Wayne Pickford believes, “Wrestling is the opera of the working class.”
Wrestling is an important part of his strategy for reaching working class people in the steel mill town of Berkley, NSW.
That’s Wayne on the right just about to drive the other guy’s head into the canvas.
You can read about that part of his story in: Wrestling against flesh and blood
I caught up with Wayne last week in Sydney and interviewed him for next1000. Here’s the full interview: Wrestling against flesh and blood II.
I just want to reflect on two innovative insights I gained from talking to Wayne about his church plant.
1. Recruit evangelists to your church planting team
In every church there are frustrated evangelists just waiting to be recruited to a church planting team. Others in the church think they are weird. That’s because they are not meant to be hanging around Christians.
Wayne is one of those weirdos. He recognized his own kind and turned them into a church planting team that is reaching the working poor in Berkley.
2. Wrap the Gospel in love
Wayne had to teach his team how to love people and share the Gospel. He adapted Matthew Barnett’s Adopt A Block strategy. The team goes out weekly in pairs and adopts 30-50 households to visit and care for. As they develop a relationship they share Christ and people come to faith.
So here’s Wayne’s innovative insight: the Gospel, wrapped in love will change lives.
And I thought his secret of success was wrestling. . .
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[...] same principle applies to other uncool activities like door to door evangelism. Ask Wayne Pickford. (Let’s hope world missions makes a [...]
[...] commenced some “Adopt-a-Block” work on Wednesday. We found people warm, talkative and curious. I met a lady by the name of Grace [...]