How We Do Evangelism in Haiti…

Are you prepared and ready?  We are ministers of the Gospel.  We are ministers of reconciliation.  We are to be on this mission.

We believe that every gospel conversation is unique and is a divine appointment to lift of the name of Jesus with love and grace and call people to repentance.  Here are a few firm convictions we have…

• We are not ashamed of the Gospel.  All believers are called to be on mission, declaring the good news of Jesus Christ in every place and in every nation to persuade others to place there faith in and follow Christ.
• Repentance leading to salvation is a change of mind (belief, confession, submission).  Behavioral fruit will follow, but are not a precondition for salvation.  Good works does not save.
• A successful Gospel conversation will always start in recognition of our own depravity, brokenness, sin, and need for grace.  Personal humility born out of our own pursuit of the Lord’s glory is required.
• There is not one way to do it.  You may have heard it called…  The Wordless Book, The Four Spiritual Laws, Way of the Master, Romans Road, Lifestyle Evangelism, Evangelism Explosion, Service Evangelism, and so many more.  These can/should all be used, and some seem to work better than others in certain contexts.  The method is helpful, but it should always take a back seat to the message.
• We ALWAYS do evangelism WITH a local church. A local church leader leads us to homes in the surrounding church community, is present during the conversation, takes names, and follows up after we leave.  Follow up is required.
• Culture must be considered.  In every conversation in life, to ensure good communication, you must consider the perspective of your listener, especially if your own perspective/culture is radically different.  In America, our culture is highly influenced by Guilt/Innocence.  Here in Haiti, and in many other places in the world, we operate in a culture more driven by Fear/Power and Honor/Shame.  Click links for example gospel presentations designed specifically for these cultures. Contextualization is required.
• It is the Lord who does the saving and he can use every effort for his purposes.  Therefore, we make effort, and we pray before, during and after all personal effort.
• We must be VERY careful to not allow the meeting of physical needs to trump spiritual needs, or cloud motivations.  Yet, meeting physical needs is an appropriate expression of the Gospel and honors the Lord.  As a general rule, the meeting of physical needs follows gospel conversations, and will only be done in unique circumstances when local national leaders deem appropriate.
• Preparation for clear communication is necessary.  It is important to be ready and clearly present the good news of Jesus and give people an opportunity to confess and make a decision to follow him.