How to Increase Gospel Sharing in an…

When it comes to sharing the Gospel, service-oriented organizations like New Mercies often need to balance meeting the needs of the vulnerable, while at the same time providing the most important news anyone will hear. While being mindful of timing and cultural differences, we never want to compromise our mission of proclaiming the love of Jesus.

The Gospel is the foundation for what we do at New Mercies, fueling our efforts to stand in the gap for families in crisis. We seek to replicate in a small way what Christ has provided for us, grace and support in time of need. The kind of unconditional love and service that expects nothing in return. In offering this model of relationship, we seek to show what families can experience on a much greater scale by stepping into their own relationship with Jesus. If we do not share this message verbally with those we serve, we miss the central aspect of our ministry. But how does this happen naturally without pressuring a conversation?

In offering this model of relationship, we seek to show what families can experience on a much greater scale by stepping into their own relationship with Jesus. If we do not share this message verbally with those we serve, we miss the central aspect of our ministry.

Having a template to follow that ensures every family we serve hears the Gospel is not the solution or what we see modeled in Scripture. This can make sharing the Gospel another box to check instead of a loving call to repentance and faith in Christ and ongoing relationship with the Lord. With this in mind, a recent story from one of our Host Families illustrates a few natural and beautiful ways to share about Christ.

Two of our host parents shared about how they included the children they were hosting in their family devotion routine. Each night when they tucked the kids into bed, the host parents would sing Jesus Loves Me and do their normal devotion time. They shared that the older child especially seemed to like this routine. She even began expecting it before she went to sleep.

There was no format or structure that the Host Family followed. They organically incorporated the children being hosted into their normal family life, which was already centered around Jesus. The children experienced daily routines in the life of a believing family, hearing truths about the Lord from caring people they trusted. This may be the first time these kids were exposed to the Gospel message, and it was all done in an organic setting.

The children experienced daily routines in the life of a believing family, hearing truths about the Lord from caring people they trusted.

One important note is that the host parents were not trying to push the children in their home to agree with what they were sharing. There was no pressure to agree or express belief. That would have been taking advantage of a trusting relationship, not sharing truth with integrity and waiting for the Spirit to work. Instead, the host parents faithfully continued their normal routines centered around Christ. The kids in their home heard Gospel truth—and there were no strings attached. Just the Gospel message.

There may not be immediate or measurable results with this approach to sharing the Gospel, but a seed is sown. Months or even years down the road, those we serve, like the children in this home, may remember the kind people who first told them about Jesus. The Spirit may use these truth seeds in unexpected and powerful ways. Our hope for volunteers and staff is to continue to share the Gospel while doing life with the families we serve. As life circumstances arise, we can organically share truths in relationships. Families will by God’s grace see our hope behind the services provided, and hope plus truth is a powerful equation for life transformation.