The gospel in your pocket 

Here's a simple habit I've developed that has seen hundreds of people in shops, parks, hospitals and trains reminded of God’s love for them, writes Glyn Jones. And it's something we can all develop 

Do you long to share what Jesus is really like, but struggle to know how? Do you feel like a weak link when it comes to evangelism? Does the thought of sharing the gospel fill you with dread? Then read on!

My name is Glyn Jones and my job is to make evangelism less scary. Together with my friend and soulmate, Chris Duffett, an ordained Baptist evangelist, I co-lead The Light Project in Chester, delivering undergraduate degree programmes in Theology Mission and Evangelism. Our vision is to train, connect and resource pioneers to make countless disciples of Jesus, and as a lecturer and minister, I regularly lead groups out in mission and ‘official’ evangelism. However, the part of my life that has the biggest impact is what I would call ‘everyday evangelism’, something we can all develop as a habit. Let me explain…

Each day, most of us take three objects out with us when we leave the house: our keys, our wallet and our phone. When we forget one of these, it soon becomes apparent and we are unable to function as planned – we can’t get into the car, or we can’t pay for our coffee, or we come home to a list of irate texts asking why we haven’t been answering someone’s calls. A while back, I decided that I would add an extra essential object to my list. A fourth item – be it a peg, a pumice stone, a little wooden cross, a battered metal heart or a pocket Bible – it could be anything – would now also leave the house with me and I would pray for an occasion to arise for me to give it away with a message of God’s good news.

So that’s what I do. As a result of this little habit, hundreds of people in shops, parks, hospitals and trains have been reminded of God’s love for them. Does this sound too simple? Just asking the Holy Spirit to lead you to give someone something so small with an encouraging word? Well, that is the point! To take away the pressure of forcing a conversation about Jesus and to provide the opportunity to simply create a connection with someone where we can share something of His message. And, when the Holy Spirit directs, those connections are filled with life. I constantly meet people in and around the town where I live who still keep with them the reminder I gave them, and when I see them, they show me. It’s often a reminder to me to pray for them, and a reminder of the relationships that are built on such gestures of faith.

There’s a lady in the art shop who carries a small metal heart in her purse as a reminder that God loves her; a widow who has a pebble with ‘Jesus is an anchor’ painted on it, given by my daughter; and then there is a gentleman who lost his brother and carries a broken candle as an unlooked-for symbol of hope. All are tangible reminders that God has not forgotten them, nor indeed any of us. In the busy bustle of life, the Holy Spirit is looking for everyday evangelists – that is me and you! – to remind people of God’s love and concern for them.

When a group of friends or colleagues or a church develops this simple habit, the hundreds become thousands, and the extent of the kingdom of God spreads like wildfire. Developing a culture of challenge, fun and simplicity will bring life back to the routine of any group of people. So why not find a friend and try a little thing like this together? Start small. Look at what you carry around each day and plan to take something extra with you: a small reminder or a gift for a friend or stranger. God occasionally works through our grand designs to change people’s lives, but I am finding that He continually responds to our small steps. This is because they are rooted in something powerful that glorifies Him – and that something is called faith.

In The Peg and the Pumice Stone: Being good news in everyday life, I share easy-to-read, true-life stories of simple, authentic ways we can all share God’s love with those we meet just by using what we have in our pocket – including the unlikely story of the broken candle mentioned above when I expected to be punched rather than thanked! We aren’t all called to do evangelism professionally, but we can all learn the exciting habit of following the Holy Spirit’s leading to become everyday bringers of good news.



Glyn Jones is the author of The Peg and the Pumice Stone: Being good news in everyday life, published by Instant Apostle (ISBN 978-1-912726-00-4, RRP £7.99), available from Christian bookshops and online

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