Street Preaching/Open Air Preaching

[Bro. Williams]

I was curious as to how many out in the midst of BB practice street/open air preaching? Any other thoughts concerning the ministry in this type of setting is welcome and appreciated.

 

[John of Japan]

My co-worker (in the church across town) and I go every Saturday night to the bar district downtown and pass out tracts and witness. I have done street preaching in Japan, but do not do so nowadays. (Getting too old for it maybe? Far less response than there used to be maybe?

) It usually takes long personal contact and many presentations of the Gospel before a Japanese person trusts Christ as Savior.

The image here of someone who stands out in public with a mike and a bunch of signs is that of the politicians. Every election they go around with their sound trucks turned on high and regale us all with sermons about how they are going to reform the government, how America is the big culprit (the Communists), how they had better revise the peace constitution and such like.

You go for it, though. Keep up the good work. :thumbs:

 

[bapmom]

we do alot of passing out tracts on busy streets....just walking down the sidewalk and finding people who will stop and listen to the gospel. We see many people saved this way.

We used to do alot more actual preaching on the street, though now we've gotten away from it for the most part. Im not sure why, except for that perhaps the world has managed to make the "street-preacher" equal to a raving lunatic who is either homeless and drunk or just escaped from a mental ward.

Though the Hispanic community in our area still does this - there's a Hispanic church in town that now and then sets up a sound system in a parking lot and they have a whole open-air service - singing and everything, then preaching. They seem to get a crowd.

 

[Bro. Williams]

My co-worker (in the church across town) and I go every Saturday night to the bar district downtown and pass out tracts and witness. I have done street preaching in Japan, but do not do so nowadays. (Getting too old for it maybe? Far less response than there used to be maybe?

) It usually takes long personal contact and many presentations of the Gospel before a Japanese person trusts Christ as Savior.

The image here of someone who stands out in public with a mike and a bunch of signs is that of the politicians. Every election they go around with their sound trucks turned on high and regale us all with sermons about how they are going to reform the government, how America is the big culprit (the Communists), how they had better revise the peace constitution and such like.

You go for it, though. Keep up the good work. :thumbs:

Thanks for the encouragement! We are not of the camp that believes that, "if you don't do it our way, you aren't in the will of God", so I appreciate hearing about anyone doing any work these days. I am sure the culture in Japan is different than here as well. I have not read of many missionaries of old to Japan, and thefore know little of past open air experiences or attmepts. Keep working though!

 

[Bro. Williams]

we do alot of passing out tracts on busy streets....just walking down the sidewalk and finding people who will stop and listen to the gospel. We see many people saved this way.

We used to do alot more actual preaching on the street, though now we've gotten away from it for the most part. Im not sure why, except for that perhaps the world has managed to make the "street-preacher" equal to a raving lunatic who is either homeless and drunk or just escaped from a mental ward.

Though the Hispanic community in our area still does this - there's a Hispanic church in town that now and then sets up a sound system in a parking lot and they have a whole open-air service - singing and everything, then preaching. They seem to get a crowd.

Amen. Since I do street preach to date, I can confirm that the world thinks we're nuts, and we largely quote only Bible passages.

The hispanic note was interesting. When I did a short term trip to Costa Rica we did very similar ministries with the sound systems in parks and what not, and it usually drew a crowd. It would be nice to get back into the hispanic community again, it was a very enjoyable trip... but my Spanish is lacking.

 

[Ulsterman]

We do some street preaching and tract distribution in the town centre. We use a felt board and give the outline of the message as we go, perhaps with some attention getting question or idea to lead in. (We got this idea from the Open air Mission, you can see our group at work with a teen missions team from Ohio at http://www.bethanygr.org/BBC_Website_07/Missions_Trip.html if you scan down to Day 5 and view the first row of pics).

I can't say it is a great success, but we have had one family come to church as a result. That said, other methods of evangelism aren't noticably more successful. On saturday the Mormons prowl our city centre streets, so I am glad at least that we have not allowed them a free run, and many Christian people of various evangelical persuasions have stopped to say how they have been encouraged by our presence.

 

[GrannyGumbo]

Our small assembly has a street-ministry. I'm over 60 and enjoy it tremendously. Oh the "war" stories I could tell...

I tend to wear blouses that "preach" from time to time when I shop at the great-wall-of-China. We hand out and place tracts everywhere we go. I've baked bread and carried it to my neighbours and also shared the Bread of Life with them. Never met a stranger and anyone who meets me quickly learns of my Saviour.

~granny - saved over 50 years and loving every minute of it...

 

[Bro. Williams]

We do some street preaching and tract distribution in the town centre. We use a felt board and give the outline of the message as we go, perhaps with some attention getting question or idea to lead in. (We got this idea from the Open air Mission, you can see our group at work with a teen missions team from Ohio at http://www.bethanygr.org/BBC_Website_07/Missions_Trip.html if you scan down to Day 5 and view the first row of pics).

I can't say it is a great success, but we have had one family come to church as a result. That said, other methods of evangelism aren't noticably more successful. On saturday the Mormons prowl our city centre streets, so I am glad at least that we have not allowed them a free run, and many Christian people of various evangelical persuasions have stopped to say how they have been encouraged by our presence.

Amen brother, glad to see someone else working. I for one know that seeing others out working is a true encouragement for me and mine. We must remember though that success is not measured in numbers but in doing the will of God. sSee I Tim. 6:4-6 and Ezek 33.

keep up the work!

 

[Bro. Williams]

Our small assembly has a street-ministry. I'm over 60 and enjoy it tremendously. Oh the "war" stories I could tell...

I tend to wear blouses that "preach" from time to time when I shop at the great-wall-of-China. We hand out and place tracts everywhere we go. I've baked bread and carried it to my neighbours and also shared the Bread of Life with them. Never met a stranger and anyone who meets me quickly learns of my Saviour.

~granny - saved over 50 years and loving every minute of it...

amen and amen.

 

[GrannyGumbo]

And how on earth could I have forgotten our ol'battle van ('84 Ford) loaded in scriptures, which also "preaches" everywhere we go. Also, my yard has Bible verses posted on the trees, fence posts, doorways, etc (Deut 11:20).

It may not seem like much to some folks, but it's what I am led to do.