Best and worst methods of witnessing in the US

[Der Pilger]

What do you think of the following approaches?

Approach people the way that Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron do. They ask people, "Do you think that you are a good person?" Most likely people will say that they are good people. Show people from the Bible that they are not really good. Talk about God's plan of salvation.

That is an excellent approach and completely biblical. It is up front and addresses the crucial issues a person needs to grasp.

Start a conversation with a total stranger and then ask him, "What kind of belief system do you have?"

I think this is fine, too. Any approach that has as its immediate goal the complete communication of the gospel message is fine.

-----Added 7/7/2009 at 10:52:40 EST-----

Suppose you were in a conversation with someone and that conversation has nothing to do with Christ. How would you direct that conversation so that you are talking about Christ?

That's a tough one to answer because it really depends on what exactly is being said in the conversation. It is difficult to say what kind of bridge to build from one topic to another when the original topic is unknown. Here are some suggestions, though:

"What is your religious background?"
"Would you mind if I asked you something on a deeper level?"
If you've been reading a Christian book lately: "I've been reading this really interesting book called _______________________. It has really made me think a lot."

It's helpful to use ice-breakers of some kind. Livingwaters.com publishes some very helpful ice-breaker tools, such as the "Smart Card" and their various million-dollar bills. The gospel presentations on these items are too short, in my opinion, but they are useful to use as ways of lightheartedly turning a conversation to spiritual matters and proceeding to the gospel more or less immediately.

 

[Rich Koster]

Knock on a door, hand someone a tract, smile and leave

-----Added 6/30/2009 at 08:05:57 EST-----

One of the worst I saw was in New York City on a busy holiday weekend. A group of conservative/fundamentalist church goers from upstate New York descended on the street near Macy's and proceeded to shout at everyone going by about how they were sinners and deserved God's wrath. One of the guy's was wearing a t-shirt depicting the Pope as the antichrist; otherwise everyone else was wearing plain, somber clothing and all the women had long hair and dresses.

As you might expect, your typical New Yorker doesn't take too kindly to be shouted at (about anything, let alone "religion"). I watched for a while and it was painful as both sides hurled verbal abuse at each other. Those witnessing clearly lacked both grace and love for those they were "witnessing" to and it sadly seemed like they were doing it so they could go back to their little town upstate and be self-satisfied in how they told those evil city dwellers about their sin.

I tried to speak quietly and respectfully to one of the leaders about their method and he basically told me where to go.

Needless to say, I would put Tim Keller's preaching at the other end of the scale in terms of best methods of witnessing to people in NYC. He has a humble spirit, patience with unbelievers' questions, and gets to the heart of many of the stumbling blocks people have to the gospel.

Were they from Word of Life Bible Institute?

Rich, please don't insinuate that students of WOLBI are like that. They aren't. I know because I am a graduate. Word of Life uses the Open Air Campaigners method of street evangelism. They do not shout in the streets and call people sinners. Word of Life is not Reformed nor Calvinistic. They are within the main stream Baptist genre. Good people who have a sincere desire to see sinners converted. Is their soteriology off base? Sure it is. I am not defending aberrant doctrine, but I have witnessed first hand genuine conversions in spite of their free will leanings. I just want to set the record straight on my Alma Mater.

I was questioning this because back in the 90's, I went to the WOL family campground. They had sign ups for adults to join BI student for bus trips to Lake George and the city for OAE.

 

[jonmo]

I think in fairness to Rich he was only asking a question. I was the one who saw the students and, to be honest, the description from the WOL website is close to that described to me by those "witnessing" in NYC in terms of their background. If anyone should be pulled up on this, it should be me not Rich. I can't say definitely if it was WOL or not.