August 2024
In This Edition....
Political & Social Unrest
Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes...
The Impact of One...
Mile Markers in Christianity
Political & Social Unrest and Appropriate Responses
We are in an environment of increasing political and social unrest. This is often manifested through aggressive demonstrations, antisemitism, hate speech, attempted assassinations, and terrorist attacks across the globe.
Although we each have personal political views, as a Ministry, we urge you to avoid engaging in political debates. Some guests have legitimate questions and many simply want to advance a false narrative or agenda. We encourage you to recognize the difference between those truly lost and confused and those who wish to create conflict.
As with all conversations, we urge you to look for the opportunity to pivot toward the Gospel, introducing the Grace of Christ. Share hope and grace without condemning or dividing. Encourage every guest that God wants to walk with them through these difficult seasons and has a plan and purpose for every one of us.
For more detailed information, including the Biblical Perspective as well as the Ministry Response, see our latest Training Article - Managing Conversations Dealing with Political and Civil Unrest which is now available on the Volunteer Training Portal.
https://needhimvolunteer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Managing-Conversations-Dealing-with-Political-and-Civil-Unrest-8-21-2024.pdf
Conversation Management...
"Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes"
Many of our guests are caught in a loop of despair or "bondage to sin". They struggle to alter their path, thus their attempts to change fail and the cycle of discouragement and addiction often deepen until they are buried. Many turn to drugs or alcohol to cover up or numb themselves to the realities. As Responders, we must gingerly and graciously help lead them to understand they CAN experience new life in Jesus Christ and freedom from their bondage. And as such, some things will and need to change.
Over the past several weeks, I have been conversing with a young man who is stuck in a porn addiction. I have provided him with multiple resources and had lengthy discussions on how to overcome the temptations and break the chains of addiction. The Seeker responds that they have tried it all before, that nothing worked, and that God has abandoned them, etc... They have a litany of excuses to support their continued failure.
As True Believers, we are in a battle as satan is working to destroy us on all fronts. We need to be prepared and arm ourselves as we battle the onslaught. After many exchanges, I hit him with the statement, that "Change Is a Choice" and that as a True Believer (which I believe he is), you often need to drive a stake in the ground and change the narrative.
Next, I gave him the assignment to memorize Romans 6:1-11 and after a week, he indicated it "did not work". I dug deeper and determined he had flippantly "read" it hoping it was the "Magic Bean" to fix his life, but to no avail. I drove deeper after that and let him know that he must absorb the scriptures and allow them to renew his mind resulting in a change of behavior. That he needs to armor up and get into the Battle. To take steps to overcome. I let him know that "Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes".
The light bulb finally went off and he now gets it. He agreed to dig into scripture, memorize, and internalize it, and to stand on truth. He further needs to add blocking software to his devices and to seek local accountability through his Bible Study Leader or Pastor. He gets it now and is prayerfully moving rightly. The battle still rages but understanding that Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes is a key component in helping Seekers learn to overcome.
The Impact of One...
But Can I Really Make a Difference?
The Ministry has Responders from ages 19 to 96 representing 28 Countries and Territories. As a Ministry Staff, we truly value each of you and spend time weekly praying for you. We realize that volunteering often comes with challenges. We all experience seasons where serving may be difficult and we appreciate and recognize that. We are eternally thankful for every conversation you take.
As a Ministry, we pray for God to provide the Responders needed to manage the incoming conversations. If you log in and see a plethora of Team Members present, you may conclude that you are unnecessary. Please do not make that assumption as some Responders may be dedicating their time on the phone while others may be in system training, etc. Don't draw a conclusion based on numbers. Make sure the Inbox is open on your Navigation Panel and allow the Spirit to lead you. You may be the exact right Responder for the needs of the next Seeker. Allow God to work here.
The Ministry misses over one hundred incoming Chat Conversations every single day. We unapologetically ask you to help us minimize this so we can reach our eternal goal of meeting every need, every day.
I was recently reminded by one of our longest-tenured volunteers (over 23 years) how impactful that "one" additional conversation can be. She remarked that God often wakes her and she will log into Echo to take Just One More. I share this not to make anyone feel guilty but to ask you to pray about this. It may be one more conversation or it may be one more friend that you could share Need Him Global with and encourage to volunteer with us.
There is incredible power in "one conversation" by "one volunteer" impacting the life of "one lost soul".
Blessings upon you and your families and thank you for each conversation you take. You may never see the impact of that "one divine appointment” until you are celebrating in heaven.
Mile Markers in Christianity
As True Believers, we are new creations and have begun a life-altering Spiritual Journey. And on this journey, we should be passing "Mile Markers", not as a legalistic approach, but rather a general direction of healthy spiritual growth and development. As Responders, part of our opportunity is to assess and ascertain where each guest is along this path and help encourage growth and development.
As Believers, we should be spending Time in the Word, and setting aside Dedicated Prayer Time, as we seek the direction of God. We should invest in and Be Part of Community while Serving Others. As we continue to grow, Scripture Memorization is key as we develop our evangelism muscles to begin Sharing our Faith.
We encourage you to look for ways to help move seekers along their own journey recognizing and establishing Mile Markers along the way.
In closing, please know that we are incredibly grateful for each of you giving your time to "respond" to those with questions and to share the Gospel. Please let us know if we can be praying for you in a specific way. Blessings to you...
Need Him Global - - - Chris, Pete, Julie, Karen and Cathy
