Taking faith to the streets

Cycling enthusiast Pete Hodge of Cardiff has always enjoyed hitting the road. Early in December he went to the Rajasthan area of India, cycling over 500 km in a week.

"Most of the ride was on rough roads filled with potholes and unmade surfaces," notes Pete, whose sponsored ride raised almost £4000 for CLIC (Cancer and Leukaemia in Childhood).

Engaging with children and young people throughout Wales, Pete Hodge is an evangelist with OAC Ministries (formerly Open Air Campaigners). His diary is heavily booked leading school assemblies and youth clubs. These children and young people relate to what Pete is doing to help children who suffer from leukaemia and cancer. It enables him to show the practical side of Christian compassion.

On this venture to India, Pete found himself the only Christian among the 15 fundraising cyclists. One evening as everyone was chatting over a curry, another cyclist asked him, 'So what does it mean to be a real Christian then?’

Silence followed and everyone seemed to focus their attention on Pete as he explained his own experience of coming to faith. In the remaining days of cycling that followed, there were numerous opportunities to resume spiritual conversations.

His mountain biking in Wales provides an ongoing witness. Pete notes that a group of enthusiasts meet to cycle together regularly. There is a good mix of both Christian and non-Christian riders. Sharing these times together proves a valuable outreach.

Heading an evangelistic team in South Wales, Pete trains others extensively. Based on work with different churches, he helps equip individuals and teams for their local outreach. With his years of experience, he also writes literature for practical use. His booklet ‘Turn to God’, designed as a step-by-step illustrated presentation of the Gospel, has sold over a million copies.

Pete explains, "A person may share a brief Gospel message as part of OAC outreach that really interests people. Then other team members engage in one to one conversation with those who want to know more. The vast majority who use this booklet lead someone through it, showing them the way of salvation."

This summer the booklet will be re-launched. With different language editions also being available, teams are looking forward to widespread evangelism when ‘Turn to God’ hits the streets in June.