My name is Bereket Bekele (Blessing has come). I am on staff in Great Commission ministry Ethiopia, a ministry of campus Crusade for Christ international. Indigitous Addis has wide opened my eyes to harness the potential of digital strategies to help fulfill the Great Commission.
To be honest I am not a tech guy but I am passionate to share the Love of Jesus Christ using digital strategies. During the Indigitous Addis conference I heard about the potential of using WhatsApp for ministry. After the Indigitous Addis conference I began to use WhatsApp and added 77 friends.
During our World Cup Facebook Outreach first week (June 12-19,2014) I created a WhatsApp group and invited my Christian friends to do outreach on WhatsApp and pray for the Facebook outreach. I can cannot tell you how I enjoyed my WhatsApp ministry; very friendly, easy, low cost, fast and very interactive. It made me enjoy more when one of my friends received Jesus on WhatsApp. You know it!! God’s greatest joy is in the salvation of a lost person. God is so generous He gives this joy in abundance to those who partner with Him to save the Lost. Glory be to God. Today I have planned to begin the follow up.
Lessons Learned
More than we imagine people are using WhatsApp. When Tariku Fufa, Southern and Eastern Africa student led director, asked me to include WhatsApp training as part of national distance coaching training I said this app is not well known in Ethiopia. I have put my hand on my mouth because many people are already using the app.
Being open to change or new strategies is very important. My friend would not have made the decision to follow Jesus If I was not open to begin WhatsApp ministry. This also helped me to mobilize friends for Facebook Outreach prayer.
As Bill Bright said, “success in evangelism is taking the initiative and doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the result to God.”
Thank you and God bless you!