This is part 2 of a four-part series about Search for Jesus volunteers who counsel and share the Gospel with online visitors at PeaceWithGod.net.
About a year ago, Dennis got an email from a well-known Christian organization. It was nothing unusual—he gets them all the time—but what he found that day became his personal ministry a year later.
His journey to that point actually began a few years earlier. Dennis had been living in Nebraska when he lost his job as a software engineer. He had to be 62 and have 10 years with the company to retire, but he was 61 and had only nine years and 11 months.
When he finally got to the other side of the ordeal, he realized that God had taken care of him the entire time.
“He was so good to me,” Dennis said. Inspired, the retired father of five rededicated his life to Christ and decided to find a personal ministry. “I said, ‘Lord, my life is yours.'” Soon after, Dennis started leading devotions at a nursing home and talking to his neighbors about God.
Around the same time, Dennis had a thought: Wouldn’t it be nice to have a website where Christians share their faith on a scheduled basis? He began praying about it.
Eventually, leading the elderly in devotions wasn’t working out anymore, and Dennis—now living in Texas—again searched for a way to serve God. That’s when he received an email from the large Christian organization and learned about for Search for Jesus.
Dennis now chats with people around the world who find the ministry’s evangelistic website, PeaceWithGod.net. The site takes visitors through the Gospel using video, testimonies and Scripture, and allows them to ask personal questions through a chat tool manned by trained Christians called e-counselors.
Dennis is one of more than 60 e-counselors in this relatively new ministry. “I can do it anytime and as much as I want,” he said. “It’s really rewarding.”
Some people have questions; others want a person to pray with them. Dennis often types out a prayer line by line.
“I enjoy praying not just for people but with them,” he said. He’s led some people to the Lord, but deflects all credit.
“The Holy Spirit is working in these people,” he said. “I had nothing to do with it. I’m just a mouthpiece.”
Dennis also prays for site visitors and other volunteers while he’s waiting to chat. Sometimes he reads his Bible to prepare. The chats aren’t always easy, he said, but people are searching and it’s up to the counselors to help them. While some visitors are negative, he doesn’t take it personally and prays that God will change their hearts.
Dennis is also a trained discipleship coach and will soon start leading new believers through an online Bible study. Discipleship coaches mentor new or recommitted Christians through a short study that covers questions like, “What does it mean to have faith in Jesus?” and “Can I communicate with God?” It tells participants what their new commitment to Christ means and discusses how to live by faith daily.
