The Value of One Soul

I receive the "Jews for Jesus" Newsletter every so often, and while I am concerned about much of their Protestant (Reformed & Baptist) Christian theology, I appreciate their realistic understanding of evangelism. Here's an example from their February newsletter:

Tuvya Zaretsky reports, 'A Jewish seeker named Jennifer began her journey toward faith after her father died in 2005. A Christian friend spoke to her about chirst, but Jennifer had no basis to understand what she meant, so her friend recommended Jennifer to Jews for Jesus. After we ministered to her for two years, Jennifer prayed (with the Christian friend who referred her to us) to receive salvation in Jesus Christ....

This story is not atypical. Many of their stories mention people like Ari, who took a tract and perhaps was seeking, or maybe not. Or they speak of someone who is still asking questions after years.

On the whole, it seems Jews for Jesus doesn't take anything for granted. One person taking a tract is a victory for the Gospel. A woman asking questions is a grant opportunity. They realize that conversion to faith in Christ can take years, and when it happens, it drastically changes the lives of these people (though we may say it takes a lifetime). It's serious business and success is measured one soul at a time.

What a contrast with the mega-Evangelist approach, with those who boast that "thousands came to Christ" after one sermon, where success is measured in the dozens, hundreds, or thousands!