GMO: As an Online Missionary, what kinds of questions do you typically answer?
KEN: That is a tough question. I don’t think there is a typical question. There have been financial questions, family problems, and, of course, questions about salvation and the Holy Spirit. I tell my Contacts they can ask me anything.
SHARON: One of the first responses an Online Missionary may encounter is a Contact who reaches out but doesn’t indicate a decision. I try to get a conversation going with a few questions. Some contacts will not respond at all. If they don’t respond, I send a Gospel presentation for them to see in print. They have probably also heard [the Gospel] in the link they came to us through. This repetition of the Gospel reinforces the message.
GMO: As you know, we share the Gospel online by running ads across Google and Meta and through our website resources. When you begin an online chat with a Contact who wants to explore God or their faith, what is your first step
SHARON: I want to find out where the Contact is in their faith by asking a few questions. What do they know? What do they believe? What is their next step? Why did they contact us? Because you want them to take the next step [in their faith journey].
GMO: What is your next step when someone indicates a decision for Christ?
SHARON: I often have to clarify the person’s decision for Christ first. I do this by asking a few questions to learn more about their personal faith decision, like ‘What do you believe?’
KEN: “I send them information to accept Christ and always include a personal prayer. Then, I start sending them Bible lessons.
GMO: What type of training do you receive as a volunteer?
KEN: I watched the training videos and took the tests and quizzes provided as well as talked to leaders above me.
SHARON: I spent time in the training manuals, helpful hints, and our Facebook group, asking others what they were using that was working.
GMO: What happens when a Contact says hello but doesn’t ask you a specific question?
SHARON: Sometimes, the Contact merely says, ‘Hello or How are you?’ and does not reply past their greeting. I give each Contact at least two opportunities to respond in conjunction with some type of biblical material to consider. The exciting days are when a person says, ‘I want to know Jesus as my Savior. How do I do this? Or ‘What’s the next step if I’ve decided to follow Jesus?’ or even, ‘Nice to communicate with you. Indeed, I would like Jesus to be my Savior. I want to grow in my faith. How do I do this?’
GMO: What if someone isn’t ready to accept Jesus? Does a Contact’s uncertainty about salvation and the questions they ask open the door for them to hear more about Jesus?
SHARON: Yes, I ask them to expand on their comment. Do you have questions about the Bible? What do you think God is like? Who is Jesus to you? Often, I include information about the Bible or Bible verses about Jesus. Sometimes, they have a need. The most common ones are:
- Pray for me and ask God for His blessing upon me and my family
- Pray for my health or pray for a sick family member
- Pray for a financial breakthrough or a job
KEN: I was taught a helpful tip [through GMO’s volunteer training]: I act as if they had accepted Jesus and pray for them accordingly. This then opens up a dialog that sometimes leads to salvation.
GMO: How do you handle challenging and complex prayer requests?
SHARON: I pray with them and share how God loves us. I explain that we cannot provide physical help (food or money), we can introduce them to Jesus.
KEN: I, of course, pray with them and then start them on a Bible study.
GMO: We all have challenging days or times when we aren’t motivated. How do you remain so ministry-focused?
KEN: On December 02, 2021, I lost my wife to COVID. As I sat with her in the hospital, I was in the middle of a spiritual conversation through GMO. As soon as she passed, I continued this ministry with GMO. In the middle of the night, when I cannot sleep, I will get up and login to our GMO site to chat with those exploring their faith. There is nothing that satisfies me more than helping others. It helps me to do this.
GMO: Have you ever encountered unkind people, and how do you handle that?
SHARON: Once in a while, a Contact will write to me mocking Christianity or claiming it is false. On rare occasions, you connect with someone who tells you to keep your faith to yourself or stop telling others about Jesus. Other times, you get people who are of another religion telling you that their religion is better. Most of these are not the closed doors that they appear to be. I will ask why they think their belief is true, which often encourages more conversation about the Gospel.
KEN: I rarely encounter unkind people, but I treat them kindly.
GMO: What have you found most surprising about communicating online with Contacts?
SHARON: Sometimes, a person who doesn’t reply to your first or second attempt will respond to some of our core discipleship content like Look to Jesus, 30 Days Next Steps, or a devotional that one of GMO’s ministries sends out. This can happen weeks, months, or even years later. What a nice surprise when they didn’t respond to your [initial] emails, and you hear from them later.
GMO: So even when a person says they aren’t interested in learning about Jesus, is it possible they will return to the Gospel message later and accept Jesus as their Savior?
SHARON: Yes, they may open up to you about a problem in their life. They might ask questions about dealing with a family or work situation and even ask for prayer. This happens even more with those receiving Bible studies with me.
GMO: Which type of question or message do you enjoy responding to most?
SHARON: I most enjoy the questions from people who have come to faith and love getting our Bible studies. They will tell me, ‘Please keep sending me Bible studies. I learn so much from them.’ Some people are in places where they don’t have access to solid Bible teaching or a church that teaches the Bible [because we receive messages from all over the world]. When a Contact knows what the Bible teaches, they are less likely to be a victim of false teachers. They can also share what they learn with others, creating more disciples. Through their online discipleship with an OM, the Contact has someone with whom they can ask Bible questions or request prayer.
KEN: Those about salvation.
GMO: How has serving as an Online Missionary impacted your life? What are some of the joys you have experienced as a volunteer?
KEN: This has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I started out teaching school and then was called into ministry. I did that full-time for about 28 years. When I retired, I kept working with the youth at the church and even taught Special Education. When I moved to Kentucky, I thought my ministry days were over, but then I learned about GMO.
One of the joys I’ve personally experienced is when two people who had been trying to have children for years had a child. The biggest joy is when people find the Lord. Some Contacts tell me every single time what a blessing the lessons are. It is also a joy when Muslims become Christians.
SHARON: You will make friends worldwide in many different cultures. These are people you will see in heaven someday! Your Contacts will bless you with their insights and enthusiasm for Jesus. You will be surprised at how people from every part of the world are just like you and have many of the same struggles. You will learn how to explain theological concepts and grow in your faith as you help others.
GMO: What is your favorite thing about serving?
KEN: It allows me to minister to people. I have a conviction that the Holy Spirit matches Contacts and Online Missionaries (OM’s) together for his purpose. When you begin a conversation with a new Contact, you never know what the person on the other side needs.
GMO: Thanks so much for sitting down with us today! It’s amazing to hear how God has used you to serve others and how you have personally grown spiritually. As we close our time, what is one piece of advice you would share with someone interested in volunteering with GMO?
SHARON: You will have to dig for truth to answer a Contact’s questions, and it might take a little while before you feel more comfortable handling the Word of God [and the theological questions you sometimes get]. However, as you interact more, you will feel more comfortable praying for others and helping them understand the Word of God and what it means to trust Jesus.
KEN: You must realize that for many of your Contacts, you are the only believer they will ever know. What we do is a sacred trust, so we must treat it as such. I have recruited several Online Missionaries, also. I don’t know how many because many of my Contacts have told me they want to do this, so I have given them the information (those who have accepted Christ and are growing in their faith).
If you want to grow personally in your faith and help others learn about Jesus online, apply to be an online volunteer today.
*Names have been changed for security reasons.
