A number of years ago I was working with Steve Stewart and Impact Nations. One Thursday Steve decided we should all go hand out lunch bags for kids in a subsidized housing complex in Vancouver. We went shopping, assembled a bunch of sandwiches, prayed and set out.

I was paired up with my friend Greg, a PhD who’s day job was inventing a new drug (worth billions) to cure some heart disease. And I’ve got a background in computer science. So clearly, we were socially prepared for what we were about to encounter. Nope.

We took our box of lunch bags, dutifully knocked on people’s doors and asked if they’d like lunches for their kids for school tomorrow. They generally said yes and took the bags. Would you like prayer? No thanks. Bye…. And repeat until the lunches were all gone and we went to fill up with more.

On our way back we bumped into Steve, who was having a much better time at it, so we tagged along to watch how he was doing it:

“Look at all the bicycles up on that balcony; let’s go up there.”

• Observation #1: You can listen to the Holy Spirit for where to go, instead of just going to the next door

“Hi, I’m Steve and this is my wife Christina. How are you?”

• Observation #2: You can be friendly and connect with people instead of just getting the task done

“We’re handing out bag lunches for kids’ school tomorrow. There are sandwiches, cookies, an apple and two kinds of juice boxes.”

• Observation #3: You can view the situation from their eyes and answer their unspoken questions instead of just performing your duty

“How many kids do you have?”

• Observation #4: You can assume they want to receive the gift instead of feeling insecure about your vulnerability in offering it

“We’ve been praying for some of your neighbours and seen God answer in remarkable ways. One of them over there just receiving healing.”

• Observation #5: You can build up their faith with stories instead of just expecting them to make the leap themselves

“How could we pray for you?”

• Observation #6: You can actually succeed at inviting people to encounter Jesus in under two minutes

The lady got her husband and they shared their struggles. Steve prayed. There were tears and hugs. Having seen it modelled, Greg and I set off with an entirely different mindset.

Without believing that God is present, they’re just sandwiches. But with his love and power flowing through us, the kingdom of God is revealed.