It was sometime in August 1986 that I got the coach from Sheffield Bus Station to London Victoria. I was going to London for 3 weeks to be a summer evangelist with the London City Mission. I was met at London Victoria by my Aunt and Uncle who took me south of the river to Old Jamaica Road and the Voluntary Evangelism Base.

I was a boy really, 18 or 19. My horizon was Sheffield. Nowt wrong with that. I don’t remember a lot about those three weeks, except I ended up staying for over 2 years. Time and geography are not my strong points.

I met some great people. I even found out that I liked people who were different to me, like those from the South who voted Conservative (sorry – partial joke). There were some amazing times. I learnt to love the Bible, was exposed to charismatic gifts, veggie burgers, non-Anglican forms of worship and the delight of door to door visitation. I worked with an Irishman called Terry Bedlow and a Cockney called Terry Puttick. Both nurtured a confidence in me that has stood me in good stead.

Terry Bedlow could not pronounce the ‘th’ at the end of words, so was for ever talking of the Virgin or New Burt instead of Birth, which is interesting in a gospel presentation. The other Terry taught me that it was OK to be quiet and not to sing the same thing over and over and over again.

I grew up in many real ways doing evangelism. It is why I like it still today.