“I believe that there is a God… I remember really enjoying all the stories that were told during the Religious Education classes at school,” Maddie* (a school leaver celebrating on the Gold Coast) said to two of our Summer Mission participants, Alana and Alison during a conversation on the beach.

It was evident that Maddie was open to having deep a meaningful conversation, so Alana and Alison asked Maddie if she’d be willing to share what she believed the main message of Christianity was, but she said she couldn’t remember and would like them to tell her what it was.

The girls were more than willing to go through the gospel message, answering any and all of Maddie’s questions. After talking it through for quite some time, they asked if she would consider responding to the gift that God was giving her, and she said yes!

Alana and Alison asked if she wanted some more time to think about it but again, she said she was ready and wanted to do it now! At this point both girls were amazed that Maddie was so quickly able to make a decision so they reiterated the the Gospel to ensure she knew what she was saying yes to.

She really understood and was ready and excited to make that commitment. Alana and Alison had the joy of praying with Maddie as she gave her life to Jesus that night, right there on the beach at Schoolies.

*Name changed for privacy

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This question was raised many times when Scripture Union staff wore The Four wristbands at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January this year. 

The wristbands were given to Scripture Union staff by Sydney University alumni, Jenny Speer, and they proved to be a perfect opportunity to share the gospel.

For a town that doubles in size as a result of the festival (about 50,000 people come to the festival each year), it is a wonderful opportunity to share Jesus with people who Jenny says are very open to discussing spiritual issues.

Jenny admits to being initially sceptical about using what she saw as something ‘gimmicky’ to share Jesus with people. But once she realised its effectiveness, she was convinced. 

“I then found that it is a relevant, flexible, and well supported way for anyone to share the gospel with anyone, responding to the needs and perspective of the person you are talk with,” she explained, adding that, “I love the fact that what seems gimmicky proves useful and effective!”

It isn’t just the Country Music Festival that has given Jenny an opportunity to use The Four though. She has also been involved with the Scripture Union Leadership Conference since 2017. At this year’s conference, held in July in Tamworth, Jenny gave all the team leaders and delegates The Four wristbands and showed them how they could use the videos or just the wristband to share the gospel. She also spent some time with a small group of delegates helping them write a summary of what to say for each symbol in The Four and encouraging them to learn some Bible verses to help them as they share the gospel.

Who would have thought that The Four, the Tamworth Country Music Festival, and the Scripture Union Leadership Conference would all be used in the same sentence? As Jenny says, “the message of the gospel doesn’t change, but the methods and concepts we use need to speak to the heart of the people we are speaking to”. 

The Four has again proven to be a very effective way of doing just that!

P.S: If you’d like a wristband to help you share the gospel, you can check them out here.

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