“It can be tough, but witnessing is such a blessing,” he said. “It isn’t optional for Christians if we’re going to obey the Lord. It’s helped my walk and the church.”
The sight of others with far fewer wrinkles than him is a huge encouragement, he said.
“I see couples from our church young enough to be my grandkids out there, and they’re modeling this for their kids,” he said.
Cross Family had no choice but to get beyond its four walls when those four walls were literally taken away. In the spring of 2020, the church went completely virtual alongside others during the COVID-19 shutdown. When restrictions began to loosen up, the school where they met could no longer allow usage of the indoor space. It was OK, however, for them to meet in the parking lot.
For a season, cars driving by or people out for a walk could physically look in on Cross Family’s services.
“We’re doing this because we want to see the lost come to faith, but it’s also a point of discipleship,” Wheeless said. “New people coming in are excited about what’s happening here and God’s Word.”
Bender said he was “the world’s biggest skeptic” when it came to Jesus. As a new believer, he can understand why others are resistant to the Gospel. It gives him some insight when explaining it as well as assumptions he had harbored about “church people.”
“Before, I thought they were boring and had no sense of humor,” he said. “But they’re the nicest people you’ll ever meet.”
With those initial encounters, they also brought a message he had dismissed. In time, Bender realized it was the most important message he could hear. It would also give him a strong connection as a new brother in Christ.
“I was wrong back then,” he said. “People who are deeply faithful are still real people.”
This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.
