Open Air Preaching

[OPC'n]

I wonder how effective it is in America. People are always in such a hurry to get where they are going they rarely stop and smell the roses much less preaching. I have a friend who does evangelism vis booths and people actually do stop and talk with her....so maybe it would be effective.

 

[Pergamum]

I think the failure of many churches' "evangelistic outreach programs" is just that - they are programs. They do not change the hearts of the church-goers sitting in the pews, but only manage to recruit or guilt people into bugging strangers on a tuesday night.

Much more effective than "going out on the street" every tuesday night would be to equip folks on Sundays so that, in their day to day lives and among their already close contacts, the pew sitters can know how more effectively to bless those closest to them.

Each one of us has so many folks in our "web of contacts" and among our families and friends that, rather than spending much time and effort on strangers, we should "Stop witnessing, and start loving" and let the Gospel work along relational, familial and friendship chains, as it always has.

 

[Blue Tick]

Some people should stay home...

Not much fruit in this stuff...

[video=youtube;n94LOS4O4r4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n94LOS4O4r4&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;sTUwhcxSHtg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTUwhcxSHtg&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;hmbhbcIFH9I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmbhbcIFH9I&feature=related[/video]

 

[christianyouth]

Just think if you would like for an atheist to start spouting off his doctrines when you were trying to shop or whatever. I'm guessing you would be pretty mad at the atheist and probably think of a couple words that would describe him, like dogmatic and intolerant.

Actually, I wouldnt be mad at all. I believe in freedom of speech. People have a choice to stop and listen or walk on into the shops. We live in a culture that preaches at us every day. The advertisements do not ask my permission, their gospel cries out from every shop window, every billboard every poster etc.

In the City people do all sorts i.e street theatre e.g buskers, musicians, circus acts etc- I appreciate the freedom of expression that is still available today to an extent.

At the end of the day if my neighbours house was on fire I would not quietly tap on his door out of fear of offending him. Neither would I ask him if he minded me telling him something important about his fate. No. I would shout "FIRE! FIRE! YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE! WAKE UP!! GET OUT! RUN FOR SAFETY!!!"

Open air preaching is a great opportunity to 'Go into all the world' and proclaim Christ. If people wish to stop their ears that is fine. If people choose to listen then reject it, that is also fine. At the end of the day- the sky does not ask permission to proclaim the glory of God. The stars do not stoop down and ask if fallen man would be upset if they speak of God's wonders! Day and night the earth and all creation boldly proclaims and so ought we!

Hey brother,

I just wanted to say that I rethought my position on this issue. I realize that when I heard 'open air preaching' I pictured evangelists yelling at people, swaggering back in forth in a suit and holding a KJV. I looked on the Internet for open air preaching + WOTM, and I found some people who seem to do it pretty well(though some who seem proud as well). So I apologize for speaking out against it, and I hope I didn't discourage you from getting out there and preaching the Gospel.

(though I'm still not convinced that open air preaching is more effective than personal evangelism)

 

[Repre5entYHWH]

Hey brother,

I just wanted to say that I rethought my position on this issue. I realize that when I heard 'open air preaching' I pictured evangelists yelling at people, swaggering back in forth in a suit and holding a KJV. I looked on the Internet for open air preaching + WOTM, and I found some people who seem to do it pretty well(though some who seem proud as well). So I apologize for speaking out against it, and I hope I didn't discourage you from getting out there and preaching the Gospel.

(though I'm still not convinced that open air preaching is more effective than personal evangelism)

but since in your view personal evangelism is more effective is that pragmatism to say this is how we ought to do it? regardless of which one is more effective .... i mean if not one soul got saved out of years of open air ... OR evangelism that does not negate the fact that we are to obey the biblical command.

 

[Zenas]

I think if it is done, it should be done by an ordained pastor. During undergrad, a couple of 20-somethings were in the middle of campus waiving a Bible around and walking around with a placard. They look at me and my girlfriend, now wife, and accused us of having pre-marital sex.

We thought it was funny in one sense, and sad in another because they weren't so much using the law to convict of sin, but just assuming people were committing common sins and calling them names accordingly. The website they had on their placard associated them with an open-air peaching movement that seemed to imply neither of the two men were ordained by any church organization, and were under no authority regarding what they did or did not say.

I think it can be good, but the preachers need to be accountable to someone.

 

[he beholds]

I think if the people who are preaching are not crazy, it could really be fine. As a teenager who basically spent every second outside of school loitering on the streets of my small, almost urban, neighborhood (one square mile/10,000 people), I would make friends with all of the crazies--and most of them were there "for Christ." However, they weren't from a church, weren't inviting us to church, weren't telling us exactly the Gospel, but they were telling us things like, "Don't own cars: 'Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.'"
And they would just go to where we (teenagers) would congregate--the trolley stop, for instance--and almost harass us, and then we'd almost harass them in return.
We knew them by name and really, they were always somewhat crazy.

I know of people who would go to Oakland, where Pitt is, and preach there. I think these people were not crazy, so I imagine they may have gotten through to some people.
But sometimes the type of person who is brave enough to do this is crazy, or very hostile. Those two types should probably stay home.

I think, after reading this thread, that if a church were to send people to do this, and I mean a good, Reformed church, then it could be very, very beneficial! I would like to see this happen!!

 

[Repre5entYHWH]

I think if it is done, it should be done by an ordained pastor. During undergrad, a couple of 20-somethings were in the middle of campus waiving a Bible around and walking around with a placard. They look at me and my girlfriend, now wife, and accused us of having pre-marital sex.

We thought it was funny in one sense, and sad in another because they weren't so much using the law to convict of sin, but just assuming people were committing common sins and calling them names accordingly. The website they had on their placard associated them with an open-air peaching movement that seemed to imply neither of the two men were ordained by any church organization, and were under no authority regarding what they did or did not say.

I think it can be good, but the preachers need to be accountable to someone.

i'm not sure they have to be ordained .... but i'll have to think about that. they do need to know their theology.

 

[Pergamum]

How has our country changed? Whitefield was a great success, but now street preachers and open air preachers are mostly considered crazies. Is it because they are now considered crazies mostly, or is it because many of them are, in fact, fairly crazy?

Many will blame our society. But is there any difference between Whitefield's approach and techniques and ours? I think there is; he was invited to set places, he didn't go intrude and become obnoxious it seems.

 

[LawrenceU]

That is a good piece. Thanks for putting it up.