Jesus said, “Come to Me and I will give you Living Water.” The Bucket Ministry gives away water filters to people with dirty water and they preach the Gospel to people with dirty souls. Today I interview Christoper Beth about his unique idea for fulfilling the Great Commission.
Learn more about The Bucket Ministry: https://thebucketministry.org/
Transcript:
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:00):
Jesus said, come to me and I will give you living water. The bucket Ministry gives away water filters to people with dirty water, and they preach the gospel to people with dirty souls. Today I interview Christopher Beth about his unique idea for fulfilling the Great Commission.
Evangelism Podcast Host (00:34):
Welcome to the Evangelism Podcast with Dr. Daniel King, where Daniel interviews full-time evangelists, pastors, missionaries, and normal everyday Christians to discover how they share their faith, their powerful testimonies, and amazing stories that will inspire you to reach people with the good news. And now here’s your host, missionary, and evangelist Daniel King.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:58):
Welcome to the Evangelism Podcast. I’m Daniel King, and I’m excited about telling people about Jesus. Today we have a very special guest with us, Christopher Beth from The Bucket Ministry. Thank you for joining me on the Evangelism Podcast.
Christopher Beth (01:11):
Oh, Daniel, thank you so much for inviting me in. I just look forward to unpacking a few stories with you.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (01:17):
Well, I was looking at your website about the bucket ministry, and it looks like you are using fresh, clean water as a way to bring people to Jesus. Can you tell me about that?
Christopher Beth (01:32):
Yes, sir. So we, we work in about 12 countries and about 11 years ago, I got alerted to the World Water Crisis. I had lived a privileged life before that like most of us have. And when I was thirsty I just went to the refrigerator and got water out of the filter, or I bought a bottle of water. But after discovering this situation, I realized that many people don’t have access to clean water. And so we found a tool to use a very simple water filter that attaches to a bucket or receptacle. And through that process, through that gift of generational access to clean water, we have been able to connect that to the sweet gospel of Jesus Christ. And I, I’ve got a bottle of dirty water right here, and I, I like to say that there’s about six sermons in this bottle of dirty water.
(02:39):
And the, the, the most apt description of this water and connection to the gospel is this. Dirty water is a lot like things that I struggle with my life. Because if I drink this, I’m gonna get sick. It could kill me. And it’s very similar to the, the sin that I struggle with in my life and have struggled with. But this water filter that we use, and what it does is a, a very amazing representation of what Jesus did on that cross for us and how he cleaned us, how he purified us and redeemed us. And so that’s the, that’s one of the, the greatest illustrations that we use from this filter. But we use this as a way to reach people, as you’ve said that don’t have access to clean water and that are far from God.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:37):
That’s awesome. So give me the first story of the first place you went to give freshwater and what the reaction was when you did that.
Christopher Beth (03:47):
Well, and that’s an interesting story because in 2012, I went to Brazil for the first time in the Amazon Basin and saw the World Water Cross Crisis. That’s where God breathed this ministry into existence. And then in 2014, we brought filters back. And in the beginning, Daniel, I thought that this was all about just the humanitarian goal of giving out clean water. I, I didn’t even really understand what God was doing through it. So in 2014, we go back with 80 of these Sawyer hollow fiber membrane filters. And again, I thought this was just about handing out clean water. And we go into this village, we set up, I have this entire elaborate presentation planned, and there’s about 60 people standing in front of us, and I teach people how the filter works, why they need it, how to take care of it.
(04:49):
And they all were super excited. So I felt really good about myself. Right. And then at the end of this, I’m packing everything up and this Brazilian man comes up to me and he says, can you tell me how you got to our village today? And I was like, well, I made a joke, right? And I said, well, that boat and that captain right there. And he’s go like, no, no, no, of all the villages in the Amazon, how did you come to our village today? And I wasn’t prepared to answer that. And I said, well, I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, and we felt called to give you this gift. And the next thing he said is what changed everything for me personally and for this organization. And he said, so who is this Jesus? And so at this point, Daniel, I’m looking around, I’m looking for a pastor, right?
(05:44):
Because I’m just this ordinary business guy, and I’m, Hey, who can tell this guy about Jesus? And so at that point there’s nobody there, and I just offer up my testimony to this man and tell him what Jesus had done in my life through a tragic car accident with my daughter. And then at the end of this, this man is listening very intently, and he’s got his hand here, and he’s doing this. And he says, so how can I have this Jesus? And I’m like, oh my goodness, I need a pastor. What do I do? What don’t we do with this? So I walked this man through the point of salvation and talked to him about this relationship with Jesus. As, as I’m doing this, the crowd is growing closer to me listening. And that day in that village I was able to pray for 20 or 30 people that wanted to start a relationship with Jesus that day in repent of their sins. And so that’s when we found out that the filter, while we’ll solve a major physical problem, that over 785 million people lack access to clean water, the filter will solve a major problem. But more than that, the filter is a key that starts a relationship with people, that we earn the right to be able to share the gospel. We earn the right to be able to start teaching them discipleship lessons.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (07:17):
Wow, that’s awesome. I was in India a few years ago, and I saw a dirty irrigation ditch next to the ditch. There were cows, there were chickens, and kids were playing in the water. It, it was filthy, but then they would come and dip a big bucket in the ditch, and that’s was what they would drink right from the, the irrigation ditch. And I was looking up some statistics on the need for water, and I found out that one in eight people worldwide do not have access to safe and clean drinking water. Nearly a billion, that’s 884 million people in the world do not have access to clean and safe water in developing nations. As much as 80% of the illnesses that people typically get are linked to poor water and sanitation conditions. And in the world, there’s 443 million school days that are lost each year due to water related diseases. Half of the world’s hospital bids are filled with people that are suffering from a water related disease. And also in India, often they will go long distances to get water from a well far away. And they can carry, like this, jerry can, it weighs over 40 pounds when full, and the women will carry it on their heads. In the world, two-thirds, 64% of households rely on women to get the, the, the family’s water when there’s no water source close to the
Christopher Beth (08:54):
Home. Women and children.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (08:55):
Women and children, yeah. And, and nearly one out of every five deaths in the world that are under the age of five are due to a water related disease. And so we often dig water wells in some places. And then right next to the water, well, we’ll usually build a water well right next to a church. And, and then right over the water well is a big sign that says, he who comes to me will thirst no more from Jesus Christ. And of course, Jesus talked to the, the woman in John Chapter four and promised her living water. And so that’s what you’re doing. You are bringing living water to people who don’t have a source of clean drinking water. But then along with the water, you are bringing the good news of Jesus Christ. So you are quenching a spiritual thirst and a physical thirst. So the, the filter that you typically give, how much does one of those filters cost? What does it cost to solve the drinking problem for someone?
Christopher Beth (10:02):
Yeah. This part is, is, is gonna be problematic to hear because this is an easy problem to solve. And I mean, it’s easy because many people think that we have to drill a well to solve the problem. But so we provide the filter, we provide a bucket, we provide anti parasitic medicines for the family and our indigenous missionaries, ORs will do a minimum of three follow up visitations in the first three months with that family. And then if they don’t have a Bible or someone comes to faith in the process, we will equip them with the Bible. So we can do all that Daniel for $50 in most countries.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (10:47):
Wow, that’s amazing. So for only $50, you can have at least a 90 day impact on the family spiritually, because you’re coming back several times visiting them over and over again. And how long does that water filter last? How long does it give them clean water
Christopher Beth (11:03):
And the, the filter will last a minimum of 20 years if well cared for? Wow. So you know, for, and what I like to say, for less than we can take our family out to Applebee’s and not have any appetizers, not drink any sodas we can provide the hope that comes from Jesus Christ and, and clean, safe drinking water for that family for 20 years. So
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (11:31):
Now, one of the challenges that I’ve seen with some organizations, they get really focused on the humanitarian side of ministry, which I think is, is biblical, you know, Jesus said to, to love others. And so the humanitarian side, I think, fulfills the great commandment, which to love God and to love others. But you also in your ministry have a real focus on fulfilling the great commission. And I saw on your, your website that you have three non-negotiables that you stick with as you’re giving away these, these water filters. And I so appreciate them because I, I’ve seen some humanitarians that will give away humanitarian aid, but they forget to help bring people to heaven with them. They, they help them here on earth, but they’re not helping them get to heaven. They forget that far. So tell me about your three non-negotiables.
Christopher Beth (12:33):
Yeah. And that, and thank you for asking, because these are deep in the heart of our organization. So number one of the three is Jesus is gonna be proclaimed in every part of our process, assessments, distributions and follow ups no exception. And number two, data will be collected so we can report back to our donors, to our partners, to our church partners, where the resources have gone, and to show them exactly where God is working. And then lastly, a minimum of three follow ups will be done in the first three to four months. And those are done by indigenous missionaries and pastors. And as you’ve said, Daniel we are focused on the Great commission. We believe that we are a great commission organization, and this is just merely a tool to get there. So the water filter will save lives physically, but why we’re there is, is solely to preach the, the gospel of Jesus Christ and to start to teach discipleship lessons and then point people to local like-minded churches if there’s one in the area or stark Bible studies in homes.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (13:52):
Wow, that’s awesome. And then you also do kids clubs. Tell me about that.
Christopher Beth (13:57):
That’s that’s near and dear to our heart. And my daughter Savannah co-founder of this organization, she leads that effort for us. And you know, when we distribute one of these filters, the fa the adults learn how to care for the filter. They understand the impact of that, but we want to influence the next generation because quite frankly, you know, we’re a bunch of old guys and we, we need to be bringing up that next generation. So in both domestically in the United States and in foreign countries we are gathering recipient kids and church partner kids sometimes as much as weekly, every other week once a month. And teaching them how the filter works, works teaching ’em about the world water crisis, and then in many cases for recipient kids, teaching them about this gift that their family got.
(14:56):
So they could also be responsible for caring for it and understanding the importance of clean water. And in many cases, the kids are the best stewards of the gift. And so the kids club aspect is something that we are all very, very excited about. And the really cool part is, it translates, it doesn’t matter if it’s a partner church here in the US or a recipient family elsewhere. The kids are just hungry to learn. They’re hungry to just be kids. And while it’s very similar to other V B s curriculums, it really focuses in on the world water crisis and how a young person can be involved to be the solution.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (15:42):
Amen. Well, Mr. Christopher, I know someone who’s listening right now is feeling led to come and support and to help sponsor some water filters. So how can someone give a donation or help the ministry or, or find out more about you? What, what is your website?
Christopher Beth (16:03):
Yeah, the very best way is to go to the website and it’s the bucket ministry.org, vb bucket ministry.org. And there’s a plethora of information on there. There’s contact information, and you can it it for further information. Our phone number for our office is on there. You can reach right out, and we would love to share some stories and tell people about just this tool that God is using to reach the lost.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (16:31):
Well, Mr. Christopher, thank you for taking fresh water to people who need it and living water to those who need it. Thank you so much for being on the Evangelism Podcast. Thank you.
Christopher Beth (16:41):
Thank you, Daniel. Blessings.
Evangelism Podcast Host (16:43):
Are you called by God to be an evangelist? Do you wanna lead millions of people to Jesus? Do you desire to be trained in the practical side of building a ministry? Then check out the Daniel King’s School of Evangelism. Learn how to be an effective evangelist from Dr. Daniel King’s 20 plus years of experience. Daniel King has done crusades all over the world in over 70 nations, and has seen over 2 million people give their lives to Jesus. But it wasn’t easy. There was no crusade school. So Daniel traveled the world learning from and observing top evangelists, noticing how they successfully won souls for Christ. Now he wants to share decades of knowledge and experience with you. Topics of the Daniel King School of Evangelism include what is an evangelist, how to be a master soul winner, how to give an alter call, how to organize a crusade, how to raise money for your ministry, and much more. If you wanna be an evangelist, but don’t know where to start, the Daniel King School of Evangelism is for you. Enroll today in the School of Evangelism by going to Daniel King ministries.com/evangelism.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (17:45):
Thanks so much for listening today. I am excited telling people about Jesus, and I want to invite you to be a part of helping us to rescue people from Hell and take them with us to heaven. There’s two things you can do to help. First of all, can you go find the Evangelism podcast on Apple iTunes and leave us a positive review by giving a review, you will help other people find these valuable resources about sharing our faith. And second, would you become a financial partner with King Ministries? Every single dollar that people give us enables us to lead at least one person to Jesus. And so that means for only $1, you can help start a party in heaven. And so today I want to invite you to become a monthly partner. You can start out for just a dollar, but if God puts it on your heart to do more, of course you can do more. But please go to king ministries.com and become a monthly partner with us today to help us to lead more people to Jesus. Thank you so much, and God bless you.
Evangelism Podcast Host (19:06):
For more information about how to share your faith, or to financially support our worldwide evangelistic outreaches, visit king ministries.com. Again, that’s king ministries.com.
