When to Use the One Study Method
I want you to meet Darby and Nick Bethea. We often say during seminars that “conversions beget conversions and success begets success.” Several months ago, we met Perry and Ellen Bethea because they received the House to House/Heart to Heart publication. We invited them to our home and transitioned to a Bible study. We used Back to the Bible, and after the third lesson, they were baptized.

A couple of months ago we met their son Nick. He attended our Vacation Bible School. We immediately cultivated a relationship with him and his wife Darby. The Jacksonville church had done a great job sending cards to Darby during her spleen transplant and subsequent recovery.  The Compassion Card ministry is one of the tools we teach at the House to House/Heart to Heart School of Evangelism to develop relationships with local contacts. These cards helped cultivate the soil and gave them a positive feeling toward the church. We enjoyed dinner together on two occasions to build our relationship and develop trust. After the second dinner, we set up the Bible study.

Nicole and I were conflicted about how to proceed. Darby’s health, although improving, was fluid, and our schedule, along with Nick’s work and school made three Bible studies difficult to imagine. We decided to use the one method study called, Does It Matter. This is a combination of the three-method study, Back to the Bible. They did extremely well and understood the gospel. When they realized they had never experienced the “one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5) to be saved, we took them to be buried with their Lord in the watery grave of baptism and to rise to walk a new life (Romans 6:3-5). It was a wonderful day as Nick’s dad and mom (also new converts) were able to watch these new births.

When do we use the one method study? We never use it as a shortcut to save time. We use it when the prospect already has a basic knowledge of the truth, or when circumstances may not allow for three studies within a reasonable period of time. We immediately started Nick and Darby in our mentoring ministry and new converts class. Please pray for them as they grow in faith.

In His Service,
Rob Whitacre, Director HTHSOE