Walk up evangelism - Thursday nights

While doing some walk up evangelism last week, I met a Sri Lankan man, his wife and baby going for a stroll. So, Ed La and I walked up to him and asked him about the role of church in the Rhodes community. His answers were either vague, evasive, or he simply didn’t understand the question. I couldn't tell.

 So I asked him another question: “Who do you think Jesus is?” His answer, ‘God by another name.” I said thank you for your time.

 I still haven’t quite worked out what struck me about his answer: Was it the way in which he said it so emphatically? Was he defensive. Almost aggressive? Did it captured something of his world view, or was he threatened by me questioning him?

 During the first evening we also met an Arabic man, and Anglo couple, a father from Korea, a man from Germany named Stefan, and a couple from mainland china. In fact in the seven different conversations we had, we had 7 countries of origin!  Then last night we met a girl from Russia, two Hindu women from India, two PhD students from China, four Nepalese men looking for answers, a Hindu from Sri Lanka, and a couple from Papua New Guinea. Thats pretty amazing!

 Tim Chester writes:

Recognizing our missionary context means we can no longer assume that the church understands the culture. We need to rediscover or relearn the culture. We need to get to know our neighbourhood, its people, their stories, values, worldview and culture. We need to ask the kind of questions that missionaries ask when they enter a new culture, questions such as:

What ‘gospel’ stories are told in the neighbourhood? What gives people identity (creation)? How do they account for wrong in the world (fall)? What is their solution (redemption)? What are their hopes (consummation)?

Re-Thinking Local Culture – The Crowded House

 Important dates:

Mission to Rhodes

• Begin Thursday 15th February @ 7pm
• A passionate group seeking to share the gospel with Rhodes; to disciple and be discipled

Core Group Meetings

• Every Sunday from 2-4pm @ Strathfield Hall
• A diligent group seeking to pray, prepare and establish at church gathering

Cornerstone Rhodes

• Begin 15th April @ 9am
• A regular and faithful gathering of people to “Reach out, make disciples and build a biblical community to the glory of God”

Kamal Weerakoon

• 15th March: He will teach us about evangelising immigrants
• He will join us for some walk up

 Check your heart: Are we utterly dependance upon God?

• Colossians 1:18 (NIV84)
  • ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
• 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV84)
  • ⁶I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow
• Matthew 9:38 (NIV84)
  • ³⁸Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Questions to ask and pray about

• Have I counted the cost to follow Jesus to leave in order to start a new work?
• Is my heart willing to pay that cost?
• Am I dedicated to this new work?
• Am I growing in passion for the lost?
• Is the LORD gifting me for this role?
• Am I excited to see the gospel of our LORD Jesus proclaimed in Rhodes?

Specific Prayer

• Pray that we will understand Rhodes as a community
• Pray for two dedicated Elders
• Pray for two older couples to be ‘mentors’
• Core group of 50+
• For Daniel Chui as he puts together promotional material for evangelism and communication
• Thursday night evangelism
• Core Group Meetings and the LORD provisions for workers

Be Involved – Contact Steven Soldatos for more information at:

MOB: 0402666236

EMAIL: ssoldatos@cornerstonechurch.com.au