We sometimes get questions from donor partners about whether a primary goal of World Vision’s work is to bear witness to Jesus. The answer is a resounding YES. Our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience the fullness of life Jesus talks about John 10:10. That’s why we’re committed to reaching everyone, everywhere we work with clean water by 2030 (50 million people).
We respect the dignity of all people as fellow image bearers of God, so we do not exploit the vulnerability of the people we serve or use our programs to force conversions . Rather, we serve every child we can, of any faith or none, and seek to work in ways that encourage people to respond to the gospel—often taking opportunities presented by our water work to share about the living water offered by Jesus.
Here’s an overview of how World Vision bears witness to the good news of Jesus Christ in life, deed, word, and sign:
Life: Through our Christian identity and presence, we confidently witness to the truth of the gospel in ways that are appropriate to each context, with the hope that people will see Jesus in us and be drawn to Him (Matthew 5:16).
Deed: Through our water work, we serve alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people , and in response to Jesus’ call in Matthew 25:40 to serve “the least of these brothers and sisters of mine.” We help ensure access to clean water for all people in the name of Jesus.
Word: World Vision invests in training to help equip our staff to share their Christian faith as opportunities arise. When it’s culturally appropriate, we also lead prayers prior to drilling a borehole or when commissioning a new water point. In addition, we partner with local churches and organizations to provide biblically based resources and training to support ongoing ministry (see the video below for more on this!).
Sign: We pray for and expect answers to prayer, pointing to God’s miraculous provision—and He does provide! Celebrate the Miracle Worker with us by reading this story of striking water once thought unattainable.
Learn more about how we humbly yet boldly demonstrate our Christian faith through our water programs by listening to my conversation with Dr. Ray Norman, Global Sector Lead for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) for World Vision International (and previously World Vision’s Director for Faith Leadership for WASH). In this talk we discuss World Vision’s Biblical Empowered Worldview training and how it helps lead to the sustainability of water sources; introduce “Jesus, the Source of Living Water,” a tool that helps build the capacity of local Christian churches through the lens of water; and explain why we work with other-faith communities and train faith leaders of all faiths.