I wonder if you've ever been fishing? I must confess at this point that I haven’t, and yet it seems like just the kind of activity that would frustrate me entirely.
Sitting around, line in the water, waiting for something to happen. For many of Britain’s anglers, the past-time is just that - a past-time. Yet for billions around the globe, now and in yesteryear, fishing is the lifeblood of the community.
The river/lake/ocean itself contains the sustenance from which the inhabitants the people live on, in addition to being a gateway for trade and commerce. It’s no surprise that almost any major town or city was formed on or near a body of water.
In the church, we too need these sustaining bodies of water around us. Dwelling deep within the blue, there are people waiting to be caught.
I know it probably sounds like a weird analogy, but remember that it’s one Jesus used!
Matthew 4:19
“Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”.
How are we thinking about fishing for people in our university towns and cities?
At Highfield Church Southampton, the congregation took this call seriously and saw amazing results.
Constructing a small, makeshift boat at the start of the academic year, the students wrote down the names of all the friends they could think of on cardboard fishes, and placed them in a net off the side of the boat.
The whole congregation then prayed for the net, and for the rest of the “ocean”. One of the names on the fish was that of Avni. Her friend had written her name down and left it in there, and over the course of about a month, Avni was prayed for on four occasions that she might come to know Jesus.
She did.
One girl’s life forever changed, in no small part a result of a church’s “fishing trip”. You can hear more about Avni’s story with Will and Josh on the Fusion Podcast.
God is calling your church to venture deeper into the waters around you, and to see what He has for you there. Sign up to the Fusion Conference 2020 to further explore going deeper.
