The coordinator and founder of the Teaching Network, Katie Bojang, shares her expeerience of sharing her faith at school. Before working for UCCF she trained at Reading and then moved to West Yorskshire where she taught English.
Working for UCCF doesn't mean that I am or always have been a great evangelist. In fact, it's an area of my life that I so often feel weakest. I'm in good company when I remember Moses asking for help with speaking to Pharoah, and Paul telling the Corinthians that his message wasn't with wise and persuasive words.
The moment when God picks out Gideon, who was hiding, to be the leader of the Israelite army is something that springs to mind when I think about God using me for his mission: 'Who, me?'
But God does use us, even though we don't always know it.
Diane
I ventured upstairs to find the HR office one day, where Diane worked. She was a lovely lady, enthusiastic at our staff netball practice each Thursday and always sociable. My colleagues knew I went to church but I didn’t know how to start further conversations. However, I tried to wear a church t-shirt when we played netball – couldn’t hurt, could it?
While in Diane’s office, chatting about a new responsibility I was taking on, she asked if I knew if an Alpha Course was worth doing, since she knew I went to church. I encouraged her that it was well worth a go! Heading back down the corridors to my classroom, I prayed that God would save Diane and left it at that.
Adele
Another day, my colleague/work aunty/close friend Adele was chatting at break time about the silent retreat she goes on once a year as a way of practicing her Buddhism and centring herself. I always had no idea how to respond to what she believed so I just listened. But I often prayed for Adele and my other colleagues in department.
A year later, Diane left the college for a new job, 2 years later I left to work with UCCF. These ladies continued to be on my mind and in my prayers at times.
The Email
Then one day, I had an email from Diane. It read something like this,
Dear Katie
It's me, Diane from school, now baptised and born again. You helped convert me as a disciple and I'm so grateful our paths crossed. Your Christian t-shirts captivated me. Your peace at work did too. I wanted what you had and I began my journey to faith and have never looked back.
I refer to you so much when I witness. I try to evangelise always. I belong to my village Methodist church but regularly visit others. Faith comes first in my life.
A Suprising Encounter
Five years later, with the Teaching Network set up and Diane’s words still ringing in my ears, I was on my way to meet up with Adele and another department friend. During coffee we chatted relationships, work, life goals, politics and faith.
Adele, amazingly, shared a story of a time she felt she had met Jesus. I was astounded. I hadn’t thought it possible even though I’d prayed for such as thing! It has happened before I knew her. She still held to Buddhist beliefs though and, again, I was at a loss for what to say. Before the conversation moved on, Adele mentioned that she thought I was never up for talking about faith much.
So What Now?
These words from these colleagues stick with me. There’s regret, hope and longing often when I pause to think and pray. My years in that school remind me of two things to do with evangelism:
1) Our words will never be enough. Whether we can find them, form them or master them, what we say about Jesus is only ever a fraction of the faith story of someone else. And it so often feels like the weakest link. God knows this too. He sees our trying, our hoping, our praying and our perceived failing. Yet he wants us involved and is cheering us on.
2) What God is doing is incredible! It’s more than we can ask or imagine to see others changed to believe in, find hope, healing and life in Jesus. We can be confident that he is always at work and that it is worth joining in as much as we can.
I wonder where God is working in those around you? It might be the CU Events Week jumper you wear for all of February or the time you spoke about church which has sparked interest. Or perhaps there’s clearly faith in the people you’re around, it’s just not in Jesus.
Let’s keep at it.
Let’s keep praying, hoping, longing for these people to know him. And then let’s see what God does.
