Return Real People Real God: a passion for evangelism
What motivates someone to spend time and resources producing a book of personal testimonies of conversion to Christ?
Elaine Sharples is very clear about that : "I wanted something I could give away to all my friends who don't know Jesus. I'd be in church listening to amazing testimonies of Jesus' love and power and I'd be thinking, 'if only my friends could hear this!' I wanted to fling open the church doors so that everyone could hear." she says.
So Elaine, a freelance typesetter by trade, used her skills to compile Real People, Real God and has personally given away over 200 copies so far. "My heart's desire is that everyone who reads the booklet will have their appetites whetted for God and my prayer is that they would go on to pursue their own encounter with Him." she says.
The main purpose of Real People, Real God is evangelistic. It has nine very different stories of local people's experiences of God and an explanation of the gospel. There are a number of Bible verses in it, because Elaine believes that scripture is powerful in itself, and a 'sinners prayer' at the end with information on how to take it further.
Real People, Real God includes Elaine's own story and tells how she found faith in July 1984 at Anfield Football Ground during Mission England. Even before then it seems that God was "on her case" in a big way, talking to her through Christian friends, the Bible, other books, TV programmes, radio programmes, church notice boards; wherever she looked in fact.
For five years Elaine worshipped with a small Methodist Church and then, following relocation, with a large Independent Baptist Church for the next 13 years. During that time she oversaw the Alpha Course and was Deacon for Evangelism. Having moved to Wales she now goes to New Life Church in Cardigan. "I'm not much interested in labels though.", she says "From my reading of scripture all Christians are one big family anyway. I do however feel most at home with people who take God 'at His Word' and then seek wholeheartedly to live out what He shows them - empowered by Him. I want to hang around people like that."
With a varied church background I wondered about her preference in Christian music. "I'm a bit out of touch really", is her reply, " I always used to know what was coming out of Spring Harvest or Soul Survivor, but not these days. Maybe it's my age! I'm still enjoying the Matt Redman / Delirious / Kevin Prosch music that I've been listening to for years. And I have recently downloaded some Phatfish and Brian Doerksen via iTunes." New Life Church sings a lot of home-grown songs, which she finds very helpful. "There is something very special about singing songs that have come out of the hearts and experiences of the people you are standing alongside as you worship." is her comment.
Elaine has a challenging vision for her town and area: "Living on the border of the three counties of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, I'm constantly asking the Lord how best to introduce the folks of this region to Him, and praying for opportunities to do so. It's relatively easy to reach towns and villages and estates - you can go out on the street or from door to door. But how do you reach people in the many scattered tiny hamlets? I'll get involved in whatever the church is doing though. I trust our leaders to know what the Lord wants us to do and I hope that I'm a team player."
She is aware of God at work in her life but says that she is "not much good at saying what God is doing when He's right in the middle of doing it." There is a possibility of a new, longer book, but her heart's desire at the moment is not just to tell people what He can do – she wants to show them: "I desperately want to see the sort of miracles that we are experiencing in church, even greater miracles, being done 'out there' in the wider community. I'm longing for that day - and when it happens I would love to be part of it." Recently she has had a couple of offers to get involved with children's outreach - which was a total surprise.
Elaine is conscious of some major changes in her character, which she puts down to God's work in her, and says that she is more aware of His active presence with her now than she has been for years. "And I have never, ever, been so at peace as I am at this time." she adds saying "I'm very excited about what whatever He has for me next. I'm on the edge of my seat."
Copies of Real People, Real God sell for £1 each and are designed for Christians to give away to friends. All the stories are from local people. Contact Elaine on elainesharples@btinternet.com for more information.
Ken Wilson
Posted: Thur, 26/06/08