Sharing the Gospel in the Bronx

Sharing the gospel is not always the easiest thing for believers to do. My family and I moved to New York City in the Bronx four months ago from a small farm town in Oregon. We came to join Equip, a church-planting program that works through diaspora immigrants. Equip trains us how to share the gospel, with the prayer that some of the many unreached people groups in New York City will take the gospel to their home country and start church-planting movements in their hard-to-reach countries. We have also learned how to share the gospel with people from other religions and that sharing the gospel is not that difficult. Many of the people in our neighborhood are Muslims. This is an account of one night I had ministering in the Bronx.

Meeting Muslims in unexpected places

A Muslim friend asked to get together to talk so we agreed to meet. As it happens New York City is rather cold in the middle of November. I got a text from him saying, “I’ll be waiting in the Mosque.” I had been in a Mosque only once and was a little nervous just walking in. He invited me in and we talked. I never thought I would be talking to a Muslim about Jesus in a Mosque. However, the call we are given by God is clear.

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season.” 2 Tim. 4:2

After talking for a while, the Mosque was closing so we went to get food.

God’s word will not return void

We went to a restaurant and began talking. Our conversation went deeper. God uses us to speak his truth in order to bring people to himself. This man has been searching for peace. I had the wonderful opportunity to share hope with him. I told stories about Jesus and left him with the truth. We left and he thanked me for the conversation. He did not become a believer that night. Still, as I write this weeks later, he is still searching for peace. I am still sharing the gospel with him, the words of God, and the peace of Jesus.

“One will plant and one may water, but God will give the growth.”

Sowing seeds

After dinner with my Muslim friend, I met up with a teammate to go out in the neighborhood and share the gospel. My teammate wanted to eat dinner first, so this was actually my second dinner. We went to another restaurant and wanting to be a good patron, I ordered a small dessert. We sat down and soon began talking to another Muslim man. We began telling stories of Jesus and sharing the gospel. Again, this man did not accept Jesus as his Saviour. He did not repent of any great sin. But he got to hear the truth of Jesus. We sowed seeds that day and prayed for God continue growing those seeds. It turns out, sharing the gospel is not that difficult after all. When we share the gospel, we are being obedient to Christ. Be obedient. Be faithful. God will bring those he is drawing near to him… to you. And, his word will not return void.