Opportunity weeks are Public Meeting talks that are particularly aimed at challenging people to accept Jesus as Lord.

The Christian gospel, our great news, is the grand declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord (Romans 1:1-6). It is God's story of his plans and purposes and his actions in his son Jesus. Secondary benefits are many and include such wondrous things as humanity's right relationship with God and each other - but they are secondary.

The declaration of this gospel is what brings men and women into the Kingdom of God (Romans 10:11-15). However, the declaration of the same gospel is what sees maturity for those who are in Christ (Colossians 1:28-29; 2:6-7).

And whilst not wanting to rehearse the argument that our main "diet" is systematic expository preaching, suffice it to say, the declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord is the message of the Holy Scriptures.

So to "preach the word" is what we must do! (2 Timothy 4). The core of what we do in objects one and two are the same. We preach the gospel. Therefore, every week at Public Meetings is evangelistic in that we proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Since this gospel message both edifies Christians as well as calls people to Christ, it is necessarily not a message that is limited to the members of the EU. This is a public message that the whole campus, indeed the whole world, needs to hear. The AGM and equip are probably the only two events that we expect to be "members only" and Ancon is probably our "family meeting" where the most members gather in the one place.

 

Opportunity Weeks

Given the above, Opportunity Weeks are not peculiarly evangelistic. They are not only opportunities to preach the gospel, because every week is that. Nor are they the only opportunities to invite your friends, because every week should be open and public.

Opportunity Weeks are designed to be "opportunities to respond" to the gospel. It's asking people to become Christians, giving them an easy way to respond.

It is a pragmatic issue akin to the "purchase proposition" idea in the retail industry.  People are helped in their purchase decision if you ask; otherwise, they can just keep browsing ad infinitum or go somewhere else. We need to have the courage to "do the ask" regularly and yet have the sensitivity not to overdo it (..."would you like fries with that?!")

However, ethically, we are asking people to respond to appropriate information. The information may come via:

1.  a simple presentation of the gospel.

2. an explanation of the gospel via a topic of interest or an event that attracted them, or

3. at the end of a series of talks that they have been to, investigating the Scriptures.

We expect to provide a variety of opportunities to respond as people have varied experience of Christianity and their knowledge of Jesus' Lordship is diverse.

 

Things we need to do/keep in mind

· EUers need to understand what the Public Meetings Team is doing with respect to our programme in general and Opportunity Weeks in particular.

· We need to stimulate confidence in the Scriptures.

· EUers need to go to Public Meetings and be encouraged by the gospel declaration.

· We need to provide a quality product so that our members have great confidence in inviting friends. At the very least, something that is not"embarrassing".

· Speakers need to understand what we are doing and have on view that there are always many outsiders investigating.

· We need to establish a culture of participation and not just consumerism: of inviting people, expecting to meet new friends (Christian and non-Christian), and making people (especially outsiders)  feel extremely welcome.