ADVANCED
TRAINING
Streams of Light International
Building
Rapport
Examining your surroundings
WORDS FROM INSPIRATION
24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
PROV 18:24
The first step in building rapport with someone is examining your surroundings. People love to express themselves, and they often communicate about who they are without even talking to you personally. Learning about these things will help you know about the person you are about to meet and increase your chances of building rapport with them.
Examine Their Yards
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You can learn a lot about people just by looking at their front yards and the outside of their homes.
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Picking up on these details will help you make a faster connection on common points of interest as you seek to build rapport with the person at the door. With this information, you will be able to know how to canvass The Great Controversy Package to them most appropriately.
Here are Some Things to Look Out for:
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Bumper stickers on cars or signs on the house tell you if they are into politics, healthy eating, religion, spirituality, atheism, outdoor recreation, sports, gun enthusiasts, military, social justice, or if they love animals.
Toys on the lawn tell you that they have kids or grandchildren.
The house’s condition gives you an idea of what kind of person you might meet. Is the house on the outside dirty, messy, and not taken care of? Is their house and grass well maintained? Has their yard been picked up?
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Examples
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You notice that they have a “Jesus fish” bumper sticker, this gives a hint that someone in the home could be a Christian. Therefore you can be more straightforward about the religious context of The Great Controversy as you share it.
You notice a sign that talks about the 2nd amendment; this can help you tie them to chapter 35 of The Great Controversy by telling them about how the freedoms we now enjoy will soon be taken away.
You notice that there is a praying saint statue on the front lawn; this tells you that they are Catholic. This will allow you to connect on their faith and present The Great Controversy as a book that talks a lot about Catholic history!
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Building
Rapport
Making Friends
Making friends with people you are talking to is easier than you may think. Building relationships with people often starts with you showing an interest in the things they are into.
Some Principles for Making Friends with People at the Door
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Examine your surroundings to see what you can learn about them before you knock on their door.
Smile while talking with them and be friendly.
When offering The Great Controversy package, ask open-ended questions.
Connect with them on common points of interest.
Practice FORT.
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What is FORT? This is an acronym to help you systematically build friendships with any stranger you meet and allow you to offer your product in a way that’s relevant to them. Please note not every scenario will allow you to go through each step, but use whatever connection point is relevant.
Family - Occupation - Religion - Testimony
Examples
Interfaith Connections
WORDS FROM INSPIRATION
"And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
To them that are without law, as without law, (being notwithout law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you."
1 COR 9:20-23
Knowing how to connect with people of other faiths without raising prejudice is an essential component of literature evangelism. With the right approach, you will be able to share The Great Controversy with people of different faiths in a way that is attractive to them.
Some Principles for Connecting with People of Other Faiths
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Show interest in their religious beliefs.
Discover & connect on common points of doctrine/beliefs.
Avoid getting into controversy and/ or doctrinal debates.
Tie The Great Controversy package to their points of interest/ belief.
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Here are some of the common faiths you will run into when going door-to-door
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Baptist
Non-denominational
Jehovah’s Witness (JW)
Mormon (LDS)
Pentecostal
Atheist
Agnostic
Catholic
Muslim
Hindu
And more!
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Knowing the common points and differences of each faith will help you most on how to strike up a conversation with them without raising unnecessary prejudice. The more you know, the better you will be able to present The Great Controversy package in a way that’s attractive to them.
Examples
Baptist
Some common points of belief:
Chapters of The Great Controversy that you can connect with each of their common points:
Jehovah Witnesses
Some common points of belief:
Chapters of The Great Controversy that you can connect with each of their common points:
Athiest
Some common points of belief:
When dealing with atheists, don’t waste your time arguing with them about the existence of God. They have a different idea of who God is, so if you try to prove to them that He exists, you’re only solidifying their hate for Him. Instead, paint a different picture of who God is, understand the common pain points that cause them to choose not to believe in God, and use these to leverage conversation. You then can point them to the different perspectives found in The Great Controversy.
Pain Points
If God is so good, why is there so much pain and suffering? Often, Atheists have been through tremendous trauma in life and don’t understand how a God so good could just let it happen!
If God is so loving, why would He burn people in hell for all eternity? This idea that people burn for all eternity in hellfire is a common belief that turns people into atheists. Growing up hearing, “God is love!”, but if they fail to obey Him in one area, they will “burn for allllll eternity!” This causes them to hate the God of mainstream Christianity.
There’s no proof of God’s existence! Often this objection is a result of the pain of them not seeing God present at a very critical point in their life. Therefore, they conclude if He didn’t show up for them, then He doesn’t exist for anyone.
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Chapters of The Great Controversy that you Can Connect them With:
It’s true that religion has cost the lives of millions of people, and this book explains where things went wrong! - “Persecution in the First Centuries” Chapter 2, “An Era of Spiritual Darkness” Chapter 3
God is not the cause of pain and suffering - “The Origin of Evil” Chapter 29
God is love, and the idea that He burns people for all eternity is a lie! - “The First Great Deception” Chapter 33
God knows the end from the beginning and has prophesied what would come to pass- “Heralds of the Morning” Chapter 17
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WORDS FROM INSPIRATION
"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."
MAT 10:16