Mission to Wales

We've been working with New Wine Cymru and The Turning to support their mission to the people of Wales. Rachel Rounds met the team on the streets of Cardiff. 

Talk about being outside your comfort zone - could you go up to a total stranger and tell them: ‘I’ve just got to tell you two things really quickly: that God loves you and has an awesome plan for your life’?

For many of us, it’s a tough ask, but that’s exactly what thousands of Christians in Wales spent last week doing as part of Mission to Wales. 

We've been supporting New Wine Cymru and The Turning in their mission by providing a special giveaway editions of Luke and Acts in English and Welsh. Last Thursday a couple of our team travelled to Cardiff to support the churches there and see, first-hand, what Mission to Wales is all about.

Word on the street

We joined up first with a group of around fifty people from various churches across the city and spent time in prayer and worship. Many prayed for courage and bravery to talk Bible with compassion and grace.

They then set off to introduce themselves with a huge smile and asking the name of the other person before saying: ‘God loves you and has an awesome plan for your life.’

Far from people walking away at this point or sharing an expletive, people were both polite and friendly and, more importantly, interested in what was being said.

Really meaningful conversations were held with people of all ages; who were atheists; de-churched; believers but not church goers; and those who have never attended a church in their lives. In the hour we were there, we witnessed one young girl give her life to God right there in the middle of the street.

Mike Price, from City Church, Cardiff, had already spent one day on the streets and said he’d given out leaflets before but had never done anything like this. ‘It’s a stretch but it is important to do. Three people said the prayer with me yesterday.’

United effort

Across Wales there were six hubs which involved hundreds of Christians. Over one week 3351 people said a prayer accepting Jesus’ salvation. They were given copies of the specially-produced Luke-Acts Bibles and discipleship booklet, Six and were invited for coffee and to learn more about Christianity.

Please pray for the churches in Wales as they move forward with the mission and that the words of Luke and Acts will inspire and stir those who received copies. 

Mission to Wales is a partnership between The Turning, an evangelistic awakening that began in the UK in May 2016 and New Wine Cymru, an interdenominational group of churches on mission together in Wales.