Need Soul-Winning Advice

[Nicolaus Mourer]

Hey guys,

So I'm looking for any advice you guys have from experience when out knocking doors. Particularly, I'm looking for the best approaches to introducing dialogue, getting the topic on salvation, and the best ways to keep the interest of the person you're talking to.

What I've realized thus far about soul winning is that I have to almost coax a person into listening, which causes me to feel pushy afterward. And on the opposite side of that spectrum, if I don't be pushy at all, I don't even get to preach any of God's word to them when I feel like I have the opportunity. There have been many a time when I haven't even cracked my Bible on a soul-winning event; and I'm not sure if that's due to my inability or the receptiveness of the area I live in (affluent smaller town with many business owners and retirees).

Are there any tips you guys can give me on how to be more persuasive, how persuasive to be, and any good methods for reading people? I realize that much of this comes from pure experience, but I was hoping to save some time and discouragement.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Deacon]

Personally I hate the numerous phone calls I get each evening (usually as we sit down for dinner).
l'lI usually answer and discern their possible origin, then hang up quickly (yes, I have hung up on my MIL a few times when she didn't answer me quickly enough).

Unexpected personal visits by strangers can't be handled so quickly but would leave an enduring bad impression.

You will have to be pushy to get me to listen even a short while.
So please call before you visit... so I know not to answer the door.

Rob

 

[Nicolaus Mourer]

Personally I hate the numerous phone calls I get each evening (usually as we sit down for dinner).
l'lI usually answer and discern their possible origin, then hang up quickly (yes, I have hung up on my MIL a few times when she didn't answer me quickly enough).

Unexpected personal visits by strangers can't be handled so quickly but would leave an enduring bad impression.

You will have to be pushy to get me to listen even a short while.
So please call before you visit... so I know not to answer the door.

Rob

You have a great mindset for a Christian that is commanded by Christ to spread the gospel to every living creature. Unfortunately, I didn't see a lot of advice in your post.

 

[InTheLight]

Knocking on doors being an effective witnessing tool is heavily dependent on the area. I think most people dread answering the door. The younger they are, the more they are loathe to answer it. There might be rural pockets around the country where door knocking is an acceptable technique but I know here in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area it's as dead as a door nail. Maybe in a couple of decades it will make a comeback as a quaint way to reach out to people but right now, it's just not something most folks take a liking to.

 

[Nicolaus Mourer]

Knocking on doors being an effective witnessing tool is heavily dependent on the area. I think most people dread answering the door. The younger they are, the more they are loathe to answer it. There might be rural pockets around the country where door knocking is an acceptable technique but I know here in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area it's as dead as a door nail. Maybe in a couple of decades it will make a comeback as a quaint way to reach out to people but right now, it's just not something most folks take a liking to.

Perhaps you're right. I was afraid of that answer, because that is what it seems to be the case for my area. So, off hand, what are some other effective ways to reach the lost in your experience?

 

[Deacon]

I didn't see a lot of advice in your post.

Sorry for the forcefulness of the message.
But the advice was simple, don't do it!
There are more effective ways to reach those in your community.

The community where I live bans door-to-door solicitation for a reason - I'm not sure if religious door knocking counts by law but it would in spirit.

My church sponsors summer soccer camps in various neighborhoods
Backyard week or two bible clubs for kids
We have a Revolutionary War militia group that meets regularly
Small groups meet weekly for fellowship and bible study - backyard cookouts with neighborhood locals invited
The church has summer cookouts on the grounds with everyone/anyone invited
We encourage Boy Scouts and Girl Scout groups (and many other non-religious groups) to use our campus to encourage witness encounters with 'outside' people

My advice, witness where you work, play, worship, rest, but don't go out of your way to disturb people.

Persuasion by force of reason rarely works.

Rob

 

[InTheLight]

You have a great mindset for a Christian that is commanded by Christ to spread the gospel to every living creature. Unfortunately, I didn't see a lot of advice in your post.

It depends on what the goal or end result is. Yes, you want to see people saved, no doubt, but is the ultimate aim to grow a church? Increase the size of a church? Or personal evangelism?

 

[Nicolaus Mourer]

Sorry for the forcefulness of the message.
But the advice was simple, don't do it!
There are more effective ways to reach those in your community.

The community where I live bans door-to-door solicitation for a reason - I'm not sure if religious door knocking counts by law but it would in spirit.

My church sponsors summer soccer camps in various neighborhoods
Backyard week or two bible clubs for kids
We have a Revolutionary War militia group that meets regularly
Small groups meet weekly for fellowship and bible study - backyard cookouts with neighborhood locals invited
The church has summer cookouts on the grounds with everyone/anyone invited
We encourage Boy Scouts and Girl Scout groups (and many other non-religious groups) to use our campus to encourage witness encounters with 'outside' people

My advice, witness where you work, play, worship, rest, but don't go out of your way to disturb people.

Persuasion by force of reason rarely works.

Rob

I'm going to have to agree to disagree with you, friend. We just have different philosophies.

 

[Nicolaus Mourer]

It depends on what the goal or end result is. Yes, you want to see people saved, no doubt, but is the ultimate aim to grow a church? Increase the size of a church? Or personal evangelism?

For me personally the invitation to my church is simply used as an ice-breaker to get the conversation on a spiritual topic, which then allows me to transition easily into reasoning with them in the gospel. The church growing is just a by-product of my true intention: which is to win souls to Christ and prevent as many as will receive the gospel from going to hell.

 

[Martin Marprelate]

So I'm looking for any advice you guys have from experience when out knocking doors.

I live in Britain, so things may be different over the Pond.
We put a card through the door a day or two before calling for the first time. Quite often, people come to the door, realise who we are and shut it again, but it distinguishes us from the JWs and saves a bit of time.
If people say they're not religious, we talk to them about their gardens, cars, hobbies or what-not and then get back to spiritual matters.

It's a jolly hard job and takes a thick skin, but we have seen a couple of people wonderfully saved, one or two more who are attending church occasionally and we have a list of 30+ people who have responded positively but haven't yet walked through the doors of the church; we call again on these folk about once every other month.

That's not a whole load of fruit for over two years work, but what value can you put on a soul? What we do know is that people in Britain do not show up in church on a whim. You have to 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in' (Luke 14:23).

 

[Nicolaus Mourer]

I live in Britain, so things may be different over the Pond.
We put a card through the door a day or two before calling for the first time. Quite often, people come to the door, realise who we are and shut it again, but it distinguishes us from the JWs and saves a bit of time.
If people say they're not religious, we talk to them about their gardens, cars, hobbies or what-not and then get back to spiritual matters.

It's a jolly hard job and takes a thick skin, but we have seen a couple of people wonderfully saved, one or two more who are attending church occasionally and we have a list of 30+ people who have responded positively but haven't yet walked through the doors of the church; we call again on these folk about once every other month.

That's not a whole load of fruit for over two years work, but what value can you put on a soul? What we do know is that people in Britain do not show up in church on a whim. You have to 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in' (Luke 14:23).

That's great to hear, and quite inspiring. I agree with you on that, friend, if even one person gets saved as a result, it's completely worth it.

Good to know that the unreceptiveness is not just here.

 

[Yeshua1]

Becoming their friend, and just let them see how jesus has and changing your life, how you involve God and church into your life. Also try to take their interests and find an openning, like if into sports, mix in christina athelites, current events, how Bible describes last days!

 

[kyredneck]

what are some other effective ways to reach the lost in your experience?

15 but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

Pragmatism is well and alive today and has infected churches.
We do not base what we do by whether or not it works but whether or not it is biblical.

Going out and sharing (Or attempting to) the Gospel with people is biblical and right.
We are responsible to share the good news, whether it's "effective" or not.
While I understand door to door is not very "effective", I wonder if the ones who are against it ever share the Gospel in other ways?

If door to door doesn't "work" in your community then fine, but what exactly are you actively doing to share the Gospel with people?

 

[Nicolaus Mourer]

Pragmatism is well and alive today and has infected churches.
We do not base what we do by whether or not it works but whether or not it is biblical.

Going out and sharing (Or attempting to) the Gospel with people is biblical and right.
We are responsible to share the good news, whether it's "effective" or not.
While I understand door to door is not very "effective", I wonder if the ones who are against it ever share the Gospel in other ways?

If door to door doesn't "work" in your community then fine, but what exactly are you actively doing to share the Gospel with people?

This is a good point, sir.

 

[JonShaff]

To semi-quote D. L. Moody--I like the way you do "somewhat" effective evangelism better than those who do ZERO evangelism.

Keep casting the seed brother--Jesus Said to spread it, cast it--you never know when it will land on Good Soil

I usually give a brief intro about what i'm doing--"Sharing Good news Today"


And sometime soon i say, "Can i ask you a question? if you were to die tonight, would you go to heaven or hell?" Then i take the conversation where it needs to go so i can share the Good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Make sure you saturate your endeavors in PRAYER--before planning, before going out, while you're out, and after you are done...PRAY! And Expect an increase from God--farmers do, don't they? Why shouldn't we?

 

[Yeshua1]

Pragmatism is well and alive today and has infected churches.
We do not base what we do by whether or not it works but whether or not it is biblical.

Going out and sharing (Or attempting to) the Gospel with people is biblical and right.
We are responsible to share the good news, whether it's "effective" or not.
While I understand door to door is not very "effective", I wonder if the ones who are against it ever share the Gospel in other ways?

If door to door doesn't "work" in your community then fine, but what exactly are you actively doing to share the Gospel with people?

Living among them, and letting them hopefull see chnge Christ has done and is doing in me!

 

[JonShaff]

Living among them, and letting them hopefull see chnge Christ has done and is doing in me!

Right, being a good ambassador for Christ is good. But how does that address the Great Commission?

 

[Yeshua1]

Right, being a good ambassador for Christ is good. But how does that address the Great Commission?

1 peter 3:15 happens when they see the changed life in Christ, listen to words and see the deeds

 

[JonShaff]

1 peter 3:15 happens when they see the changed life in Christ, listen to words and see the deeds

Ok (not arguing here just wanting to see how this is reality)...explain a time in which that happened please, thanks!

For the record i believe in both intentional (Planned) evangelism and "Lifestyle" evangelism--however you want to speak to those realities.