evanJUNElism

This past June, Boon Church's English Congregation had the opportunity to do community outreach and evangelism. For the four Sundays every month, we went out in pairs after worship service to share the gospel in local parks around the area. Frequently visited were Kissena Park, the parks by P.S. 20 and I.S. 237 as well as Queens Botanical Garden. We were armed to the teeth with gospel tracts, gospel-sharing bracelets, copies of a book by John Piper, and "Religious Surveys" that were designed to gauge the religious experience of people we met on the street. Those religious surveys were key; they allowed us to segway into a gospel conversation by providing us with information about the people's perceptions of Jesus, God, Christianity, and the Bible.

After every trip, we rallied back at church to share our experiences, provide tips, relay any funny or interesting stories, encourage one another, and pray for the people that we met. For many people this was a first-time experience doing face to face evangelism with complete strangers. Some people found it incredibly scary at first, but found to their amazement that it really wasn't as bad as they've built it up in their heads. Read up as three people share their stories:

Brian Shu
My evanJunelism experience was an event I really appreciated and took to heart. It was an experience in which I learned a lot about not only the people I met, but the people I went with as well as myself. The idea of evangelizing and opening yourself up to new people is challenging. Putting oneself in a position of vulnerability and not knowing what to expect can be a fearful task. However, when actually going out and meeting all types of unique people out there that are willing to share and listen, you learn this step you take is well worth any rejections. God has already laid the path, but are we willing to take this leap of faith?

Andrew Shih
I’ve never done street evangelizing or any type of evangelism before. I had a preconceived notion that it was going to be really hard. I thought that people would be really hostile. I was scared to do it. The first week I went with Stanley but all I did was watch him. While watching him it didn’t seem that bad but my preconceived notion didn’t change. The next two weeks I stayed in to pray because I made an excuse that I was injured. It wasn’t until the last week when I went out with Kat that I actually got to talk to people. It was like ripping of a band-aid but once I actually talk to people it wasn’t so bad. I actually enjoyed it because the worst that happen was people shaking their heads no. Also the rest were willing to talk to you. I was able to share the Word and see where people are coming from. So I encourage the people that have the same preconceived notion that I used to have to just try it. Like Mushroom once said you really don’t know anything until you’ve done it.

Jenn Chu
I still remember the panic that set in the first week after Sunday service. There had been so much excitement leading up to evanJUNElism, but now that it was finally here, I was scared out of my mind. What if I didn’t convey the gospel effectively? What if someone asked me a question I couldn’t answer? All these thoughts were running through my mind as we split off into our groups. When the time came for me to survey a person, I was so terrified that I was actually half-hoping the person wouldn’t ask me any questions. I knew what I was supposed to believe – that it was a win-win situation, that God was doing all the work – but I still found myself terrified at the thought of doing street evangelism. As evanJUNElism went on and I came into contact with more and more people, I realized that there really was nothing to be afraid of. I wasn’t there to convert anyone; I was there merely to strike up conversations with people and get them thinking. Besides, the person answering the questions was the one that had to use their brain power. All I had to do was ask the questions, and God would do the rest! As I talked with these people, I could see God working in them by the way they seriously pondered the questions we asked. It was then that I saw that we really were His hands and feet. It's not our actions or words that bring people to Him, it is ultimately all in His hands. His power truly is beyond everything.

All in all, we found that despite our limited perceptions, God was really at work within the people of Flushing. We praise God that he has allowed us to be a part of his kingdom work and that we are witnessing the changing of hearts and the saving of the lives of many people.

Boon, continue to to work for the kingdom of God and the glory of his Son Jesus Christ!

Sola Deo Gloria

-Dan