Evangelism at False Churches

[brantleyrider]

Greetings PuritanBoard! I was wondering if anyone here is doing (or knows someone who is doing) evangelism efforts outside of false churches. If so, I would like to connect with such persons. I have personally found that due to the nature of private property (and avoid trespassing) and the amount of people driving to/from, that it is prudent to be equipped with a sign. Due to it being the largest false church in my area, my local context for evangelism is conducting evangelism and warning efforts outside of the various Elevation campuses. I created a website ElevationIsFalse.com to help aid in this work, and I also put that website on a sign (one can easily read it closeup or a mile away). (Note: I have tried passing out tracts, but their staff/volunteers will go up to people and take them away...)

Another point of discussion for this post, is that here in America, it seems have so many "Christian churches" but yet hardly any of them are training local evangelists/apologists, to do the work of proclaiming the biblical gospel and warn people and outside of at least the larger false churches. I have gotten some thankfulness from local area and far away ministers, and I appreciate that very much and all, but I would rather see them also encourage and train others to do the same.

I am thankful to the Lord for the missionaries to far away lands, where Christianity is non-existent, I just feel that we should also not be neglecting local outreach as well.

I welcome thoughts on this, thank you folks and God bless!

 

[davejonescue]

There may be a better strategy in this. Not saying your heart isnt in the right place, but most people are extremely loyal to their churches; and in the same way you would not allow yourself to be easily swayed from attending your own congregation; these people are not going to be easily swayed from attending their congregations. We also have to think of the image of a person holding a sign, or shouting in a bull-horn. Elevation is not without its controversy; which I am sure most of the congregants are aware of. Yet they still choose to go.

Have you thought about alternative ways of evangelizing where you will have more freedom? Think instead of handing out tracts at the Church on Sunday, you hand out the same tracts at Wal-Mart, the Mall, 7-11's, etc; in the same community during the week? This will remedy the elders taking away the tracts; and possibly remedy the trespassing issues. Jesus said "be wise as serpents, but harmless as doves." Have you thought about a local Facebook campaign? Have you posted links to your website to the local Facebook pages? Are there opportunities to possibly open up or rent space in the community to sell good Christian literature? Does the community have a Craigslist that has a discussion board?

Also, have you thought about not necessarily being so much anti-Elevation, as you are pro-Orthodoxy? You are only confined in your evangelism by the limits of your imagination. Take some time to seriously strategize and use all means that are not sin. Are there Billboards, spots in local papers or newsletters? How much is a mail-out? Do you know the majority demographic of the church, and which neighborhoods they may encompass? Can you go to those neighborhoods? There are a lot of things you can possibly do besides stand outside a church with a sign, since it seems you are being shut down. Sometimes the slow route is better then the boisterous one.

When I think about stuff like this, I often think about something someone once said, and I paraphrase "that God allows heretical churches to exist to protect the orthodox ones. People read the same Bible, but something internally is drawing them to different conclusions. Is a man after wealth, then the Bible will become to them a text-book on how to get rich. Is a man after carnality, then grace and liberty will then become license. But a person who has truly surrendered will be led by the Spirit out of heretical churches; because they come to God humbled, and to be instructed, and to not have their desires satisfied, but to satisfy the one instructing them. This then leaves the people within heretical churches not prisoners, but people exactly where they want to be."

So, your biggest weapon may not be holding a sign in front of the church, but spending the same time and energy fervently praying that God would change hearts.

 

[Santos]

Greetings PuritanBoard! I was wondering if anyone here is doing (or knows someone who is doing) evangelism efforts outside of false churches. If so, I would like to connect with such persons. I have personally found that due to the nature of private property (and avoid trespassing) and the amount of people driving to/from, that it is prudent to be equipped with a sign. Due to it being the largest false church in my area, my local context for evangelism is conducting evangelism and warning efforts outside of the various Elevation campuses. I created a website ElevationIsFalse.com to help aid in this work, and I also put that website on a sign (one can easily read it closeup or a mile away). (Note: I have tried passing out tracts, but their staff/volunteers will go up to people and take them away...)

Another point of discussion for this post, is that here in America, it seems have so many "Christian churches" but yet hardly any of them are training local evangelists/apologists, to do the work of proclaiming the biblical gospel and warn people and outside of at least the larger false churches. I have gotten some thankfulness from local area and far away ministers, and I appreciate that very much and all, but I would rather see them also encourage and train others to do the same.

I am thankful to the Lord for the missionaries to far away lands, where Christianity is non-existent, I just feel that we should also not be neglecting local outreach as well.

I welcome thoughts on this, thank you folks and God bless!

This is fantastic! I am so glad that you are doing this. I can't give this post enough thumbs ups!

 

[dsanch1120]

Brother, I would simply and cautiously suggest that your zeal might be better applied elsewhere. I remember when I first discovered reformed theology and the American gospel film had just come out. It placed me in the proverbial “cage stage” to the point that I got a reputation in my campus ministry for being the anti-charismatic Calvinist. My heart became more interested in convincing brethren to accept predestination and watching as many videos contra Todd White and other word-of-faith figures as I could when there was a campus full of non-believers. I greatly damaged my relationship with a charismatic roommate because of this.
I’m not saying the need isn’t there for Elevation - it certainly is - but your zeal may be better spent on loving neighbors, evangelizing non-believers, and growing in sanctification. When I decided to stop watching Justin Peters and Fighting for the Faith (I was never into Evangelical Dark Web and find them problematic), I found a greater joy and peace. At some it registered with me - the WoF guys are bad - I don’t need to constantly reinforce that. Oddly enough, my zeal for defending the gospel was actually distracting me from it. Setting down the heresy-hunters and picking up God’s Word as well as theology was good for my soul and better for my witness.
I’m not saying what was true of me is of you, I believe your heart is in a good place. Yet I do want to encourage you to think about your heart in this and if your efforts are better spent elsewhere.

 

[MW]

Matthew 15:13-14, "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

 

[Santos]

1

Matthew 15:13-14, "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

1 Timothy 1:3 "As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine"

 

[Edward]

@brantleyrider I'd classify that as A Very Bad Idea.

If I drove past and saw that, I'd think that the Westboro crowd was on the loose again.

Speaking Elevation, maybe spend some money and do their trick of buying geofenced ads from google so everyone entering the campus gets a pushed ad calling out the bad teaching.

 

[brantleyrider]

Brother, I would simply and cautiously suggest that your zeal might be better applied elsewhere. I remember when I first discovered reformed theology and the American gospel film had just come out. It placed me in the proverbial “cage stage” to the point that I got a reputation in my campus ministry for being the anti-charismatic Calvinist. My heart became more interested in convincing brethren to accept predestination and watching as many videos contra Todd White and other word-of-faith figures as I could when there was a campus full of non-believers. I greatly damaged my relationship with a charismatic roommate because of this.
I’m not saying the need isn’t there for Elevation - it certainly is - but your zeal may be better spent on loving neighbors, evangelizing non-believers, and growing in sanctification. When I decided to stop watching Justin Peters and Fighting for the Faith (I was never into Evangelical Dark Web and find them problematic), I found a greater joy and peace. At some it registered with me - the WoF guys are bad - I don’t need to constantly reinforce that. Oddly enough, my zeal for defending the gospel was actually distracting me from it. Setting down the heresy-hunters and picking up God’s Word as well as theology was good for my soul and better for my witness.
I’m not saying what was true of me is of you, I believe your heart is in a good place. Yet I do want to encourage you to think about your heart in this and if your efforts are better spent elsewhere.

uhmmm.... interesting comment

@brantleyrider I'd classify that as A Very Bad Idea.

If I drove past and saw that, I'd think that the Westboro crowd was on the loose again.

Speaking Elevation, maybe spend some money and do their trick of buying geofenced ads from google so everyone entering the campus gets a pushed ad calling out the bad teaching.

Its a good idea, I am doing it currently and it is doing great, have had some good convos with young folks (the older ones are mean and set in their ways though)

 

[dsanch1120]

uhmmm.... interesting comment

I don't appreciate the condescending response. I genuinely meant what I said and hope you'll at least consider it instead of writing it off.