Michael Ots Evangelism Trust

Posted on February 27th, 2012 at 7:22 PM / No comments

After two weeks of missions I’m finally home for a few days before the next two start at the weekend. The mission week in SW London finished on Thursday night. It was an encouraging week, and although numbers were smaller than in Manchester, there were lots of individual encouraging stories.

The lunch bars events at Kingston grew each day. The rooms was filled by the end of the week and there were loads of questions each day. I would often stay and answer questions for two or three hours after the main event had ended. There is a real openness to talk about faith on the campus – partly due to a very high proportion of Muslim students, many of whom came along to the talks.

I enjoyed getting to know several individuals through the week. There were Christians who really grew in their confidence in the gospel. There were others who came much closer to Christ through the week. I wouldn’t be surprised if several of them trusted Christ in the next few weeks.

The evening events were very well run in a great venue. I loved the movie posters, popcorn machine and clapper boards on the tables. They all contributed to making the events feel really good. It was a new challenge for me to speak each night on a different film. I felt they went ok but at the same time I am not sure that I like the style. I found that speaking about one film each night felt restricting. I like to quote films and music and in my talks but confining myself to one film was difficult. I’m glad I gave it a go though and enjoyed watching the films again in preparation!

Do pray for the follow up as it starts this week. Also for the ongoing follow up in Exeter and Manchester. Exeter is getting over 30 coming each week. Manchester got much less than the 80 signed up but then discovered that many had already started studying the Gospel one to one with a Christian friend. I’m spending the week catching up and then getting ready for the last two missions – Liverpool and then Leicester.

Posted on February 22nd, 2012 at 12:15 AM / No comments

Apologies for the delay in letting you know about this. I am in London till Thursday night speaking at the SW London ‘Uncover’ Mission organised by UCCF CU’s in this region. Each day I am speaking at lunch bars at Kingston Uni. It is a small CU but today we had 60 pack in for the lunch bar on Science which with loads of questions and 18 people sign up for follow up which was awesome. Tomorrow I speak about sex and thursday on the cross.

Each evening there are central events for all the CU’s. I am speaking on three different films – tonight was Lord of the Rings. The venue was really cool – red carpet, nice sofas, popcorn machine etc. I enjoyed speaking on it and bringing out the Gospel themes from the story. Hoping that the numbers will grow now as the week goes on. Tomorrow is Inception and thinking about guilt and then Thursday is Shawshank Redemption and the subject of freedom.

Please pray for the CU’s to get really involved and to be bold in inviting their friends along. Pray for an encouraging response that encourages them that the Gospel really does work. Please pray for my evening talks as I am still finishing the preparation and they are totally new!

Posted on February 18th, 2012 at 6:11 PM / 1 comment »

I finally arrived home from Manchester in the early hours of the morning feeling very tired but also really encouraged.

The CU had been very bold in organising events where the gospel was clearly communicated, not as a ‘tack on’ but as the main attraction. Although some had wondered if this would work we saw the fruit of it as the week went by. The CU normally have about 50 people at their weekly meetings but by the Thursday night we had 150 coming to the evening cafe to heat the talk on the resurrection. Day after day we saw people coming back to hear more.

Several professed faith through the week which was really encouraging. But most staggering of all was that over 80 signed up for the follow up course. Rarely have I seen so many sign up over a week, even in much bigger CU’s. I think one of the keys was that people knew they were coming to hear a talk each day and so came ready to listen and engage with what was said. Another key was the continuity of venue and format which meant that people came back each day once they had seen what it was like.

There were so many positive reactions to what we had done. One atheist commented at the end of a lunch bar talk ‘I’m not convinced yet but I really enjoyed this event. You fed us well, the talk was really interesting and the event was the best I have ever seen organised by any society.’

It was also really good to see the CU make the most of the opportunity with international students. Each night they held an international meal with a shorter talk in simpler english. Each night good numbers came and quite a few came along to the main event after as well.

It was an exciting week – but the next few weeks could be even more so. I’m praying that there will be many more who will come to know Jesus as a result of the mission.

Posted on February 16th, 2012 at 12:05 AM / No comments

End of day three here in Manchester. Lots of encouragements – the numbers have grown each day presenting us with the problems of having to find more chairs for the venues. Lots of people have heard the gospel and several have signed up for follow up and 2 or 3 have indicated that they want to say ‘yes’ to Jesus.

But please keep praying. I sense there is a battle going on and there are many that seem unmoved. We have two days left and I long to see hearts as well as minds really engaged by Jesus. Pray for increased responsiveness over these last two days of talks. Pray for those who have come already to come back. Pray especially for tomorrow lunch times talk on suffering – that people will be struck by the fact that God now only feels our pain but offers real hope. Pray also for energy – three talks a day is demanding when you want to be fresh and engaged with each one. Pray especially for energy to speak well with individuals after and to discern how best to answer their questions and point them to Jesus.

Posted on February 13th, 2012 at 11:40 PM / 1 comment »

Today was the first day of the ‘Jesus for skeptics’ week here in Manchester University. It is my first time working with this CU. We had a good first day with all the events being filled.

At lunch time I spoke twice on ‘Skeptical about God – does he even exist?’. About 50 came to each talk and there were good questions and discussions after. 8 people signed up to find out more.

In the early evening there is an event for international students with a meal from a different part of the world each night. My friend Julia is speaking at each of these. Pray that she can clearly and wisely explain the gospel in way that is both understood and seen to be beautiful.

Then tonight we had the first evening event in a pub function room which was decked out really nicely to make it feel like a really chilled cafe. Great music and nice food greeted people and then I spoke on ‘Myth, Man Prophet or God – Who was Jesus?’ Again the room was filled with about 50 people and there were good questions afterwards.

Please pray that the CU would grow in their confidence and the enthusiasm as the week goes by. Pray that the numbers at all the events double by the end of the week. Please pray for many to sign up for follow up and for others to clearly trust Christ.

If you want to see the events for the rest of the week check out the CU webpage here.