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An Officer of the British Navy has some important things to say about the Independent Gospel Team — » modern form of the oldest method of evangelism.
.LT. M AR SHALL B. SHA LL IS* (left) Discusses . . . ,
Teams... N O W ... for Christ
N EEDIN’ a button, njate?” one gray-haired workman inquired of another. His quick eyes had clumsily improvising with a nail, for the last button on his overalls. The man looked up, surprised, as his questioner pulled out a small box con taining needle, thread, and buttons, and began sewing on the required but ton. His surprise turned to incredulity when two other men joined the first, and as the one sewed, the others took turns speaking to him of spiritual mat ters. It was a new thing to find men who were concerned over his spiritual welfare, willing to give up their lunch hour to demonstrate that concern. He was not the first at Bishopsgate Station to receive the ministry both in
their opportunity for witness had ar rived! Iodine and bandages gave other opportunities while the men bound up cut fingers. Small gifts of tea, sugar, or milk taken to sick work-niates pro vided times to talk of the Lord, until, over the course of a few years, many had been saved. There you have the ideal team: con ceived in the midst oi need, and born in prayer; placing scanty pence and brief leisure at the Master’s disposal. Three elderly working men, twelve pennies, a little sanctified gumption, and many were saved—in a place where there had been no former wit ness for Him. Somehow in my very earliest thoughts of gospel work, I have pictured the team —two or more in- one accord, working together for God. From time to time I have been privileged to work
word and in deed from this team of three elderly men, on whose hearts the Lord had placed the burden of their lost work-mates. They had b e g u n simply, by spending part of each lunch hour in prayer, meeting in an empty truck. The Station Agent was ap proached later, and though not too sympathetic, he had agreed to their holding a gospel meeting a week in the men’s messroom. This was .tolerat ed by the workers, hut the team knew they must get closer to the men indi vidually if they were to win any of them for God. Realizing, from experience, the value of practical demonstration, they each began to save a penny a week from their small salaries, until their pennies became a shilling, and they were able to invest in a sewing kit. When the first workman was noticed trying to fix his trousers with a piece of string,
detected a work-mate in difficulties,
' An Offline in the British Navy and one of the organizers of “Independent finsvpl Teams.*1
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