Some of my brothers have been escorted off the property of the Super Wal-Mart in Apopka.
Does anyone have a suggestion for Christinas who live in areas where "street preaching" is illegal?
Does obeying this law compromise Biblical Christianity?
Does wisdom have a place in this discussion?
I have thought about this a lot, Jermyn. Why aren't more preachers in jail for preaching the gospel?
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If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 KJV
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 KJV
In the U.S. we enjoy a tremendous liberty to preach the Gospel in public venues.
If Fred Phelps and his "God Hates Fags" klan can make his grandchildren walk around on the streets and through parks wiping their feet on the American flag with impunity then you'd better believe that preaching the Good News is still allowed as well.
Just make certain that you are on public property and that you are not blocking a sidewalk or other throughway... then have at it. The cops usually won't be a problem at all.
I knew one guy who once received a ticket unfairly for "huckstering" because he was passing out tracts at a city owned arena. But this guy was also known for law breaking and would often get himself into confrontations with the idea of having the confrontation more than preaching the Good News.
His ticket was thrown out by the municipal judge without so much as a comment. No problem and no fine. Part of what had prompted the ticket in the first place however was the fact that this fellow had printed up his "tracts" with the copyrighted logo of the service organization that was holding a convention at that arena at that time.
He expressed "concern" that people might not accept a "religious" tract so he tried to deceive them into thinking that he was handing out convention related material. People in the service organization took offense to the deception and the technical copyright violation and complained repeatedly to the police patrolling the area.
If you go out of your way you can get arrested. You can also turn your entire community against your local church by grandstanding and "cute marketing."
"Cute marketing" was the phrase used by a local police captain to describe this particular man's approach to "evangelism."
Personally I think street preaching is ineffective and mostly just offends your audience.
I agree. And I was involved in just about evey type of "street ministry" and evangelism that we could come up with.
We could sometimes talk a couple of folks along the way into coming back to the church and getting baptized, or using the city fountains for a baptism; but I never once saw anyone ever "pray through" or be added to the church in over 20 years of trying that approach.
Instead, when we did see church growth it was through people actually coming to a service in the building. The worship and music would be powerful and they would give themselves to God then. But for some reason, the "powers that be" seemed to hate having an established church ministry and doing the few things that we could do successfully. So, it was back out on the street where we'd beat our heads against the wall and see no results.
The main thing however was that we could brag about what "radicals" we were. We'd go to camp and some of our guys would boast about how noboady was doing anything but us. Then I'd turn and notice that the other churches had new saints, whereas we had the same old crew.
Now, for some reason that church doesn't even really exist anymore.
I agree. And I was involved in just about evey type of "street ministry" and evangelism that we could come up with.
We could sometimes talk a couple of folks along the way into coming back to the church and getting baptized, or using the city fountains for a baptism; but I never once saw anyone ever "pray through" or be added to the church in over 20 years of trying that approach.
Instead, when we did see church growth it was through people actually coming to a service in the building. The worship and music would be powerful and they would give themselves to God then. But for some reason, the "powers that be" seemed to hate having an established church ministry and doing the few things that we could do successfully. So, it was back out on the street where we'd beat our heads against the wall and see no results.
The main thing however was that we could brag about what "radicals" we were. We'd go to camp and some of our guys would boast about how noboady was doing anything but us. Then I'd turn and notice that the other churches had new saints, whereas we had the same old crew.
Now, for some reason that church doesn't even really exist anymore.
Yea I know what ya mean. Not saying its that way with everyone, I know I've heard of some success stories using the street preaching method, but I feel alot of street ministry and other radical methods of evangilism is more about look whatI'm out doing(even if it isn't really the best way).
I know that seeing such methods work or even hearing of them work is a really fantastic and inspirational story of peoples hunger for God. However, not everyone is called by God to evangalize in such ways. I think alot of preachers get caught up in the hype of such methods and push for such types of ministry in vain. Also all the mocking and such that they get from the streets reinforces to them that they are really good christians because the world hates them so much... So maybe such types of ministry is more for them than for the lost... All this is JMO. (And this doesn't apply to everyone who focuses on such types of minstry).
Thank God, Bill Wilson, took the Gospel to the streets of Brooklyn, New York.
Today he has one of the largest Sunday schools in the world.
Quote:
Wilson's mother abandoned him on a streetcorner in Pinellas Park, Florida, at age 12. She said, "I can't do this anymore. You wait here." Bill stayed on that street corner for three days, but his mother never came back. Dave Rudenis, a local mechanic and committed Christian, found him there and took him to his home. Rudenis offered to pay this young man's way to a Christian summer camp. It was during this camp that the 12-year old Wilson committed his life to God. While he was a teenager, young Bill Wilson was given a job at his local congregation. After his high school graduation, Wilson was encouraged to attend a seminary.
After graduating with a degree in Bible and Theology from Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God, Bill Wilson returned to his home church and pioneered one of the first bus ministries in the United States. Each week, Wilson and his team picked up thousands of children from the projects of St. Petersburg, Florida and presented a weekly program that included games, music, puppets and a weekly message. After years of success in Florida, Bill Wilson was invited by Tommy Barnett to replicate this ministry in Davenport, Iowa. Within four years, Barnett and Wilson helped create one of the largest Protestant churches in America.
[edit] New York
In 1980, Bill Wilson moved to one of the roughest areas of Brooklyn, New York – Bushwick. Armed with a bull horn, a station wagon and a Yogi Bear costume, Wilson created Metro Ministries. Once again, Wilson’s concept of a bus ministry became extremely successful. Even with multiple weekend services, his congregation outgrew the former brewery that serves as his church in Bushwick. With no more room to house any new visitors to his Church, Wilson decided to take his Church to the streets. He created the idea of a Sidewalk Sunday School, in which he converted trucks to serve as portable stages from whence his team of ministers could share their message. This concept became highly successful and these collective congregations now number more than 20,000 in attendance each week.
Word of Bill Wilson’s success in New York spread to other Churches and inner city ministries. The concept of a bus ministry and Sidewalk Sunday School has now been replicated in cities and towns all over the world. In an attempt to remain in touch with the people attending his congregation, Bill Wilson still lives in a building adjacent to his Church. He continues to walk through the often dangerous neighborhoods of Bushwick in an effort to carry on his work. Over the years, Wilson has been shot, stabbed, beaten and hospitalized numerous times. Yet he remains committed to the work of Metro Ministries. Regardless of his success or where he travels, Bill Wilson insists that he still drives one of the hundreds of buses utilized by his ministry each week.
Metro Ministries in Bedford-Stuyvesant (Brooklyn) is the largest Sunday school program in America, reaching an average of more than 20,000 children aged 12 and under each week. The curriculum that Wilson designed is used in over 1,000 cities around the world. In 1992, Wilson was the only ghetto resident appointed to President George H. W. Bush's National Commission on America's Urban Families. On Sunday, December 16, 2007, television pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas talked about Bill Wilson's story in his nationally televised program.
Wilson is the author of several books, including Jesus Doesn’t Live in Brooklyn, The Blind Guide Chronicles, Christianity in the Crosshairs, and his bestselling autobiography, Whose Child is This? His newest book, entitled "One Eyed Kings" is due out in March 2009. In addition, Wilson is a popular speaker who travels extensively around the world in an effort to raise funds for his Church and mission in Brooklyn, New York. He has been a featured guest at numerous conferences, television talk shows and news programs and in Churches around the world.
Matt Maddix has a great pic with Pastor Wilson on FB.
Thank God, Bill Wilson, took the Gospel to the streets of Brooklyn, New York.
Today he has one of the largest Sunday schools in the world.
Matt Maddix has a great pic with Pastor Wilson on FB.
That's a great story. But is street preaching for every community? Is street preaching something every minister should be doing? I'm all for it when it works. However, when it doesn't it often severely hurts a churches message and ties to a community. Is it really worth this risk in most situations?
That's a great story. But is street preaching for every community? Is street preaching something every minister should be doing? I'm all for it when it works. However, when it doesn't it often severely hurts a churches message and ties to a community. Is it really worth this risk in most situations?
Just like we say in the teaching profession ... the method is as good as the teacher ....
I think knowing your target community's demographics ... social dymanics and environment ... play an important way in which methodologies to implement.
As a person born and raised in New York City ... I can see how if implemented the right way ... this type of ministry would have a great impact ...
Scaring folks with wild expressions of worship on a street corner ... dressed in 1950's attire ... or hell and brimstone preaching ... as opposed to Wilson wearing a costume and befriending the kids in the community who are very mistrustful of strangers and would not go to a storefront church otherwise ... is "smart" evangelism.
There .... many people don't talk to their neighbors much less open a door to a stranger ... or commit to a home bible study.
In contrast ...
The pedestrian traffic and social dynamics of a big city New York are different to a big city like Houston ... that is geographically spread out and.... although there are parts where there a large pockets of population .... doing a street service doesn't make much sense.
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