I set a challenge to the team who joined me on the streets of St Andrews from New Wine Scotland to come up with ideas to connect their faith with people through offering a gift. The exercise is simple. I give them a tray and £10 to spend on whatever they would like. Easy. The teams chose:

Chocolate, flowers, cakes, ice creams and even some candles were used; and of course… How could I forget the something that was slightly unusual, tinned fish! Yet this fishy strange free gift connected with many people and much to my surprise it seemed to work. I even had to send someone off to the shops to buy more fish! Every time I checked on the fish give-a-way people were in deep conversation. With the fish there were plenty of ‘tales’ as people heard how Jesus calls his friends to be ‘fisher of people.’

The person who gave fish away commented that this was an idea that she believed was somehow heavenly inspired. It is amazing what happens when we are obedient to those unusual ideas!