Resistance to Pastoral Visitation

The problem is the perception of what that means. There is often a concern that if they have a visit from the church they will just try to coerce them into committing to something at the church.

It would be best not to rely on that question and in fact get rid of it. What you can do is make three points of contact with visitors.

1. Send them a card expressing excitement and appreciation of their visit.

2. A phone call making yourself available to answer any questions they may have and to be available for the third point of contact which is a visit.

They often will not want you to visit. But do appreciate hearing from the church. Be prepared to hear concerns about how the service went for them. Be available but do not push for a visit. That will frustrate them and they may not trust you if you do.

I say this having been born and raised in the deep south.

 

We do in home visitation when requested.

That isn't very often.

Honestly, I've given up on any kind of door-to-door or in-home outreach approaches. They just don't work and end up costing more than they are worth. Maybe they worked great in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Not anymore.

That's not a bad thing either. Big tent revivals don't work well either. So what do we do? Well, for starters we have an intentional strategy of going where the lost already are and living authentically in their midst.

Your dinner idea, its a great idea. However, you used a method of outreach that requires people to leave their area of comfort and security and go to your facility. That kinda is a tough sell to begin with, coupled with being a Baptist church they probably saw what was coming. If I had gotten the card, and wasn't a member of your church, I would have tossed it and gone on about my day. Why not go to them instead?

Redirect the resources and sponsor a booth at a local taste of the town thing. Something like that.

As we move directly into a post-Christian culture we have to stop thinking and utilizing methodology that is great for a Churched community. Instead we need missionary thinking to reach new people.

Let's leverage our desire to reach the lost and use powerful tools to help them connect with Jesus where they live, work and play (on their turf) instead of having to come to our turf.

 

Home visits still work here in Mobile. However, we try to be very careful with this approach. With the younger couples I find that Facebook and texting get the most responses. They don't really want you to come to their homes and they won't answer their phones. But, after a few posts on Facebook or texting they generally warm up and are more receptive to answering the phone or visits.

 

I could see that nothing would turn people off more than someone just showing up at their house unannounced especially if they have told them they didn't want them to visit. I could see them being so upset they would tell all the neighbors about that Pastor from that church who showed up when they didn't want him, and say to all their friends that they shouldn't go to any of their stuff because they will just show up at your house no matter what.

Personally if I go visit places, I tend to never fill anything out unless I have to because I don't want random phone calls or people showing up. I feel like if I like the place, I'll come back. Either way I don't want to be pressured or hounded about it. If I want to talk to someone about it, I'll take the steps to do that.

 

Where are you in their lives? Are you walking the streets talking to people. Did you see if the old ladies & the widows need rides to the supermarkets, need lawns cut, need a coupla of guys who are handy to help with an oil change & perhaps to repair a car....how bout a roof, or a fresh coat of paint. We are called to look after widows & orphans....James 1:27

27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Arrange street basket ball pickup games or perhaps get something going after hours at a local high school, how bout canoe day trips, or host a Scouts meetings. The ladies can possibly teach cooking classes to young wives, or assemble a 2 -5 K run for some poor or in need family. I dont know counseling for troubled families, for married couples struggling, divorced people, people outa work. Touch the flesh of Christ man.

Three things I will always remember....one, a RC priest in priestly garb coming over to have coffee with my mom to discuss how to help my destitute family & then following through (without embarrassing us---for we were proud even though poor).

2. Mr Ed Schultz, a member in the community taking me to the Father & Son Church Breakfasts after my father died. God bless his soul.

3. A older presbyterian pastor in a little town where every body knew everyone & knew their business....A fellow named John (young man) with 2 small kids (one boy one girl) looses his wife to cancer & looses his mind in grief...takes to the bottle. Pastor Little hears of this & comes visiting & will not give up. John, you must come to the church, John you must get a grip, John, we in the community will help you out.....long story short, he bothered this guy back to life, to sobriety, to taking responsibility for his family....(Rev Little loved John back to life is how I see it) God love that man.

So my friend, Its love that will get their attention. Go to them, dont create schemes for them to come to you....it will be persevered as a trick....nobody likes to be tricked--a sucker.

 

It seems that we have had the most success inviting new people to home gatherings, either just one family inviting over the other, or inviting an unchurched family to a cookout at a home that has several church families. Going to someone's house for food is usually not that intimidating...and yet in our modern disconnected society...is something people don't experience very often.