Since we believe that the whole Word of God is inspired we take the mandate given to the disciples by the Lord Jesus seriously. Just before His ascension into heaven He commanded His followers to:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 28:19
This requires that, as a church, we make the Gospel Message of sin and grace known to our community. For, as the Lord Jesus taught during His ministry, His people are the light of the world and are called to: Let their light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16. All Christians are therefore called to be as salt upon the earth and to bear witness of the Lord’s power and grace to those around them. To that end, our church has an Evangelism Committee which seeks to engage our members in various activities of outreach to a perishing world around us. The following activities have taken place over the years and many of them on an annual basis
Community Activities
Flyer Distribution
We have hand distributed between 1500-2000 flyers to neighbouring communities within a 2 to 3 km. radius of our church for over ten years. The young people of church have helped us in this endeavour to spread the gospel. The flyers typically contain a Bible based message calling mankind to repent and to seek the Lord as well as contact information. These messages were often distributed a week or two before Easter, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.
Gift Bag Distribution
We have knocked on the doors of our neighbourhood near our church at Christmas presenting them with a gift bag containing an attractive booklet of one of the four Gospels, a calendar with Gospel texts, a Biblically themed colouring book, some colourful bookmarks with Bible texts, a Biblically based child’s story book as well as flyer containing an appropriate Biblical message for the season. Just before Easter we have brought them a plant with a flyer containing the message of Good Friday and Easter and an invitation to our church services .
Pancake Breakfast
Our young people have enthusiastically helped us in hosting pancake breakfasts usually around Thanksgiving Day. A large sign was placed at the entrance to our street a few weeks in advance as well as an ‘invitation flyer’ distribution in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Some members of our congregation joined the guests who came to this outreach activity. We provide the guests with information about our church and some edifying reading material as well as a scripture reading with a very brief meditation during the breakfast.
Vacation Bible School
This activity was held for over ten years in which we invited the children up to 12 years old from the neighbourhood for a week of Bible stories and crafts during the summer vacation period. Since our society, generally speaking, no longer entrusts their children to ‘strangers’ this activity is no longer taking place due to declining enrolment of neighbourhood children. We are looking at other possibilities in this area.
Bus Texts
Every Christmas we have had a Biblical text placed in four of the Hamilton city buses. These highly visible texts also contain contact information for the readers who desire to know more about the Bible. Very recently we have decided to have texts placed in the buses just previous to Easter as well.
Visiting Extended Care Facility
For some years we have brought a Gospel Meditation to an extended care facility just down the street from our local church. About 20 Sunday School children accompanied by their parents sing hymns along with the residents who attend this monthly gathering. After about a half hour gathering we speak with the residents while quite a few of the children present these seniors with a picture they have made or coloured.
Gore Park Lunches
During the Covid pandemic we brought 50 -75 packed lunches once per week to Gore Park, located at the center of downtown Hamilton for the homeless since many food-banks etc. were closed. These lunches, containing a Biblical tract, are still being distributed and very appreciated by these destitute citizens
Food Drive
We have started a food drive from the members of our church. Our last drive weighed almost 396 pounds of non-perishable food items. Our committee attached Biblical texts to all of the 300 items which were delivered to a local food pantry.
Newer Endeavours
Our committee has designed and printed ‘Laminated Outreach Cards’ which are business sized cards that members of our congregation may use to spread the Gospel when they meet business associates and others who they come in contact with. They are double sided conveying the purpose of our lives, Biblical texts as well as contact information. We have also made ‘outreach lawn signs’ available to our church members which contain a short, highly visible Biblical text as well as contact information. While we seek to sow the seed of the Gospel we know that God alone is able to provide the ‘increase’ so that poor and needy sinners learn to cry out to God for mercy on account of their personal sin. As a church and as individuals we are called to be faithful in bringing ‘Gospel light’ to shine in this dark world. May the Lord prosper these endeavours; for, blessed by His Spirit, ‘weak means’, fulfill His will.