If we love people, then we’ll make ourselves available for how God wants to reach them with the Gospel. That was one of the key messages communicated at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada’s Canadian Evangelism Congress, which took place Sept. 25-26 in Edmonton.
“God doesn’t want (each of) us to minister to everyone; Jesus didn’t,” Charles Price told about 200 pastors, church leaders and ordinary Christians with a heart for evangelism.
Price, pastor-at-large at the Peoples Church in Toronto, added, “We just need to be available to God for the people He’s put in our path.”
Price joined Donna Mitchell of Power to Change, West Edmonton Mall chaplain Bab Gall, Derrick Mueller of the Gideons, Kim Gordon of Samaritan’s Purse, David Macfarlane of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada, and others in encouraging and equipping everyone in attendance to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15, ESV).
Sherry Adams, a participant in the Canadian Evangelism Congress in Edmonton, leads prayer for Canadian cities, leaders, and immigrants.
Price’s words resonated with Ann McDonald, a stay-at-home mother with a passion for outreach.
“I always think ‘what can I be doing for God?’ but I should be thinking ‘what is God doing through me?” McDonald said. “[The Congress] has been overwhelming in terms of sensing the presence of the Lord. It’s given me a number of tools to evaluate my own faith journey.”
During his presentation, Bob Jones, senior pastor at Edmonton’s North Pointe Community Church, said it’s easy to become discouraged when evangelistic efforts appear to fail. “But you may be a seed sower,” he pointed out. “As a pastor, I often just harvest the crops that others have sown and watered.”
Whatever we do, David Macfarlane said, we need to remember “it’s not about methods. It’s about heart. Love will always find a way (to spread the Good News); indifference will always find an excuse (to avoid telling people about Jesus).”
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