The publicity said it all: “Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market and Craft Market, now having run for over a decade, has become a massive favourite with both residents and visitors to the city from all over the UK and Europe. With over 180 stalls, it is claimed to be the largest outdoor Christmas Market in the Britain”.
Amongst the Pretzels, schnitzels, bratwursts, and knoblauchbrot another feature was on offer on the evenings of the 10th and 17th December – Gideon New Testaments!!
2,000 were delivered into the hands of surprised and delighted Birmingham Christmas Shoppers. Thanks to the support of Steve Bavington and his team at Chaplaincy Plus in Colmore Row, thirty Gideons, Auxiliaries and Friends from Birmingham branches and beyond were able to meet, pray in Steve’s office and then fan out into the cold and wet pre-Christmas Birmingham streets. The streets were filled with Christmas bargain hunters. What could have been more appropriate than for 2,000 of them to have received the best bargain of all – the gift of a free book at Christmas that could possibly start a journey of exploration and a chapter of new life with the Lord Jesus Christ at their sides?
Please pray for all who received a book from the hands of a Gideon, Auxiliary or Friend. Please thank the Lord for the enthusiasm and dedication of those who took part and please pray for Chaplaincy Plus as they continue with their work to support Christian believers in the heart of Birmingham’s business community.
We hope that this will be an annual event and we pray that the Lord is already working in the hearts of the shoppers and the stall holders we met.
Michael Hodges
Zone 4 Trustee