Find the graveyard. Hang out with your team. Start talking with people.
Find a Place of Significance
Every village in this part of Asia has its places of community significance. It might be a tree of blessing, a hill, a spot near a river or a memorial. My personal favorite is the graveyard, because it holds so many possibilities.
It won’t take long for a crowd to start gathering to observe the three or four strangers. A couple foreigners are fascinating, but so are a couple of Asian outsiders; and more intriguing yet is that they are visiting the village together. Simply smile and start asking friendly questions about life in the village, its history, even try to get a tour later.
Ask deeper questions too, about religious practices, and perspectives on life and death, since you are near a graveyard bustling with activity concerned with ancestors. Enjoy learning about how blessings and curses work, and how people find happiness and deal with sadness. Have the whole team participate.
These are universal topics of interest that allow us to share hopes and compassion with one another. Listen even more closely, and prayerfully, for how the Gospel might uniquely get through, or sink into, the hearts and minds of these people who have never heard.
Hold a Deeper Conversation
By now, there are probably 50 people hanging out, watching, listening and participating. Tell a story of two about your own family, or how your team got to know one another and why you are interested in exploring new cultures.
Read part of Genesis 1-3, a very brief part, and then tell the whole story in your own words. As a team, talk about God the Creator and His creation. Talk about goodness and beauty. Talk about evil and sin. Make sure to talk about angels and demons, because they already know about them. Make sure to talk about humanity as unique among living creatures, possessing a soul, being created in God’s image, but now fallen, because they know nothing about this. Be patient and prayerful as the conversation flows along.
Read part of Revelation 19-21, a very brief part, and then tell the whole story in your own words. As a team, talk about eternity. Talk about personhood, body and soul. Talk about the resurrection to come. Talk about sin, heaven and hell, the end of the world and the New Heavens and New Earth. Go back and talk a lot more about heaven, in detail. Be patient and prayerful as the conversation keeps moving along.
After 30 minutes or so the crowd will be a little smaller. The critics will mostly be gone. The main questioners for the group will stay, and many interested listeners. Enjoy this large group discussion that will go even deeper still.
Leave Them with Hope and Anticipation
Now it is time to read part of a Gospel, just one story that illustrates salvation. Make sure it is a story, and make sure it is clear in its meaning. Make sure it will be simple through translation. Then retell the story in your own words and clarify the meaning for everyone.
Talk about Jesus Christ as Son of God become Man. Talk about His coming into the world. Talk about His works and words. Give examples. Tell a story or two about how He has changed your life. Have a couple different team members share.
Of course, you must tell the main story about the Cross and Resurrection. Take your time with this. Make sure your teammates are all participating and praying. Talk about how Jesus, and only Jesus, removes our guilt and shame before God. Talk about holiness and purity.
Definitely spend time talking about how He breaks the power of sin, and overcomes the power of the evil one and demonic forces and curses. Talk about His power to bring blessings, and in all their varied forms. Talk about peace and fear. Tell the story about His current rule from Heaven, and His coming return and future glory.
Tell your story. Explain how to become a Christian. But, please don’t have them raise their hands to receive Jesus, or any other such American silliness. Let them think. Let the Spirit do His work. Simply, challenge them to talk honestly among themselves about your conversation this day.
Be Practical and Humble
Leave them with further Gospel information in print and in video. Exchange contact information with those most interested, especially the leaders. Let them know that your Asian friends will return. It is your Asian partners that best know how to do ministry and church planting among near culture unreached Asians, in the first place. You are simply a partner and a catalyst. So, pray for their follow up, resource them, pray for them, and rejoice with them in the harvest!
Find a Place of Significance
Every village in this part of Asia has its places of community significance. It might be a tree of blessing, a hill, a spot near a river or a memorial. My personal favorite is the graveyard, because it holds so many possibilities.
It won’t take long for a crowd to start gathering to observe the three or four strangers. A couple foreigners are fascinating, but so are a couple of Asian outsiders; and more intriguing yet is that they are visiting the village together. Simply smile and start asking friendly questions about life in the village, its history, even try to get a tour later.
Ask deeper questions too, about religious practices, and perspectives on life and death, since you are near a graveyard bustling with activity concerned with ancestors. Enjoy learning about how blessings and curses work, and how people find happiness and deal with sadness. Have the whole team participate.
These are universal topics of interest that allow us to share hopes and compassion with one another. Listen even more closely, and prayerfully, for how the Gospel might uniquely get through, or sink into, the hearts and minds of these people who have never heard.
Hold a Deeper Conversation
By now, there are probably 50 people hanging out, watching, listening and participating. Tell a story of two about your own family, or how your team got to know one another and why you are interested in exploring new cultures.
Read part of Genesis 1-3, a very brief part, and then tell the whole story in your own words. As a team, talk about God the Creator and His creation. Talk about goodness and beauty. Talk about evil and sin. Make sure to talk about angels and demons, because they already know about them. Make sure to talk about humanity as unique among living creatures, possessing a soul, being created in God’s image, but now fallen, because they know nothing about this. Be patient and prayerful as the conversation flows along.
Read part of Revelation 19-21, a very brief part, and then tell the whole story in your own words. As a team, talk about eternity. Talk about personhood, body and soul. Talk about the resurrection to come. Talk about sin, heaven and hell, the end of the world and the New Heavens and New Earth. Go back and talk a lot more about heaven, in detail. Be patient and prayerful as the conversation keeps moving along.
After 30 minutes or so the crowd will be a little smaller. The critics will mostly be gone. The main questioners for the group will stay, and many interested listeners. Enjoy this large group discussion that will go even deeper still.
Leave Them with Hope and Anticipation
Now it is time to read part of a Gospel, just one story that illustrates salvation. Make sure it is a story, and make sure it is clear in its meaning. Make sure it will be simple through translation. Then retell the story in your own words and clarify the meaning for everyone.
Talk about Jesus Christ as Son of God become Man. Talk about His coming into the world. Talk about His works and words. Give examples. Tell a story or two about how He has changed your life. Have a couple different team members share.
Of course, you must tell the main story about the Cross and Resurrection. Take your time with this. Make sure your teammates are all participating and praying. Talk about how Jesus, and only Jesus, removes our guilt and shame before God. Talk about holiness and purity.
Definitely spend time talking about how He breaks the power of sin, and overcomes the power of the evil one and demonic forces and curses. Talk about His power to bring blessings, and in all their varied forms. Talk about peace and fear. Tell the story about His current rule from Heaven, and His coming return and future glory.
Tell your story. Explain how to become a Christian. But, please don’t have them raise their hands to receive Jesus, or any other such American silliness. Let them think. Let the Spirit do His work. Simply, challenge them to talk honestly among themselves about your conversation this day.
Be Practical and Humble
Leave them with further Gospel information in print and in video. Exchange contact information with those most interested, especially the leaders. Let them know that your Asian friends will return. It is your Asian partners that best know how to do ministry and church planting among near culture unreached Asians, in the first place. You are simply a partner and a catalyst. So, pray for their follow up, resource them, pray for them, and rejoice with them in the harvest!
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