Lowestoft outreach
Lowestoft’s 15th annual Air Festival brought more than 350,000 people to the seafront on 11-12 August. It was the fifth such occasion that a good news stand was organised on the promenade by Oulton Broad Free Presbyterian Church (OBFPC).
In preparation, we took encouragement from Acts 1:8 where Jesus says, ‘Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me’. We prayed that the Lord would go before us and cause many to respond to his truth.
This year, our August-to-July pocket calendar had a picture of ‘The Blades’ aerobatic display team on the front, with words from Psalm 139, ‘If I ascend up into heaven, if I take the wings of the morning, even there shall thy hand lead me’.
On the back were Proverbs 3:5-6 and Matthew 11:28. Five thousand of these calendars were given out over the two days.
Revival
In this 90th anniversary year of the great work of God that began in Lowestoft in 1921, we distributed a tract called Remembering revival, which described how the gospel can still change lives and communities today. Teenagers from our fellowship helped to run a free hoopla game, which roughly 500 children came to play, each taking away a colourful children’s tract.
The weather was drier than in recent years and many spiritual conversations took place. The riots of previous days were discussed — one couple asking, ‘What caused them?’ This provided opportunities to explain the nature of sin.
One local lady said she felt she needed to ‘attend a church again’, while another holidaymaker wanted to pass our details to a troubled family he knows. A former drug addict said he wanted help to ‘repent of all his sins and find God’.
We had also prayed specifically for a father and son who both claim to be atheists but stop for a lengthy, friendly discussion every year. The father returned this year and said his son has read the Bible through since we last met and has more questions for us.
Though still resisting God, the man agreed to take some of our literature away to read for the first time. Others took copies of individual Gospels and we were encouraged by contacts with a large number of local or visiting Christians.
We thank God for this enjoyable outreach opportunity. May those whom the Holy Spirit helped us to point to the Saviour soon become new creatures in Christ.
Matthew Pickhaver
