Salt and Light: A Global Perspective

Becky Pippert is a an author and a speaker, once described by Chuck Colson as one of the “liveliest and most effective communicators of the gospel in the world today.” She and her husband, Dick, founded Salt Shaker Ministries, a global evangelism training ministry, through which she has trained and equipped churches and college students on six continents. She is the author of Out of the Salt Shaker, Hope Has Its Reasons, and several other books, including Uncovering the Life of Jesus, released by The Good Book Company. Dick and Becky have four adult children and one granddaughter and, for the past 5 years, have been primarily based in the U.K. for extended international ministry.

Do you find significant differences in evangelism in the various countries you visit?

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There are, of course, unique cultural differences in every country, but let me touch on the similarities, especially in the West:

• The fears are the same. What if I offend? What if I am rejected and lose the friendship? Can I raise the topic of faith naturally? What if they ask me a question I can’t answer? How do I communicate the gospel in a way that’s culturally relevant yet biblically faithful?
• In their hearts, most believers want to share their faith. There’s nearly always someone they wish they could reach. However, they hesitate because most Christians see evangelism negatively, as something you wouldn’t do to your best friend. They think it’s memorizing techniques to use on unsuspecting victims.
• Yet many feel inadequate. They still see evangelism as an “event” (instead of a lifestyle) that’s best left to professionals.
• One thing is a bit distinctive with Americans. Many conflate justice and evangelism. Both are important, but they’re distinct. Sharing the gospel is the means of salvation. Justice applies the truth of the gospel.

How can we overcome these obstacles?

If the church is to be evangelistically vital, we must bathe everything in prayer. Without the power of the Spirit, we’ll see no fruit; it’s that simple. We also need to communicate truth through God’s Word in a way that’s accessible and relational.

Then, we need to do three things. First, provide training in personal evangelism focusing first on what we believe because it’s our theology that impacts our methodology. Second, offer training in small group evangelism—begin with introducing Seeker Bible Study and then follow with Christianity Explored. Third, do some kind of evangelistic outreach event.

Can you tell us more about Seeker Bible Studies?

At the right time, after engaging in friendship and listening to questions, we invite unbelievers to look at Jesus. Seeker Bible Studies are question-based studies for seekers and skeptics, not Christians. They reveal Jesus through the power of God’s Word, not a slick program or gimmick. They invite people who might be turned off by the church but curious about Jesus, to come into our home, where they can be with people like them, people with lots of unanswered questions. The greatest shortcut to evangelism (apart from praying and developing authentic relationships) is focusing on the person of Jesus, because he’s irresistible! Whether or not they become Christians, even the most cynical have been drawn to him.

Can you tell us a little more about your discipleship course, Live, Grow, Know?

In response to several requests from churches, we wanted to create a tool to help recent converts, people almost ready to make a commitment to Christ, and mature Christians grow in their faith. So I wrote a three-part series, each part containing five Bible studies plus a DVD curriculum. Live is for the almost-there or the recent convert. Grow is for the growing believer. Know addresses core doctrine and is for all believers.