Finding God’s people at O-Day

It was O-Day for UWA today. The stinking hot day where UWA shows off the best it has to offer in clubs and societies. You get to see a great side of uni—where people are interested in all kinds of fun stuff and keen to get others involved. People are excited, wide-eyed, and there to have a great time.

But I always find O-Day frustrating.

There are thousands of students walking around choosing what they’re going to be involved in at uni. Some will sign up for clubs, go to the first event, and never go again. For others their clubs will define their lives as students. What frustrates me is that in the midst of all these clubs and organisations promoting lifestyles, activities and opportunities, we have something that is absolutely gold—a relationship with the creator and loving saviour of the universe—and people walk on by.

Now, I realise that is completely one-sided, and most people don’t think Jesus is great, just like it doesn’t seem to me a fantastic idea to dress up as a knight and whack somebody with a big cardboard sabre—but it’s still frustrating! It makes me all the more keen to get the gospel out there on campus and show people the truth of what they’re missing, and what they’re signing up for by ignoring Jesus.

The encouraging part was that for all the people who walked past, there were others who came to the Unichurch stall or the Christian Union stall (which I was helping with) to find out more about what we did. We got a bunch of contact details from people who were interested, and I had a few good conversations with people, both Christians and non-Christians.

It’s hard work asking different people all day if they’re Christians or not, and more often than not you get a “no”. But the work paid off when we got a “yes!”, and met another person who was keen to see Jesus glorified at UWA. God has got his people amongst the students at UWA, and all it takes is a few questions to find them. He also has his people chosen among the many non-Christians at uni, and he will change them by his Spirit and his Word. All they need is someone to tell them.

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ “ — Romans 10:14–15

That’s part of my goal this year, and I hope it’ll become part of yours, too, as Unichurch works together to bring the gospel to the uni campus.

O-Day is over, but the work has barely begun. Walk-up evangelism, here we come!

Photo by Andrei Z via Flickr