Terry Puttick Speaks on Evangelism

Author: Faith in Later Life

A short clip on what the Bible says about Older People and what our response to that should be.

It was a pleasure to have Terry Puttick from London City Mission come and speak to us (on 12th January 2023) about using the Bible in Evangelism to older people. We were inspired by his love for the word of God, and for the people he has served over the years. As Christians, we’re all called to share our faith with others, and so Terry’s valuable insights into how we can do that well are important reminders for us all.

One fantastic takeaway from the session, was one which might seem simple. Terry encouraged us to be ready to open the Bible. When my wife and I were first married, I built a lot of the furniture we used in our first house, but whenever I pulled out a power tool, she would run upstairs. It was just too much power, and she feared for the wellbeing of the hands that held it. It is easy to pick up a jigsaw, it’s easy to pick up a Bible, but we do so knowing that others may have a difficult history we don’t know about, as well as knowing that the Bible has an incredible power to bring people to God.

In Romans 10:17 we’re told that: “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Terry shows us again and again—in many circumstances and in a variety of ways—how God has been faithful in those times that he has done the simple, but difficult, act of pulling up a Bible, and asking to read a passage aloud to someone. You might be daunted by that prospect, or excited, or somewhere in between; however you’re feeling we commend Terry’s full training session to you. You can watch it by heading to our Faith in Later Life Church Champions hub, or by clicking here.

Lastly, as a parting gift, Terry provided us with this wonderful list of go-to verses which relate to a number of common questions, emotions, and experiences he has come across whilst doing mission in London. I hope these will be a huge encouragement to you, and that you’ll be able to use this to great effect in your local church and community.

You can find that here.

Grace and Peace,

The Faith in Later Life Team