How to Share the Gospel with Strangers

By Eric Barry, VP Training and Outreach

We are thanking the Lord for our recent Jonathan Training in Argentina! We were able to train a couple dozen Christian leaders in disciple-making movement principles. The great thing about Jonathan Training is that it’s hands-on. We don’t just do seminars, we apply everything we learn, right away.

That’s when I was able to see Violeta in action.

A Wonderful Older Argentine Lady with a Very Big Personality

We walked out as a big group on a Prayer Walk toward a very low income and dangerous barrio about 3 blocks from the church.  As we all crossed the street a motorcyclist stopped to let us all pass.  Violeta, a trainee, just engages this guy right in the middle of the street.  She’s a wonderful older Argentine lady with a very big personality.

Violeta engages a passing motorcyclist!  Boy, you gotta love this lady!!

Violeta would walk right up to people and say “Do you want to accept Christ?” Right out of the shoot and then it was unreal how she pressured them.  It wasn’t good.  She’d just stay on them until they caved in and prayed with her.

Humble and Gracious

I was walking with Hugo, a very passionate and evangelistic truck driver.  But I figured we’d better stay with this sister.  I watched her in action and as we walked, I said, “Sister Violeta, can I make a suggestion?”  She said “sure.”  I started telling her how amazing and courageous she was, how wonderfully bold, how we all need to be that way – that she inspired Hugo and me – that we admired her!  And Hugo was saying, “yes, yes!  You’re wonderful!”

“But honestly, my dear sister, I think because you have such a great amount of personal charisma that people are saying “yes” because they don’t know how to tell you “no.”

“Remember how we learned the RAMP?  I’d like you to share the Gospel, and then invite them to learn more about what it means to follow Jesus.  Use the RAMP and your testimony as tools to start a relationship with the folks you share with. The Lord would love for you to not only pray with people but also to teach them to follow His Son – to help them become disciples that make disciples.  Does this make sense?

Well, she was amazingly humble and gracious.  “Oh, yes, I can see that’s better.  Please teach me – I came here to learn!”

Wow! I love this lady, I thought.

An Eager Mom

So, on to the next person.  We approached a young mother pushing a baby boy in a stroller.  We asked if we could pray for her and ask God to bless her.  She smiled and said, “sure, why not?”

We prayed and asked God to bless her.  Her son was squirming and fussing the whole time.  And I kept trying to console him and so did Violeta.  But despite the squirming, Mom stayed and kept talking with us after the prayer.  I commented that I could see she believed in prayer and asked about her spiritual background.

She was a Catholic but she wasn’t attending church anywhere.  I asked her if I could share with her why I follow Jesus.  She said “yes.”  I was kind of surprised because I figured she’d want to move along because of how her son was fussing. But she just picked him up, he kept fussing, and we kept talking.

I asked her if I could share with her why I follow Jesus and using the RAMP, I shared the Gospel with her and then asked, “Do you believe this?”  “Yes. I do.”  And then she asks, “Are you folks with a church? Where can I meet with you?”

“Yes, we are with a church – right here close by.  We meet tomorrow at 10:30. We’d love to have you come.”   She told us she’d see us tomorrow.  Violeta was so grateful!  “I can see I’ve been doing it wrong – thank you so much!”

We walked away praising God and grateful for connecting us with people like Violeta that are eager to make an impact for Christ and humble enough to be taught how to do so.