by God to do the job.
The encouragement
The Mangere market outreach happens nearly every Saturday. It is a battlefield, with several cults operating at the same market as well. Several Christian folks are there almost every Saturday doing their own thing, but it is encouraging to work together with a group of young Pacific Island evangelists, men and women from several local churches in South Auckland, united in sharing the Gospel. Planting the seed of the Gospel in people’s minds and hearts and letting the Holy Spirit do His work in them is the focus (Isaiah.55: 10-12). Meaningful conversations about the Gospel happen regularly, and some people are led to Christ.
The challenge
As Jesus said, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few’ (Matt. 9: 37). Both are still true. There is still a ready harvest in New Zealand. And we still need more workers. I encourage local churches to lift up their eyes, and to see the open doors in our communities, and to ask Lord of the harvest to lead us and help us take the Gospel to the people in our streets, markets, city squares, and everywhere else. It is always time to gather the harvest.
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