Full-Circle Evangelism
D.W.'s Story
Years ago, a nine-year-old boy named D.W. and his family accepted Jesus and joined the church through evangelism. But they weren't well connected with a local congregation, and sadly, in time, they lost touch with church.
RELATIONSHIPS ARE ESSENTIAL
D.W.’s mother made some mistakes and ended up in prison. The church noticed that the family hadn't been to church in a while—but instead of reaching out, they disfellowshipped the family.
Then when D.W.’s father died, the boy turned to cocaine. And before long, he was hooked.
Throughout all the pain and addiction, D.W. never forgot what he learned. He believed in the truth of the Bible, but he didn't return to church . . . because no one ever reached out.
Evangelism built only on knowledge will always fall flat. Relationships are vital to the Gospel commission! Your gift today can help train people to be wonderful friends, mentors, and evangelists for Christ, effectively sharing the Good News with others.
COCAINE DOWN THE DRAIN
After years away, an old school friend reached out and invited D.W. to be part of a 10-day prayer event at church. Deeply touched by the messages, D.W. gave his heart back to Christ.
One night during the event, he flushed his cocaine down the church toilet. And he never looked back.
D.W. began volunteering at the local Adventist school, camp, and church. He became part of the church in a meaningful way. D.W. had a new purpose in life.
D.W. as a young Adventist
FROM ADDICT TO CHURCH PLANTER
Soon D.W. was asked to reopen and pastor the Point Pleasant Seventh-day Adventist Church, a church that had dwindled down to four members before finally being closed completely.
When D.W. and his wife Amber arrived at the empty church, the entire interior was covered in mold, from the walls to the pews. But D.W.? He was excited.
“I was like a kid!” exclaims D.W. Eager to fill the church with new believers, he jumped into church planting with both feet and a bottle of bleach.
STEPS TO REBUILD A DEAD CHURCH
Step number one for building back a church: prayer. Step number two? Finding evangelistic resources. He reached out to the Voice of Prophecy.
Thanks to donor support, we were able to provide D.W. with some of our most powerful evangelistic tools and training.
“We did evangelism just to revitalize the church at first,” says D.W. “Once our hearts were ready to receive newcomers, we could begin evangelism to others.”
One of the first events the church hosted was our short evangelistic series Final Empire. Following the series, two people joined D.W.’s church through baptism. Soon the church was filling up. In less than a year, it went from zero members and closed doors to 40 members and 20 attending each week!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
D.W.'s “dead” church now has three teams giving dozens of Bible studies every week, and the church board receives evangelistic training every month.
If he ever has a question or needs some guidance, D.W. knows who to call. He stays in regular contact with our evangelism team, and we take the time to answer his questions and provide support and encouragement for him and his church.
Taking the time—it’s almost an unstated motto here at the Voice of Prophecy. More and more churches are noticing our approach and turning to us because of it. But the only way we can sustain this level of personalized care is through your support.
Our team is committed to giving pastors like D.W. and their churches the evangelistic training and tools they need to effectively build relationships in their communities.
To help the Voice of Prophecy support pastors like D.W. in relationship evangelism, please consider donating today.
Your donation's impact:
- Mentor local leaders to bring revival to their churches
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Equip churches with tools to reach their community
- Evangelize communities with the hope found in Jesus