Welcome-Mat Missions

During Ken and Carol Lottis’ 22 years as missionaries in Curitiba, a major university city in Brazil, colleagues and supporters raised their eyebrows over the Lottises’ evangelistic practices. Why? The Lottises rarely invited people to church.

“We didn’t approach evangelism in a conventional way [for that time],” Ken says. “We chose to invite nonbelievers into our home on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons, rather than to invite them to church on Sunday morning. Our aim was to do whatever it took to become friends with students. In the process, we hoped they would see how the Gospel impacted our lives.”

Not surprisingly, the Lottises became well-known among Curitiba university students. Their home was a popular hangout for skeptics, atheists and even Marxists. The coffee pot was always on and extra place settings common. After gaining the trust of their visitors, Ken and Carol often read the Bible with them.

“Many of those who became Christians were initially not interested in the Bible discussions,” Ken admits with a smile. “But the students came around because they enjoyed being in our home, observing our marriage and hanging around our kids.”

Stateside

When the Lottises returned to the U.S., they adopted the same evangelistic approach. They learned the language of personal values, observed the culture and saw their home as a place of ministry where they could develop friendships with their Seattle neighbors.

“Once settled in, we started inviting people over,” Ken recalls. “Although we had found a church nearby that we attended on Sundays, we were most interested in connecting with college students, business contacts and neighbors who weren’t all that interested in church or God.”

As in Curitiba, the Lottises often gathered new friends around the dinner table to discuss books, movies, current events and sports. In the midst of the conversations, Carol and Ken focused on asking questions rather than offering their own observations.

“Asking questions is key,” Ken says. “Not only does it express interest in what another person values, but it also allows you to learn about [his] worldview. Asking questions also allows you to direct the conversation — but in a direction you’d like it to go.”

Over time

In Brazil, the Lottises learned that evangelism is a process. “It wasn’t unusual for two years to pass while we accompanied a friend on a personal faith journey. We focused on being a good friend, not on producing converts,” Ken says.

Ken’s friendship with Bob is an example. They met at a racquetball club. After working up a sweat one day, they cooled down over lunch. Ken could tell that Bob had been turned off by church. But months of lunch conversations soon became years of listening and asking Bob questions that frequently included spirituality. Ken invited Bob to family events, and Bob invited Ken’s family to his parties.

“Sometimes we’d do a Brazilian style barbecue and talk about Bob’s love for boating,” Carol recalls. “In turn, Bob entertained us on his boat where we’d share a meal, great conversation and laughter as we cruised around Lake Washington.” A deep friendship developed that Bob describes as a relationship of equals. “Our friendship transcends religion,” Bob says. “I am more to them than just someone who needs to be ‘ministered to.’ ”

When Bob met his future wife, Tess, she wanted to find a church to attend together. So Ken and Carol hosted them at their church. They introduced them to the pastor who later performed Bob and Tess’ wedding and even welcomed them as members.

Friends first

Similar scenarios have played out as Ken and Carol continue to focus on making friends for Jesus’ sake. They’ve learned how to identify a spiritual hunger in others by asking questions. They’ve also had to wait for God’s timing to share about His Word.

“I recently spent time with a group of guys at a University of Washington fraternity house,” Ken says. “As I got to know the students, I began to ask them what they would want said about themselves at their funeral. After getting over the shock of such a morbid question, they confided hopes and dreams for their future. Such goals not only revealed their view of the world but also told me a lot about their spiritual aptitude.”

For Ken and Carol, friendship evangelism is second nature. Every day, they expect to see the Holy Spirit at work as they focus on loving others whether through watching a soccer game, sipping coffee or meeting at a local market.

True, it may be easier to invite your nonbelieving neighbors to church than into your home, but according to Ken and Carol, it may not be nearly as effective, or as much fun.