Street-Preaching 101
Apr 16th, 2007 by Nathan White
A few weeks ago (at my old blog) I posted on Street-Preaching, and I asked the question of whether it is an effective means for sharing the gospel in our day and age. While considering this issue in great detail, I wrote on email to Pastor Gene Cook, host of the webcast/podcast The Narrow Mind. Gene was kind enough to answer my questions during one of his radio shows, and I think his response was a good one. You can download the MP3 program here, and my question is about halfway into the show (the first half hour or so is a comedy bit). Take a listen and let me know your thoughts on his response.
Essentially, Gene said that for many years he and a group of Christians have taken large signs down to the party district in downtown San Diego, and they would prop these signs up in front of the crowds walking into the clubs and bars late on weekend nights. Gene mentioned two signs specifically, a big sign that reads “What is Truth?”, and one that said “Is it absolutely true that absolute truth does not exist?”.
Instead of shouting at people or approaching them with a tract, Gene said that these signs would draw people over to where they were sitting. Their own curiosity would bring them over to ask what the signs meant. Once they came over, a tract was then offered and a presuppositional/Calvinist-centered gospel presentation would then be given.
The more I think about this approach, the more I like it. Specifically, I think the party district (at least here in Atlanta) is one of the best places to go out witnessing. Lately, I have been out to parks and local outdoor gatherings where people tend to mingle, and there are quite a bit of families who just want to enjoy a day out and about; they have no interest in any real dialogue. But, the younger, single crowds tend to gather on Fridays and Saturdays, and theoretically they don’t have quite the same time restraints/schedule as the families. Plus, the younger the people, the more they are willing to dialogue on spiritual issues.
But I do have one concern with the ’sign’ approach, and I’d like to hear your thoughts too: street preaching allows us to share the gospel no matter if they’re willing to talk to us or not. The gospel is being proclaimed, even if it is falling on deaf ears. Waiting to give the gospel until the person actually wants to listen limits the number of people who hear God’s all powerful, ever-piercing Word.
Thus, on one hand, the sign approach is good because it brings more dialogue, and people are not likely to get offended at what they percieve as ‘yelling’. But on the other hand, preaching to a crowd spreads the Word like a blanket of seed, and all who wander into our path will hear a portion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I am no expert, but the first thing that popped into my mind was “casting pearls before swine” when yelling out scripture. At least when people walk over they are asking questions and want to hear an answer. Also, I think that the shouting gospel would tend to ward off more people just becasue of the interference into personal space…and one might not be as inclined to stop and ask questions.
Just my thoughts…at the moment
I think Tiffany has a good point about casting pearls before swine. After all, Christ told the disciples in the same passage, that if people did not receive them, to “shake the dust off their feet,” and leave the city. Obviously, we should never force the gospel down someone’s throat.
On the flip side, the apostle Paul was stoned at Lystra and actually went to Jerusalem with the intention of knowing that many would seek to kill him. Also, Stephen was stoned for giving the gospel to hardened hearts.
So where do we draw the line biblically between these two aspects?
Picking up on Tiffany’s/Davide’s thoughts: Paul did go where he knew it was dangerous, but that isn’t a statement of his method or demeanor once he got there. I see him in Acts hitting the synagogues first, and then places like Lydia’s lakeside, where he knew people would be gathered for “religious” reasons…or at Mars Hill where the custom was already established to gather and speak of religious/philosophical matters. All of this tells me (I think) that there was intention and purpose and even strategy involved in Paul’s choice of venue: he often went where he knew his general topic would be welcomed, or at least tolerated. I don’t see him shouting in the marketplace, y’know?
Gordan, I think you summarize a balance between the two options (shouting or dialogue), which Davide and Tiffany also hinted at as well.
I agree with you in that Paul didn’t just go to the marketplace, but he used a strategy. Too often we think that we gotta ‘let the Spirit lead’ and just let it all loose. But, I think there is a legitimate biblical case to be made that the Apostles used great strategy and sought the best avenues for reaching people with the gospel without offense and without dumbing down the message.
In the summer, I staff for Worldview Academy (www.worldview.org), a Christian leadership camp that teaches apologetics and worldviews studies. We teach the presuppositional method and show the students how to ask questions. Then, in the middle of the week, we take them to a state university and have the students approach various people and ask them “what happens when you die?” The students get some valuable experience interacting with different worldviews as well as the experience of responding to those ideas and (hopefully) present the Gospel. I don’t know if I would call this street preaching. Still, it’s not too different from what you were describing.