INTRODUCTION

I Will Go – Relational Evangelism is the placing of emphasis on healthy relationships as the core channel and main driver of our various methods and modes of evangelism.

As an evangelism channel, relationship creates leverage to open witnessing engagements. Relational evangelism seeks to improve our social skills so that we can increase the range and quality of our social connections. These social connections may be forged in a wide variety of healthy ways which provide opportunities for sharing our faith, with emphasis on the Three Angels’ Message of Revelation 14:6-12.

As a driver of evangelistic fervour in the Cayman Islands, Relational Evangelism emphasizes the believers daily encounter with God through daily devotional experiences in which God reveals Himself to the believer and prompts him/her to participate in the mission of salvation as illustrated in Isaiah 8:6 and expressed in John 20:21 and Matthew 28:19-20.

This encounter-driven approach to evangelism will lead to more spontaneous personal witnessing engagements and increased membership participation planned evangelistic strategies (willingly).

NETWORKS OF RELATIONSHIPS

Through networks of connected relationships, new and established, each believer has unlimited possibilities to reach new persons. This expandable network of healthy and godly relationships will significantly expand mission potential while creating opportunities for believers to enhance their quality of life.

Forming and enhancing relationships is a natural / organic human approach to building influence and opening opportunities. These can be harnessed and used in a wide variety of direct and indirect evangelistic methods and activities.

POTENTIAL

The efficacy of relational evangelism is illustrated in John 1:35-46.

Through a network of relationships and shared interests, the first disciples of Jesus were reached and chosen by leveraging the influence that each one had on the other.

Relational Evangelism requires that believers are trained to develop and use social skills that enhance godly influence in established or new relationships. This relational influence will ultimately be used in personal, group or public evangelism.

SUITABILITY

Relational Evangelism is particularly suited to the evangelism context of the Cayman Islands for the following reasons:

The relative affluence of the people in the Cayman Islands significantly reduces the needs-driven attractor to religion.

The melting pot of cultures, ethnicities, and other social concerns creates distrust of strangers which is a barrier to reaching some cases and people groups.

Engaging new prospects through public evangelism and other traditional methods is being significantly restricted by the COVID 19 Pandemic and regulatory bureaucracy.

The forging of healthy and godly relationships that lead to membership accession will significantly assist with the membership retention challenges we face in the Cayman Islands.

ANCHOR TEXTS

ANCHORING TEXTS

John 1:35-46
Isaiah 8:6
Jeremiah 1:7-8
John 20:21
Matthew 28:19-20

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