Recently, I went to a restaurant with an 80-year-old sister to share the gospel. She had previously attended evangelism training and knew that when witnessing in restaurants, it is important to choose appropriate seats that would allow us to share the gospel with guests sitting on our left or right. That day, the restaurant was quite full, so we chose a table where other guests were already seated. It would neither make us stand out nor bother others.

        After sitting down, I went to buy food first – one should not just sit without ordering, so as not to cause any loss to the restaurant or make others question our motives. When I returned, I found that the senior sister had already struck up a lively conversation with a lady sharing the table. As it turned out, they were from the same hometown, Shanghai. They instantly recognized each other’s accent, which made them feel connected. Their conversation began with memories of their hometown, to how long it had been since they last visited, and then to whether they lived nearby. The senior sister naturally shared her experience of participating in church activities, mentioning that the church was close by. She gradually explained why she believed in Jesus. The lady said she was a Buddhist, but she did not refuse to continue listening. I added a few comments from time to time, sharing how my mother used to worship idols but later came to faith in the Lord. She talked for some time and then we talked. We shared with each other in mutual respect, and the conversation went on. Finally, we gave her a gospel tract and briefly explained the gospel. We pray that God would let the seed of the gospel fall upon her heart and bear fruit in His time.

        This outreach was a continuation of an evangelism training held last year. Since then, we have continued to go out to share the gospel once a month. Through these regular evangelistic outreaches, we hope to keep participants’ passion for evangelism alive while continually honing their skills. Sometimes, practicing evangelism is like learning to swim. It requires constant exercise to stay sharp and not “rusty.” This is probably the shared experience of many of the sisters who have taken part in the training.

         In fact, there is no age limit to evangelism. When the Lord Jesus commanded, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” He did not exempt the seniors. Every believer has already received the commission to be an ambassador for the gospel. We might think that seniors are less mobile or have limited hearing. Yet, they also have strengths – they can strike up conversations more easily and often gain the trust of strangers more readily. When one speaks with sincerity and love, there is no need to fear rejection. After all, it is not us that people reject, but the gospel of God. We should remember that before we came to faith, we too once thought that Christians were “annoying” because they always tried to persuade others to believe in God. However, after experiencing the goodness of the gospel and receiving God’s grace ourselves, we naturally want others to share in that same blessing. May the Lord strengthen us so that we may boldly share the gospel with our families, friends, and even strangers.

           From January to March next year, the Elderly Ministry, the Adult Ministry and the Dynamic Groups Ministry will jointly organize a daytime evangelism training, which includes at least three outreach practicum sessions. We hope that you will be one of the participants. Let us go and share the gospel together!