Christian agencies have joined forces in a new outreach to evangelise people of other faiths.
The Evangelical Alliance is working with London City Mission and Global Connections to reach out with the Gospel to the five million people in the UK who are part of a non-Christian religion.
The Reaching the world on your doorstep event takes place on 23 November at St Mellitus College, the evangelical theological college in West London. Evangelists will pray and share ideas about engaging more effectively with non-Christian people of faith.
The event is part of the emerging Christian response to the new multi-cultural societies of the West.
Gavin Calver, director of mission at the Evangelical Alliance, said: “We don’t need to travel far to meet people with different beliefs, that’s part of what’s so wonderful about living in Britain today.
“In the past our missionaries went overseas, today we just need to go next door, down the street or round the corner.
“The challenge is that while the world is on our doorstep our methods of outreach and evangelism might need refining. It’s a privilege to work with London City Mission and Global Connections on this event, and our hope is that we can all learn more about reaching out and sharing the good news of Jesus with people from other faith backgrounds.
“This isn’t just a day to learn about other faiths, but a chance to provoke ourselves to action and come away equipped to build relationships that reflect Christ to our neighbours who may have never heard the good news.”
Steve Uppal, a convert from the Sikh religion and senior leader of All Nations Church Wolverhampton, said: “My family came to Christ from Sikhism simply because an English lady knocked our door in Wolverhampton and asked if she could come in and share something important with us. She understood the Indian culture and customs and respectfully spoke about Jesus Christ. That one conversation led to me and my whole family becoming believers.
“I am very excited about this event because it offers the Church an insight and help in reaching the world on our doorstep.”
Usha Reifsnider, who became a Christian from the Hindu faith, said: “My journey as a Christ follower began when my local primary school teacher reached out to our immigrant family. We lived in an industrial area where most immigrants felt excluded from society.
“We were deeply honoured that an English lady, a Christian, would care for us.
“Like all Hindus I longed to please God so I could one day find eternal peace and oneness with God. I gradually realised that no amount of effort on my part could deal with my separation from God. Hindu or not it was my own wrongdoing, my sin, which was the barrier.
“I found through reading the Bible and spending time with Christians that God had made a way for me to find eternal peace and be a part of the Body of Christ.”
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Reaching the world on your doorstep from Evangelical Alliance on Vimeo.
