Spreading hope to thousands

In the summer of 2024, I found myself, almost by chance, in a small bar near the metro station in Cyprus. Sitting with me, around the only coffee table in the club, were Joe Taylor, pastor and director of The Gospel Publishing Mission, and three other colleagues. In that informal meeting, I heard the vision of their mission and the desire to contribute to sharing Jesus with the people of Rome during the special Jubilee year of 2025.* 

They told me how, for years, they have been working on the production and distribution of evangelistic booklets designed for major events and large crowds — world championships, Olympics, festivals, etc. From that coffee was born a project that aimed to reach thousands of people who would find themselves in Rome, many of them looking, aware of it or not, for hope.

Joe invited us, OM in Italia, as well as CLC Italia, to participate in the production of the material, offering cultural suggestions and theological clarifications to make the evangelical perspective clear in the delicate context of Rome during the Jubilee. The booklet — entitled “Hope” — took its cue from the history of Peter, a figure close and familiar even to the Catholic world, but puts an emphasis on his faith in Christ as the true rock on which the Church exists. The goal was to invite the reader to reflect on the grace of Jesus: a grace that reconciles with God and transforms life.

10,000 books in a week 

To distribute the books, Gospel Publishing Mission brought a group of 15 volunteers to Rome from the USA, while we launched a local appeal, bringing in help from 10 evangelical churches. Some churches also contributed by making their spaces available to receive and distribute the boxes of booklets. 

In September, over the course of a week, volunteers scattered to different areas across the centre of Rome, and more than 10,000 copies were distributed. Sometimes the task wasn't easy. Many people, seeing the title “Hope”, immediately sensed the spiritual content and rejected the booklet. More than once, I was met with the response: "It's religious; I'm not interested." At first, these rejections were frustrating and tested our motivation.

As the days went by, however, we also saw how God was opening doors. With some tourists, starting with simple requests for information, sincere conversations were created, which lasted tens of minutes, talking about the grace of Jesus and the wonder of the gospel. In another case, a lady, struck by the attitude of some volunteers, insisted on offering them a cappuccino. Another lady, caught off guard by the title, shared her deep doubts, asking questions that had been buried for a long time. With some, we prayed together, we listened to the testimonies of others, and, after each conversation, we entrusted those lives to God. 

In the bleak deserts of the crowds many “noes”, God continued to lead us to an oasis of meetings full of hope. In a concrete and often unexpected way, the Lord reminded us that He is at work and that every occasion is born of His initiative.

The story of Peter always remains an excellent starting point to tell of a life transformed by a real encounter with Jesus, and makes evident, even today, the power of the “follow me” of Christ. We continue to trust that even simple tools can become real opportunities to witness to the gospel. 

For this reason, as we still have some copies of the book remaining, we invite those interested in collaborating or receiving copies of the booklets for similar initiatives to get in touch with OM in Italia. 

*Jubilee year in 2025 was a time for celebration, and saw millions of pilgrims visiting Rome seeking spiritual renewal and a stronger connection to their faith.