Street Corner Preaching

[Michael The Disciple]

So if we don't witness on the street where else is there? We are forbidden to even mention God where I work. Thankfully I have got to witness and even preach to many people over the years. But its gotten stricter with the influx of gays working there.

One of the very reasons Church does not resemble the real New Testament Church is that THEY did think it was normal and just part of their mission to evangelize.

[Esaias]

Anybody here actually done (or doing) any street preaching?

[Michael The Disciple]

YES.

[Esaias]

Can you share the how-to?

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

One of the very reasons Church does not resemble the real New Testament Church is that THEY did think it was normal and just part of their mission to evangelize.

I agree!

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Can you share the how-to?

Theres no one way. I really like going out on the street approaching someone handing them a tract and asking "What do you think about Jesus?" Dont be to bashful about it or you will seem to them to not be sincere. That its just something your Church wants you to do. Get right to the point of Jesus being PERSONAL. Make them feel like there's something in it for them. Give them as much truth as they allow. It may be the first time they have heard it and maybe the last.

This style worked well for us when I was living in Dayton Ohio where many people hang out on the street. We witnessed this way at times till 1 am in the morning.

However when I moved to Somerset Ky and took some tracts downtown I hardly found anyone to give them to. I was looking down the alleys trying to find people!

Then I believe the Lord led me to consider street corner preaching. There was one guy here doing it. I stopped and talked to him now and then. Well he failed the Lord in a certain way and wound up leaving the area. That left the door open to me.

I went and had a sign made, and went to the busiest place in town. Altho not many people walk the streets in our town a lot of cars go by.

I stand at the 4 way intersection with my sign Sin Kills-Jesus Saves. Depending on the time of day sometimes hundreds of them go by in a half hour. Many of them notice my sign first. I have had people go by and cuss me. Many more will blow their horn and wave giving me support. They would not do it but they seem glad that someone is.

Now the way I preach is like this. When someone stops for the red lite and their window is down I just begin talking to them from scripture. This sometimes causes them to roll their window up, not interested. But then I might notice the car behind them they are rolling theirs down like they WANT to hear! So then if I perceive that others are wanting to hear I just raise my voice into preaching mode rather than just talking in individual mode.

I have had people get out of their cars and talk to me. I have had others stop by and give me a cold water or pop. One fellow stopped and put a 100 bill in my hand and took off. Usually I refuse any offers of money.

Sometimes they ask what Church I go to. As I have started attending an Apostolic Church in town I will tell them. Im not sure this Pastor would "approve" of what I'm doing but he surely would not send them away if they came. God forbid!

Now some would say well where's the fruit? In years past when I had people working with me we have seen many people come to the Lord. Some got baptized in water some received the Holy Spirit! Those were great times.

Now that I do it basically on my own and the years have went by it seems we live in "dry times".

BUT NONETHELESS......to me the fruit is simply I am obeying the great commission the best I know how. That in itself brings me joy. Also thousands of people who I never get a chance to actually speak to get a hard hitting message from my sign Sin Kills-Jesus Saves.

I myself was ministered to like this when I was a sinner. A Jesus Movement group fed me and my friends one day at a Folk Festival in Athens Ohio. I kind of ridiculed them asking them what they did about drugs and women. They replied with JOY they had found the ultimate pleasure in Jesus.

No I did not get saved that day but God used it as one of the things that kept me open to him over the next few years till I did. I believe eternity will show that some of these ones nowadays who see this old man standing with a Jesus sign preaching on the street will be there at least in part because of this.

[navygoat1998]

I was a door knocker back in the day. We would knock on the door and ask them if they needed prayer. Many times the prayer would lead into the goodness of God and His saving power. Asking them if they have a church home. I would mainly pursue those without a church home.

[Esaias]

God bless you Michael, and everyone else who is out there preaching the word.

As for "fruit", if it's our job to proclaim the Word, and we do that, then we have succeeded. Conversions are, ultimately, God's responsibility.

[Liteweight47]

Originally Posted by JTTNMinistries

I was wondering what everyone here thinks about street corner preaching. I have been involved in it for a while but I feel like the Lord has had me take a break for a while and do some other forms of evangelism.

Usually the first question people ask is "what kind of results are you getting?" This is an honest question. Sometimes I have good results where people are immediately ready to repent and other nights it seems like nobody is listening.

Mostly I just wanted to ask what your honest perceptions of most street preachers are, good or bad, if you have ever tried street preaching, and what you think about using that form of evangelism today.

I've done it. The church I was saved at has regular street meetings where the ministers preach on the street corner in DC. Some of my fondest memories were on Halloween night every year when we went near the Georgetown Campus in the evening when things were just "heating up". I respect those who do. I think it has it's place. I'm not sure how effective it is.

However, I think we as Apostolics face certain challenges when it comes to street preaching and door knocking. There are so many other groups that may have made a bad name for street preachers.

[Liteweight47]

Originally Posted by navygoat1998

I was a door knocker back in the day. We would knock on the door and ask them if they needed prayer. Many times the prayer would lead into the goodness of God and His saving power. Asking them if they have a church home. I would mainly pursue those without a church home.

Going door to door asking for prayer requests, I've found is an extremely effective form of evangelism. I loved doing it with my last church. We'd pray with people right at their door step. Many were relieved that we weren't there to "convert them" or hand them reading material they were only going to throw away anyway.