I had the joy and privilege of attending a conference in the UK recently. Church planters from around Europe were sharing ideas and resources. It was brilliant. A theme that came to the surface time and again was the importance of living ‘christianly’, Monday to Saturday. The plants that had taken off were typically those that had managed to train their people to speak about and live openly for the Lord Jesus in the marketplace (or in the school, playgroup and so on).
The week I arrived back from the UK, I was asked to meet with a fellow who’d come to Christ through the consistent witness of one of his colleagues. She is a parishioner in the church I pastor. Over time, through her commitment to excellence, her grace and kindness and her gentle challenges to take Jesus seriously, this fellow, Peter, became a Christian.
As a way of encouraging our church to “take God to work”, the phrase that was tossed around at the conference, I interviewed Judy in the service and she gave a very self-effacing version of events. I then read a letter from Peter. It explains the process from his perspective.
For your encouragement and edification, and with Peter (and Judy’s) permission, it is reproduced in full, below…

God and Judy go to work

“I have asked Stuart for the opportunity to respond to Judy's comments. I have done this for two reasons. Firstly, as many of you who know Judy well will not be surprised to hear, I suspect her answers will have been too modest and will have understated her role in helping me towards Christ. Secondly, I wish to tell you how very important this help was to me - and only I can truly explain this.

I met Judy several years ago. Over time, I was drawn to her generosity of spirit, her inner beauty and peace, and a radiance that I now know is the Holy Spirit working within her. I began at this time questioning the meaning and purpose of life. I presume I am not alone amongst those in their 40s who have done this from time to time. Those attributes of Judy I just described shone so brightly I had a need to understand what made her tick, and from where she derived such faith. So I asked. The simple answer Judy gave was of course" "God".

For a scientist, engineer and agnostic " this frankly was not a very satisfying response. However, over time, it became clear that her response only needed to be so simple, because it was true.

Of course, as an analytical person, I spent many months reading volumes of apologetic material, books on creation, books on evolution, books on every aspect of the naturalistic versus religious debate. Eventually, Judy (in her unassuming way) said something like, "Why don't you stop reading about the Bible, and start reading it instead?"

So I did.

Over a period of many months Judy regularly gave her time listening to my questions, sharing her perspectives on Christianity, and gently guiding me on my journey. I look back now and know in my heart that I probably would not have started the journey at that time of my life had I not met Judy, nor finished it without her ongoing support and encouragement. I love Judy dearly for the gift she has given me " for while God put his hand towards me, I have no doubt Judy was placed with me by God to shepherd me to the Christian flock. That she chose to give her time, her emotional energy and her sincere friendship is something for which I will eternally be indebted.

And this leads me to the main point of this letter. There are an estimated 2 billion Christians in the world, give or take a few. I am only one more. However, to me, to be taken into God's family and to receive eternal life with God is obviously a far more significant event than this statistic could possibly suggest.

When you meet people in the course of your lives, remember each of them is an individual - far more than just one more potential convert. Each and every person destined to join God is unique, loved by God, and is possibly waiting or looking for a conduit to explore their faith. You may be that conduit.

Give generously your time, your support, your encouragement, your humour " and, most of all, get to know people around you well so that they will see the radiance of the Spirit within you. There is to my mind no more powerful evangelistic tool than walking daily with God and letting the world see the beauty of the Holy Spirit working within each of us.

Remember also that questioning one's beliefs can be a challenging, confronting and emotional experience. Particularly for an agnostic or atheist, probing into the world of religion and faith can be daunting. Look amongst your family and friends for the clues suggesting a call for help " an innocent enquiry, a subtle request, a discussion on faith. Be responsive, be patient, and provide the love and support that is sought.

Lastly, I have asked Stuart that he might say a prayer on my behalf - for the seekers of God, for new Christians who might still feel insecure or vulnerable with their new faith, and for each of you that you might harness your strength and your love in spreading the word of Christ to those in need.”

Peter McIntyre
25 March 2006