The Little Gospel House

Last month, my husband and I put together a little “Gospel House” outside our home. First, we set up a house-shaped box at the end of our driveway.

Then we arranged Scripture resources on the main shelf and filled the shelf above with various non-perishable food items—all free for anyone who passes by. We decided to include gifts of food and Scripture as a way to feed both body and spirit during this time of global crisis.

Many people have stopped to read the sign, peek inside, flip through the Scriptures, and take food items as needed. We’ve now noticed other members of our community have contributed pantry items as well! Our whole neighbourhood has taken a liking to the Gospel House—some have stopped to ask questions, offer support, or even take photos for their blog. It has become an exciting part of our daily routine to walk outside and open the little door, hoping to see that someone has taken another item from the little house. It’s always a day to celebrate when there’s one less copy of God’s Word inside.

This past week, as we were kneeling on our front lawn weeding the grass, a young man pushing a lawn aerator strolled past our home. Noticing that my husband and I were busy gardening, he stopped to ask if we would be interested in his aerating services—allowing us a natural segue into a short conversation with him. After he handed us a brochure, we asked if we could share something in return. I walked over to the Gospel House.

little gospel house2 “Would you like to check out the Scriptures we have here? ” I opened the door for him to see. Right away, he jumped over and began reading the Scripture titles, “Oh! This one is called ‘God Loves the World!’ Can I have this one? ”

I nodded and handed him a copy of the blue and gold New Testament. He grinned as he eagerly grabbed the book from my hands—his face couldn’t hide that he wanted to read it as soon as he could. The man then proceeded to reorganize his entire backpack, attempting to create a spot where it “wouldn’t be damaged.” little gospel house3

After watching our new friend walk away, my husband and I reflected upon what just happened. This encounter reminded us that demonstrating God’s love to others is often best during simple, everyday activities—like gardening. Sometimes, all a person needs is a little gift for the right seed to be planted! As we were weeding our front lawn, God was busy doing some ‘spiritual gardening’ as well.

My prayer is that amidst this period of self-isolation, the mission to share the hope of the Gospel will live on. The strife of this pandemic should only increase our effort to reach others with His Word. With all the negative news of COVID-19 plaguing our media outlets, my husband and I have felt called by God to provide a small glimmer of hope to our community—simply sharing the good news of Christ in our own unique way.

- Erika (paraphrased)