Taking the Gospel to the Streets of London 

Pastor Mike Sohn and a team from Reality Church London recently took to the streets of East London to give away free Bibles. We caught up with Pastor Mike to hear how it went.

On Saturday 5th July, a group of us from Reality Church London headed out for an afternoon of evangelism as part of London Mission Week. Over 20 of us met near Old Street, close to where we gather on Sundays for a time of prayer and training.



We then headed out in twos and threes to share the gospel, give away copies of Mark’s Gospel, invite people to church and hand out a short pamphlet that explained the gospel message.

Did you have any expectations before heading onto the streets?

For many in our group, it was the first time they had done anything like this. There was a fear that people would reject us or ignore us altogether and overall, expectations were low. But as we headed out, the group were pleasantly surprised!

How did people respond to you?

While not everyone wanted to engage, the group were really struck by how many people were willing to talk. Some listened for a few minutes and asked questions. Others opened up about their views on faith and spirituality, sharing their stories and current beliefs. A few even welcomed the chance for us to pray with them.

It was wonderful to see how God used simple conversations to open doors - even if just a little - and how many people appreciated an invite to church or were willing to take a Gospel away with them to read on their own.

One conversation I had was with a young couple - drama students in their late teens or early twenties. They didn’t have much connection to Christianity apart from a few friends but were happy to talk openly about their fears, disillusionment with the world and a hope that life could be better.

Their biggest hesitations were around topics of gender and sexuality. But as we talked, they were open to hearing a Christian perspective – that the main thing is about who Jesus is and what he brings. They left with a copy of Mark’s Gospel and were really happy for the opportunity to have had an honest chat.



What would you say to anyone thinking of doing the same?

If you or your church is thinking about stepping out into the streets for the first time, here's our encouragement: Be prayerful, be bold and be ready to be surprised.

You don’t need to be an expert or have all the answers. What matters most is a genuine love for Jesus and for the people you’re speaking to. People can sense authenticity.

Even if just one or two of you go, God can work powerfully. After all, Jesus often went after the one - and that’s what we’re called to do too.

Mike Sohn is the Lead Pastor at Reality Church London, a community-centred church launched in 2016 and currently based at Central Foundation Boys’ School in East London.

To learn more about the Great Gospel Giveaway and discover how you or your church can help share Bibles in your local community, click here.

Edited by: Bethan Walker