At the Fair

[Salty]

Last week, I attended the NY State Fair.
I walked by a booth manned by an IFB church.

One man from the booth, looking at me, and basically shoved a tract at me. He started to point out a few verses.... at that point my wife stated that we were both born again.

Do you consider this appropriate / effective evangelism?

I was thinking if I was not a Christian, I very easily could have been extremely offended at this "hard sell" approach.

Thoughts??

Open for discussion

 

[pinoybaptist]

Back when I was in another order of Baptists, we used to do that, in senior year at Bible college.
Until I thought of some marketing strategies I've learned along the way in sales.
I stopped doing that, tract sales.
Personally, I felt like I was marketing Jesus, His blood, and His redemption, like commodities.
Reason being, after a tract distribution and 'soul winning' day, we would come together in church and 'share experiences' and count how many tracts left vs tracts taken out to 'the field', versus how many souls 'saved'.
That's when I started leaning towards 'no altar calls'.

 

[Rolfe]

The only effective way to evangelize is to stand in the lane (or...street) and yell like a carnival barker. :laugh:

 

[matt wade]

I'm not a fan of the hard sell approach. I think lots of people attempt to evangelize with that method because they are socially awkward and nervous and not sure how to engage in meaningful conversation with people.

 

[evangelist6589]

Last week, I attended the NY State Fair.
I walked by a booth manned by an IFB church.

One man from the booth, looking at me, and basically shoved a tract at me. He started to point out a few verses.... at that point my wife stated that we were both born again.

Do you consider this appropriate / effective evangelism?

I was thinking if I was not a Christian, I very easily could have been extremely offended at this "hard sell" approach.

Thoughts??

Open for discussion

Shoved a tract at you or gave you a tract? I pass out tracts all the time. If I was at a booth I would try to engage the lost person about his salvation in a conversation over a tract. Tracts are best to be given to people that I cannot talk with.

 

[evangelist6589]

Last week, I attended the NY State Fair.
I walked by a booth manned by an IFB church.

One man from the booth, looking at me, and basically shoved a tract at me. He started to point out a few verses.... at that point my wife stated that we were both born again.

Do you consider this appropriate / effective evangelism?

I was thinking if I was not a Christian, I very easily could have been extremely offended at this "hard sell" approach.

Thoughts??

Open for discussion

You need to take advantage of this opportunity for evangelism in NY. Get you a thousand tracts and pass them out to everyone. Engage the lost on benches and ask about their destiny swing from the natural to the spiritual and then open air and use a box.

 

[SaggyWoman]

The only effective way to evangelize is to stand in the lane (or...street) and yell like a carnival barker. :laugh:

Hahahaha. Yeah.

Actually, while I think there are people who can be effective in this space, I don't think by far it is the place.

I think that there is a place of need. When that collides with a person sharing the gospel, there is evangelism.

 

[Tom Butler]

Our local Baptist association set up a booth at the county fair, and basically offered free ice water (it was summertime). (As in, a cup of cold water in Jesus' name).

Along with the water, we offered a tract with, "if you have any questions, come back and see us."

It was very soft-sell, with the idea the tract might open the door to further conversation.

 

[HAMel]

...it would appear to me the best way to approach others with a tract is to become keenly aware of those who give the appearance of being in need. Those with a sad look; those with no smile; those who really appear to be just wandering; those who look to be alone. These folks aren't hard to find as they are everywhere.

 

[Thousand Hills]

Around here it's pronounced "far", As in "you goin to the far to see the tractor pull?"

Seriously, the only time I can remember ever being handed a tract was at a local fair. The guy was not pushy, don't think he was affiliated with a church.

But that leads me to a question, does the "spirit not bear witness"? I believe the Lord leads us and gives us opportunities to reach people, but if God is in it we won't be approaching other Christians.

Despite living all my life in the bible belt, that one time at the fair was the only time I have ever been approached by someone. We did visit a local IFB church for a while several years ago and they would occasionally show up unannounced attempting to visit, after a while of doing this I felt like they thought we were heathens.

 

[evangelist6589]

Around here it's pronounced "far", As in "you goin to the far to see the tractor pull?"



Seriously, the only time I can remember ever being handed a tract was at a local fair. The guy was not pushy, don't think he was affiliated with a church.



But that leads me to a question, does the "spirit not bear witness"? I believe the Lord leads us and gives us opportunities to reach people, but if God is in it we won't be approaching other Christians.



Despite living all my life in the bible belt, that one time at the fair was the only time I have ever been approached by someone. We did visit a local IFB church for a while several years ago and they would occasionally show up unannounced attempting to visit, after a while of doing this I felt like they thought we were heathens.

You need to get out more. I pass out tracts all the time in downtown areas and even place tracts on cars. Since 2008 I have probably distributed 10,000 gospel tracts and gospels combined.

Unless you are living in an area with not many evangelistic churches and individuals.

 

[Thousand Hills]

Unless you are living in an area with not many evangelistic churches and individuals.

Sadly I am :tear:, it's called the bible belt, cultural Christianity is the norm.

 

[evangelist6589]

Sadly I am :tear:, it's called the bible belt, cultural Christianity is the norm.

Where I lived for 6 years. Don't assume they are all saved.

 

[exscentric]

Shy retiring, leave me alone type here. Went to church with a girlfriend one Sunday evening. As we were leaving the pastor shook my hand and would not let go, said he wanted to talk to me in his office and started off still holding my hand. As we rounded the corner he released my hand but made sure I was following - shared the gospel - end of story. It takes all kinds. I could never pull a stunt like that but he sure did.