You may be reading this with raised eyebrows. This can't be right, can it? Heart for West is a missionary congregation. A place where people 'from outside' come to faith. How can that ever happen without people evangelising? I am happy to explain why I still maintain this statement.
Since my student days, I have participated in evangelisation work in all kinds of places. It started with children's work in the city centre of Utrecht, a Children's Bible Club in Balderikstraat. Later I was involved in actions at house parties, at fairs, at the market; we handed out Bibles door-to-door during Book Week. I participated in activities for over 30 years. In all those years, I never experienced anyone coming to faith through this work.
No regrets
I can already hear you thinking: We don't need to see the fruit, that's up to God, isn't it? You are absolutely right. I don't regret doing this work either. God knows if people have been touched by it. Are there people who feel called to evangelise in this way? Let them get on with it!
And yet... yet I want to make a case for a different way of thinking. The Lord Jesus, in Luke 10, instructs His 70 apostles to go through the land and proclaim His kingdom. And how are they to do that? They are asked to go into the houses, and there eat and drink what is put before them. In biblical terms, this means: to build a relationship with the people. Jesus emphatically says what they are to say when they enter a house: "Peace to this house!" So they may speak words of peace while in that house.
Son of peace
And then comes a crucial statement: "If there is a son of peace there, your peace will rest on him. If not, your peace will return to you." (Luke 10 : 6). What does Jesus mean by this? Well, someone has entered the house with the peace greeting. And the question is: how do the occupants react? Do they get curious? Do they ask questions about what the visitor has to say? Then they are sons (and daughters) of peace! Then they are open to the gospel. And yes, then we will evangelise anyway. Not on the street, not in the market, but at the kitchen table.
This is how we in Rotterdam working. We don't take to the streets. We don't hand out Bibles or flyers. But we live among the people. We sit with them at the table, and invite them to our table. And just then it happens! People become curious and beautiful contacts develop in which something may be shared of who the Lord Jesus is. And so we see people come to Jesus.
My thesis is: if all Christians in the Netherlands started living according to Luke 10, we could abolish all evangelisation committees.
Cees van Breugel, evangelist
This column is reproduced with permission from Hart voor West's newsletter. Reading tip: the impressive story of Lydia, who came to faith, was baptised and received her calling.
