Street Preaching

[Diciple]

Street preaching makes a lot of common sense. When we consider Church preaching we can see clearly that this is simply preaching to the converted. How many un-saved people visit your Church on a typical Sunday. This is hard to accurately know unless we start asking everybody, which we certainly do not wish to do. I believe Churches should continue to preach as they do but also do street preaching.

Some will say that as people pass by they only get a short burst and only an odd one will stop and listen. It is all to do with what is being said as some street preachers get quite a few stopping to listen.

Giving out tracts as part of the preaching is important. These tracts need to be short and as modern as possible to catch the young. The young are the main people to attract and keeping their attention is vital. So please could you folks reading this give me some ideas on this very important subject.

 

[Messy]

What they do here now, inspired by Thorben Sondergaard, is put a banner with 'healing station' and ask people if they can pray for them. A lot of people get saved that way.
The world - The Last Reformation

 

[savedbygrace05]

Whatever it takes

 

[ebia]

Street preaching makes a lot of common sense. When we consider Church preaching we can see clearly that this is simply preaching to the converted. How many un-saved people visit your Church on a typical Sunday. This is hard to accurately know unless we start asking everybody, which we certainly do not wish to do. I believe Churches should continue to preach as they do but also do street preaching.

Some will say that as people pass by they only get a short burst and only an odd one will stop and listen. It is all to do with what is being said as some street preachers get quite a few stopping to listen.

Giving out tracts as part of the preaching is important. These tracts need to be short and as modern as possible to catch the young. The young are the main people to attract and keeping their attention is vital. So please could you folks reading this give me some ideas on this very important subject.

I think you are far more likely to alienate people and inoculate them against christianity, than help anyone see christ.

Meeting people, forming relationships, making the Kingdom of God real by helping people with their problems, is what's needed. Incarnation.

Not depersonalised information delivery from a distance.

 

[Danny777]

I think you are far more likely to alienate people and inoculate them against christianity, than help anyone see christ.

Meeting people, forming relationships, making the Kingdom of God real by helping people with their problems, is what's needed. Incarnation.

Not depersonalised information delivery from a distance.

I think both 'street preaching' and 'relationship' evangelism are effective Biblical models. The NT is littered with examples of street preaching...

 

[ianb321red]

I think both 'street preaching' and 'relationship' evangelism are effective Biblical models. The NT is littered with examples of street preaching...

Relationship is more effective in my view than street - not that there is anything wrong with street preaching - it's just that I've heard about countless stories of effective relationship "conversions" and far fewer for the street preaching approach....

 

[SteveNZ]

You do what the Lord sends you to do.
I think of William Booth of the Salvation Army. It was the time and place for pretty rugged street preaching. And it succeeded.

 

[ebia]

You do what the Lord sends you to do.
I think of William Booth of the Salvation Army. It was the time and place for pretty rugged street preaching. And it succeeded.

Booth didn't just preach though - he put enormous effort into practical Kingdom stuff.

 

[Bungle_Bear]

Street preaching makes a lot of common sense. When we consider Church preaching we can see clearly that this is simply preaching to the converted. How many un-saved people visit your Church on a typical Sunday. This is hard to accurately know unless we start asking everybody, which we certainly do not wish to do. I believe Churches should continue to preach as they do but also do street preaching.

Some will say that as people pass by they only get a short burst and only an odd one will stop and listen. It is all to do with what is being said as some street preachers get quite a few stopping to listen.

Giving out tracts as part of the preaching is important. These tracts need to be short and as modern as possible to catch the young. The young are the main people to attract and keeping their attention is vital. So please could you folks reading this give me some ideas on this very important subject.

Try preaching some positive points. So many street preachers take an aggressive approach. Don't tell people they're going to hell. It's not a great opening gambit.

Also, make sure you know what you're talking about. I may not be the greatest biblical scholar, but my wife tells me off for taking pleasure in pointing out the gaps in so many "preacher's" biblical knowledge

 

[Danny777]

Relationship is more effective in my view than street - not that there is anything wrong with street preaching - it's just that I've heard about countless stories of effective relationship "conversions" and far fewer for the street preaching approach....

Everyone single Christian is a 'relationship' evangelist. Those that engage in street preaching are not doing it instead of 'relationship' evangelism - it's in addition to it.

Those who engage is street preaching should be applauded in my view - as long as it's an accurate gospel message delivered with grace and a genuine concern for those within ear-shot.

 

[Messy]

Relationship is more effective in my view than street - not that there is anything wrong with street preaching - it's just that I've heard about countless stories of effective relationship "conversions" and far fewer for the street preaching approach....

We used to go to the streets with tracts and door to door. I saw one man get saved. With just inviting people you know I saw more, but now there's some street preachers on Facebook. Just a regular guy and it's every day: hallelujah someone got saved! Hallelujah, again 15 new brothers and sisters. So it works.

 

[High Fidelity]

I think both 'street preaching' and 'relationship' evangelism are effective Biblical models. The NT is littered with examples of street preaching...

Yes, but that is also a huge time difference between then and now. People back then were ignorant to a lot of things that are the foundation of doubt for the majority today.

 

[Danny777]

Yes, but that is also a huge time difference between then and now. People back then were ignorant to a lot of things that are the foundation of doubt for the majority today.

Maybe, but this doesn't mean the method of street preaching has no value - it's one of many forms of evangelism. The preacher simply needs to recognise he is speaking to an audience with a different perspective to NT times.

 

[Robban]

After dusting off Gurnall this evening and having a Quick look in the first volume I found among else this, where he writes about, "Stand in your own Place-do not usurp Another,s"

Not sure if it can be applied here in this question, but he has divided the above line into five Points or five considerations which he lays out in the book,

1, You lose God,s approval when you leave your appointed place to work outside your calling.

2, You lose God,s protection when you ignore His restrictions as to place and calling.

3, God does not hold you accountable for another man,s work.

4, You suffer needlessly when you bear burdens God never intended you to carry.

5, A flighty spirit usually carries men out of their place and calling.

I would have thought the shepards job was to tend his flock, not drive them out onto the streets.

 

[theFijian]

The NT is littered with examples of street preaching...

Is it though? Are there many examples of preaching taking place in a thoroughfare and not simply out in the open? I can think of occasions where people followed Jesus or the apostles and they preached to them, or where Jesus or the Apostles went to places where people tended to gather to hear people speak. But I can't think of occasions which are the similar to the modern practice of street preaching

 

[theFijian]

Street preaching makes a lot of common sense. When we consider Church preaching we can see clearly that this is simply preaching to the converted. How many un-saved people visit your Church on a typical Sunday. This is hard to accurately know unless we start asking everybody, which we certainly do not wish to do. I believe Churches should continue to preach as they do but also do street preaching.

Some will say that as people pass by they only get a short burst and only an odd one will stop and listen. It is all to do with what is being said as some street preachers get quite a few stopping to listen.

Giving out tracts as part of the preaching is important. These tracts need to be short and as modern as possible to catch the young. The young are the main people to attract and keeping their attention is vital. So please could you folks reading this give me some ideas on this very important subject.

While I'm not about to tell people not to carry out street-preaching, I think it betrays a lack of insight into how society has changed and a failure to react to and engage with that change. But then I'm aware that the Holy Spirit can use a bad sermon to convert someone as much as a good one, and a poorly thought out preaching model as much as a well thought out one.

 

[Danny777]

Is it though? Are there many examples of preaching taking place in a thoroughfare and not simply out in the open? I can think of occasions where people followed Jesus or the apostles and they preached to them, or where Jesus or the Apostles went to places where people tended to gather to hear people speak. But I can't think of occasions which are the similar to the modern practice of street preaching

Matt 11-13 seem to be instances where Jesus was preaching out in the open and Mark 1:14-15 also. Mark 16:15, 20 provide further support this method of evangelism.

Again, I am only suggesting street preaching is one of many legitimate forms of evangelism - not the only one.

 

[theFijian]

Matt 11-13 seem to be instances where Jesus was preaching out in the open and Mark 1:14-15 also. Mark 16:15, 20 provide further support this method of evangelism.

Again, I am only suggesting street preaching is one of many legitimate forms of evangelism - not the only one.

Preaching out in the open is not the same thing as street preaching. As I said, Jesus regularly taught the crowds who followed him, I'm looking for an instance where Jesus or the disciples plonked themselves down in a thoroughfare and preached at/to people as they walked past or were going about their daily business.

And i think to use the great commission as a proof text for a specific preaching model makes it applicable to any and every preaching model

 

[Cearbhall]

Some will say that as people pass by they only get a short burst and only an odd one will stop and listen. It is all to do with what is being said as some street preachers get quite a few stopping to listen.

Giving out tracts as part of the preaching is important. These tracts need to be short and as modern as possible to catch the young. The young are the main people to attract and keeping their attention is vital. So please could you folks reading this give me some ideas on this very important subject.

I personally just don't like being approached by strangers on the street, period. If I'm interested in switching religions, I'll seek out the information myself, but I'd rather be the one to initiate that process rather than having a tract shoved in my face.

What's more, usually when I'm walking down the street, I don't have time to stop and chat. It doesn't make sense to me to approach random people on your own terms. I have no problem with people who just stand there and talk. I'd put that at the same level as a street performance or a homeless person with a sign. But I'd rather people not approach or engage me in their business unless they have reason to believe I'm interested. That's not the way to attract me.

 

[Miser]

I was actually suprised when my atheist husband stopped and listened to a guy singing about God in the middle of a very busy high street. It didnt convert him, but he enjoyed it!