Page 13 - May 2025 - Truth & Tidings

nicating to His creatures. Everyone who the possibilities of a little creative think-
attempts to present biblical truth does well ing when opportunity exists and occasion
to consider the many and varied ways in demands.
which God Himself presents it. Not that online broadcasts were all that
ground-breaking. Over the years, count-
Historical Examples less souls have been saved and blessed
The invention of the printing press through radio and internet ministries,
is arguably the single greatest stimulus often reaching communities isolated
of evangelism in the modern era. This from the gospel by distance or repressive
creative technology encouraged the Prot- regimes. A dear Arab friend of mine has
estant Reformation and facilitated the seen a phenomenal work done among his
wide-scale distribution of the Scriptures. almost 500,000 Muslim Facebook follow-
In its wake, the preaching and teaching of ers, many of whom listen secretly from
the Word of God freed millions from the strict Islamic countries.
darkness and tyranny of Rome. In Malawi, natural disasters and en-
There are many examples of creative demic poverty have presented many op-
approaches to evangelism in the post- portunities for creativity in outreach. I’ve
Reformation years. Visionaries such as personally had the joy (?) of bringing food
George Müller, William Carey (The Father relief and preaching the gospel to hun-
of Modern Missions), David Livingstone, dreds of people left completely homeless
Mary Slessor and Amy Carmichael used and hungry by cyclones, or hygiene kits
highly creative approaches, particularly and bed-mats to prisoners packed 40-tight
in cross-cultural missions, breaking down on the bare concrete floor of a miserable
barriers of suspicion and mistrust as they cholera-infected cell. They always listen
lived and preached the gospel. Pioneering intently to the gospel.
missionaries established schools so that I do not subscribe to the maxim, “Preach
children could learn to read the Scriptures the gospel at all times, and if necessary
and be delivered from ignorant supersti- use words.” However, such acts of kind-
tion, and hospitals so that the people might ness speak powerfully to those who feel
be free from the enslaving fear of the witch abandoned and unloved, corroborating the
doctors’ medicine. In their day, these were gospel, which must always be expressed in
highly creative enterprises, and many con- words. When Paul commended the Thes-
tinue to bring much blessing in the gospel, salonians for their effectiveness in evan-
especially among the poor. gelizing Macedonia and Achaia, he spoke
of how their work of faith and labour of
Practical Applications love accompanied the sounding out of the
If we learned anything from the CO- Word of the Lord.
VID-19 pandemic, surely it reminded us of Creativity in outreach ought not to be
the renewed need for creativity in outreach limited to “the mission field” – wherever
in our own day. Indeed, many assemblies that is! Thank God for every assembly that
and individuals seized the once-in-a- has had the heart and vision to augment
lifetime opportunity which the pandemic their regular gospel outreach with gos-
afforded. Drive-in gospel meetings and pel teas, community suppers, drive-ins,
online broadcasts opened our minds to drop-ins, VBS, ESL, food banks, friend-
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