 Call the Volunteer Line  Follow the prompts to enter your PIN and PASSWORD  Listen to the weekly message  Hang up, and you will be placed in the rotation to begin receiving ERC calls  NOTE: We need volunteers manning the lines all the time – not just when there is a Billy Graham special!

 “Joe Caller” hears about us, calls, and connects to our system  He is given the option of continuing in English or Spanish, and hears a recorded greeting in that language  The system searches for an available TE, calls that person, and connects Joe Caller to him or her  IF NO TE IS AVAILABLE, the call stays in our automated system!

 Answer normally!  Listen for a “whisper tone”  Follow your Conversation Guide  Talk and pray with the caller  Hang up and wait for the next call  When you are “done” taking calls for this session, LOG OFF, and you will not receive any more calls until you log back into the system

 As soon as you hear the Whisper Tone, the caller is on the line with you  Welcome the caller, and identify yourself by first name only  If the caller gives you his or her first name, write it down  If the caller does not give you his or her first name, ask for it, but don’t make an issue of it

 A “Conversation Guide” is included in your training packet and is also found in Chapter 5 of your ERC Manual  This will help you as you begin taking your first calls

What you might hear:  I just called for prayer…  I’m already a Christian…  I need help with a problem… Three simple steps:  Ask questions  Listen responsively  Look for an opportunity to share the gospel

You can’t solve the problems of the world in one call... So focus on the caller’s current spiritual need

If the caller had said:  I just called for prayer… You might transition to the Gospel by saying:  “It sounds like you’re dealing with a lot right now. I would be happy to pray with you about these concerns, but before I do, may I just ask you, have you been praying about this?”

If the caller had said:  I’m already a Christian… You might transition to the Gospel by saying:  “At the beginning of your call, you said that you’re a Christian. What exactly does that mean to you?”

If the caller had said:  I need help with a problem… You might transition to the Gospel by saying:  “How is your faith in Christ sustaining you during this time?”

“I understand. You’ve gone through some difficult times in your life, and I know that hurts. The assurance I want to give you today is that God knows all about these problems. He loves you very much and wants to give you a full and meaningful life.”

 Be prepared to do this on every call  Have a witnessing tool/plan ready  Pray throughout the call that you will recognize the most appropriate time to share the gospel

† Plan of Salvation † Baptism † Church Membership † Assurance of Salvation † Re-dedication † Call to Vocational Ministry

HELP THE CALLER CLARIFY HIS OR HER RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST

THINGS TO AVOID:  Oversimplifying  Overpromising  “Fixing”  “Denying”  Arguing  Debating  Judging  Blaming

Respond, summarize, move forward  Maintain control of the call by asking questions from time to time  Avoid “leading” questions  Don’t say, “Anything else?”

 You are comfortable doing so  You can maintain objectivity and keep the focus on the caller, not yourself  You can keep the call within an appropriate time frame  You can avoid imposing your own solution on the caller  It will validate your right to speak the gospel at the appropriate time

How to Handle Difficult Calls…  Argumentation  Moral Issues  Sexually Explicit Callers  Abusive Callers  Callers that are Being Abused  Suicidal Callers

 Don’t waste time arguing doctrine or theology  Few people are won to Christ though argument or debate  Other people may be waiting to hear the gospel

God’s grace God’s law Keep in Balance

Two types of callers  The caller who wants to abuse or shock you  The serious caller with a sexual dysfunction or addiction

 Focus on the spiritual aspects of the problem  Encourage professional therapy for sexual dysfunction or addiction  Pray with the caller

 You are not expected to stay on a call and subject yourself to abuse  Offer to pray with this caller and to talk with him about how Christ can help him  If the caller will not accept your offer of prayer and spiritual help, politely end the call and hang up  Consider “tagging” this call for review

 Note the order of this call in the sequence of your calls (1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd, etc.)  Note the date and time of the call  Consider logging off to give yourself time to complete your report  Complete your report and submit it to the ERC  Log on again to continue your session

 Give spiritual help, and encourage the caller to seek local specific help  Refer to a helpline: A-CHILD SAFE  Do not probe for unnecessary information  TAG this call as described previously  Report this call directly to the ERC  DO NOT report this call to an outside agency: let the ERC determine the appropriate action

 Offer spiritual help  Does the caller have a plan?  Remember -- most people do not want to die  Use common sense  Don’t shame the caller  Don’t try to be an expert  Seek short-term solution  Ask the caller to contract with you to delay action and to talk with a minister or mental health professional  Give the suicide helpline number SUICIDE

Tip-Offs to a Possible Hoax  Giggling  Too dramatic  More tragedy than seems possible  Extreme reluctance to talk  Threatens immediate suicide Responding to a Possible Hoax  Be polite  Explain the purpose of the spiritual help phone line  If they continue, warn them you will hang up  Consider “tagging” persistent callers

 Don’t be distracted from your purpose  Focus on the caller’s spiritual need  Don’t offer help you are not equipped to give: you are not a professional counselor  Be kind to every caller  Move on to the next call if the caller does not respond to your offer of spiritual help  You have a “safety net” – it is ok to admit you do not know how to help – “tag” the call and ERC will follow-up

 PRAY for the caller  THANK the person for calling  ASSURE the caller of our continuing prayers and that any follow-up (from a covenant church) will take place quickly

If follow-up is appropriate, be sure to get the necessary information from the caller:  Full name, street address (including apartment #), city, state, zip code, and phone number (including area code)  Ask how they heard about us (radio, TV, internet, printed resource, etc.)  Be sure to check the spelling of all names (personal, street, city, etc.)

 You will use a report form to report salvation decisions needing follow-up from a covenant church  A copy is included in your training packet and in Chapter 5 of your manual  You may make extra copies for use during calling sessions

 Call the Volunteer Line  Follow the prompts to enter your PIN and password  Respond to the summary questions about your call session  You will not receive any more calls until you log on again

 Exchange of conversation  Salvation decisions  Salvation inquiries  Assurance of salvation or rededication  Prayer request or other needs NOTE: the first question should equal the total number of conversations given in response to the last four questions plus hang ups

 Manual  Regional Facilitator  ERC Staff: or

The ERC Paperwork & Reporting The Call Process The TE

 BEST: on-line form (you will need to register at to file on-line forms)  NEXT:  THEN: fax  FINALLY: postal mail  SPEED  ACCURACY

 DO NOT  DO NOT give your telephone number or address to the caller  DO NOT  DO NOT initiate further contact with the caller yourself

Identifications Nature of the Call The Encourager The Caller Listening to the Caller Expressed Needs Spiritual Status Responding to the Caller Clarify Spiritual Status Pray with caller Offer Follow-Up

It all starts when someone calls our number A TE responds and shares Christ The ERC sends materials to the caller The ERC sends a referral to a local church The church contacts the caller, provides appropriate follow-up, and reports to the ERC The TE reports to the ERC

The ERC Paperwork & Reporting The Call Process The TE The BIG Picture

We do not minister alone... We minister in the strength of the One who said, “Surely I am with you always.”

(Actual Callers) “I would like to get a relationship with Jesus Christ…” “I want to take Jesus Christ as my… Savior…” “I think he is in heaven, I want to be with him…” “I want to accept Christ as my Savior…”

Here are some other opportunities to be involved with the North American Mission Board! NAMB.net

Heeeelp! They changed the training and I don’t understand it! (or I’m rusty) How do you learn when something is new? First, listen to the weekly recorded message

Also, now at NAMBERCchat.com there is an option for online training! If there are new features you do not understand, you can go through the training online! Also, now at NAMBERCchat.com there is an option for online training! If there are new features you do not understand, you can go through the training online!

When you go to online training you will be required to log in. Click on the login button…

The login is: tetrainee The password is: namb2012 The login is: tetrainee The password is: namb2012

Once logged in, you will be able to click on the training sessions and go through the online training.

Do not go through the test or submit the registration form again.

IEs Share The Good News of Jesus Christ from their own homes TEs