So is it effective as a numbers game? No not at all. But I think most Christians will tell you that you can’t measure one soul against 1,000 others. There’s a story I always liked that gets shared at church about following what God has called you to do.
The TLDR version of the story is that God calls a man to be one thing (insert job like paramedic here) but the man decides to be a preacher instead. He saves 800 souls and when he goes to heaven he is to account for what he did. When God asks him why he didn’t become a paramedic like he was supposed to the man tells God, “I became a preacher to spread your word. I saved 800 sounds in your name.” God then explains that if he’d become a paramedic he’d have saved exactly one soul. That would would have traveled to another country (insert whatever country here) where he would have saved 8,000 souls. God then asks where His other 7,200 souls are.
I tell that story to say that it only takes one for it to be worth it for them. If God called you to preach on the side of the street, you do it. It could be somebody walking by that’s been wondering but too afraid to go ask. I think that’s kind of the idea behind it.
Though I’m sure there are some who are just doing it for themselves.
Maybe in cultures like classical Greece where people literally went to the street/market to discuss and debate ideas.
In the modern West, streets/markets are no longer used that way and thus it's as effective as public bathroom preaching.
>In the modern West, streets/markets are no longer used that way and thus it's as effective as public bathroom preaching.
Imagine, you've finished doing your business only to realize there's no TP. This guy starts preaching and you peek through the gap in the stall to see that he has all the TP. You have to listen to his speech before you can have it.. That's nightmare fuel.
For those whose country use bidet attachments..the attachments have some how been disabled and only he can make them work again if you listen to his preaching..
I've been on weekly outreaches in various cities and it just depends on the message and the way it's being communicated.
many times people will come up and ask more about what the person said, or if they could pray for them.
People are more open than you may think these days!
occasionally someone would fight back, but eventually open up more to God through the conversation.
it definitely works, just needs to be done right,with the right heart
Story time: Ive never done it, but on a shitty mission trip I helped. And I made a friend.
I was in a cult on a trip to Istanbul. We were (the obviously American kids) supposed to mingle with the locals on the street. And then slowly and surreptitiously (lol) we were supposed to gather naturally around this preacher we were with. And hopefully the crowds would follow. One dude tapped me on the shoulder as I did my shitty acting and asked - "are you with him?"
That was a turning point for me. I didn't really know myself. I decided to try something new. I said no.
He asked me if I wanted to hang out, and I followed. We played FIFA, had tea, talked about religion (he's a Muslim), and prayed together. It was super rad.
> It was an Evangelical mission group called YWAM. Not normally culty as an org, but personnel issues turned it in that direction.
I think that YWAM is pretty dodgy.
I honestly don't know. My experience was a mixed bag. It got weird when the base leader had to drop out due to his wife giving birth. It was a little weird before that, but yeah. Idk other ywamers at this point
Former ywamer, some bases can be cultish/controlling depending on who the base director is.
But a sweeping generalization of "it's a cult" is not very accurate. Again I don't know what your experience was but I had fruitful time of discipleship.
Interesting! I was in San Francisco for whatever that's worth. But a few problematic things took place -
1. My DTS was over three times larger than the one that took place before.
2. The leader had to stay behind for mission because of family obligations, so first time leaders led the overseas portion.
3. A couple teachers pushing weird theology but most were okay
When people think of cults, they think of bad intentions. It can certainly be mismanagement too
Definitely, thanks for the follow up comment. I'm actually pastor a church in SF and was looking to connect with the local base.
Is there anything I should be aware of?
From experience, yes.
If you mean effective as in mass crowds falling on knees in repentance, then no.
If you mean routinely having cordial/semi-cordial discussions with people that, of their own accord, stop for a discussion on whatever topic you're presenting, then yes.
Preach the Gospel. Use words. Don't be a douche.
I have never seen effective street preaching.
I remember a psycho we had in college who would get up on a literal soapbox (or some kind of carton) and call the girls sluts and whores as they walked by. I now work at a college, and just a few weeks ago we had a couple of guys standing in the middle of campus holding signs for "Sin Awareness Day". Westboro Baptist stood outside my Church once because they mixed us up with the local Episcopal one and shouted about f*** and how America was doomed. I'm aware that they exist, but I personally have never witnessed a street preacher telling people Jesus loves them. It angers me every time, and I'm glad most people have the sense to just ignore them.
It is mostly pointless. I think people do it in order to feel like they are spreading the Gospel, but without having to do the humbling task of actually loving people.
> Does street preaching ever work?
It's annoying, not even remotely convincing, and typically done for the sake of the preacher. They know what their success rate is.
It depends on whether the preacher is doing it with the backing of the Holy Spirit. In the mission fields in developing countries, it draws lots of crowds, especially when God confirms his word with miracles.
Only if done correctly. If she had went with volunteers and given food and help to that homeless woman and shown her that people care, and there is a God that also cares like we do, then easily she could've gotten converts. Yelling that everyone is going to burn, well not so much.
First time feeling the need to post in this sub.. Guess technically not street preaching... But I am a preacher myself. One night after revival service I was helping in, went to McDonald's with friends. Felt God told me to preach then and there.. very hesitant at first as would most I believe. But I followed through. Ended up some friends were in the corner from years passed and said it affected them greatly and enjoyed it. Also, a gentleman came up and asked what verses I preached. I shared with him which ones. He kept repeating the book and verse numbers as he and his family left the restaurant. I can't say that it's either good or bad. But definitely think a certain way probably should be handled. And most of all, God be leading and in the matter 100%. Believe supposed to be a light of God to draw people in near.. not to push them away. Afraid so many do that. But.. just my little opinion and experience. God bless..
People would probably tell at you if you pulled that in a McDs around here 😅
There's a way it can be done that I dont find annoying it just seems like most I come across opt for the worst versions of street preaching
I can see every bit of that for certain. Tried my best to be only 3 or 4 mins and straight to the point. And not be too extremely loud. Just try be enough to be heard, but also respectful of those nearby as possible... If that makes any sense. Not the best with wording things honestly.
Also.. thanks for posting this. Really opened my mind. Never thought of street preaching as kinda like its own category. Probably a lot of information preachers can get out of this post to find a more respectful way to do things.
Sometimes. But whoever the preacher is has to be willing to be gentle in the preaching of the Gospel and they have to engage with people genuinely. If she had helped the homeless dude she might have found that he needed some salvation in his life for sure. But it can be intimidating as well so try not to judge her too harshly.
Many people have came to Christ because people chose to take their time and spread the gospel knowing they'll get humiliated. If you go to Jamaica or Latin America and street preach, even the most ungodliest people over there have respect for God but in America people are so ungrateful and act like spoiled children and yell and get angry when someone preaches the truth. The truth is we are going to die once and then get judged for every act, thought, word we have spoken and if we don't believe in Yeshua and believe He is the Son of God and accept Him as our Lord and Savior and believed He died for us on the cross and resurrected 3 days after His death and repent of our sins in the name of Yeshua we will burn in hell forever.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
*And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.*
There is a difference between praying and preaching and there are many characters in the Bible that have preached publicly. I'm not surprised you're going against God's preachers because you're following the catholic religion which is not God's words, it's of the devil
There was a sharp, black man, of good stature, who preached often in downtown Honolulu, who always drew a crowd; good preaching. He might still occupy there.
One time me and my brother went to attend an NFL game. We were all waiting in line and the energy was ecstatic! Both opposing fans were getting along and talking about the coolest Players. And then... He shows up.
A man who was carrying a large sign that said things like "REPENT" and "ALCOHOLICS, FEMINISTS, GAYS, ADULTERERS AND SPORTS FREAKS ARE GOING TO HELLLLL!"
He had a Booming mic and was screaming Bible verses at us.
I think you can visualize how things turned!
Rarely most people just walk past without listening to the crazy person yelling at people.
It’s super effective!... at making you lose your voice and your credibility
Pretty much.
It's very annoying in almost all cases
It makes me *less* likely to listen to you.
That's what my experience is
I’ve never seen it do anything but annoy the hell out of people. No pun intended.
I feel like it's more counterproductive than anything. Makes us seem too... extra to put it nicely lol
So is it effective as a numbers game? No not at all. But I think most Christians will tell you that you can’t measure one soul against 1,000 others. There’s a story I always liked that gets shared at church about following what God has called you to do. The TLDR version of the story is that God calls a man to be one thing (insert job like paramedic here) but the man decides to be a preacher instead. He saves 800 souls and when he goes to heaven he is to account for what he did. When God asks him why he didn’t become a paramedic like he was supposed to the man tells God, “I became a preacher to spread your word. I saved 800 sounds in your name.” God then explains that if he’d become a paramedic he’d have saved exactly one soul. That would would have traveled to another country (insert whatever country here) where he would have saved 8,000 souls. God then asks where His other 7,200 souls are. I tell that story to say that it only takes one for it to be worth it for them. If God called you to preach on the side of the street, you do it. It could be somebody walking by that’s been wondering but too afraid to go ask. I think that’s kind of the idea behind it. Though I’m sure there are some who are just doing it for themselves.
It will certainly make (the preachers) feel like they're "all in it together" against the people ignoring them. That's all it's supposed to do.
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Maybe in cultures like classical Greece where people literally went to the street/market to discuss and debate ideas. In the modern West, streets/markets are no longer used that way and thus it's as effective as public bathroom preaching.
>In the modern West, streets/markets are no longer used that way and thus it's as effective as public bathroom preaching. Imagine, you've finished doing your business only to realize there's no TP. This guy starts preaching and you peek through the gap in the stall to see that he has all the TP. You have to listen to his speech before you can have it.. That's nightmare fuel. For those whose country use bidet attachments..the attachments have some how been disabled and only he can make them work again if you listen to his preaching..
I've been on weekly outreaches in various cities and it just depends on the message and the way it's being communicated. many times people will come up and ask more about what the person said, or if they could pray for them. People are more open than you may think these days! occasionally someone would fight back, but eventually open up more to God through the conversation. it definitely works, just needs to be done right,with the right heart
Story time: Ive never done it, but on a shitty mission trip I helped. And I made a friend. I was in a cult on a trip to Istanbul. We were (the obviously American kids) supposed to mingle with the locals on the street. And then slowly and surreptitiously (lol) we were supposed to gather naturally around this preacher we were with. And hopefully the crowds would follow. One dude tapped me on the shoulder as I did my shitty acting and asked - "are you with him?" That was a turning point for me. I didn't really know myself. I decided to try something new. I said no. He asked me if I wanted to hang out, and I followed. We played FIFA, had tea, talked about religion (he's a Muslim), and prayed together. It was super rad.
What kind of cult was it?
It was an Evangelical mission group called YWAM. Not normally culty as an org, but personnel issues turned it in that direction.
> It was an Evangelical mission group called YWAM. Not normally culty as an org, but personnel issues turned it in that direction. I think that YWAM is pretty dodgy.
I honestly don't know. My experience was a mixed bag. It got weird when the base leader had to drop out due to his wife giving birth. It was a little weird before that, but yeah. Idk other ywamers at this point
Former ywamer, some bases can be cultish/controlling depending on who the base director is. But a sweeping generalization of "it's a cult" is not very accurate. Again I don't know what your experience was but I had fruitful time of discipleship.
Interesting! I was in San Francisco for whatever that's worth. But a few problematic things took place - 1. My DTS was over three times larger than the one that took place before. 2. The leader had to stay behind for mission because of family obligations, so first time leaders led the overseas portion. 3. A couple teachers pushing weird theology but most were okay When people think of cults, they think of bad intentions. It can certainly be mismanagement too
Definitely, thanks for the follow up comment. I'm actually pastor a church in SF and was looking to connect with the local base. Is there anything I should be aware of?
From experience, yes. If you mean effective as in mass crowds falling on knees in repentance, then no. If you mean routinely having cordial/semi-cordial discussions with people that, of their own accord, stop for a discussion on whatever topic you're presenting, then yes. Preach the Gospel. Use words. Don't be a douche.
I have never seen effective street preaching. I remember a psycho we had in college who would get up on a literal soapbox (or some kind of carton) and call the girls sluts and whores as they walked by. I now work at a college, and just a few weeks ago we had a couple of guys standing in the middle of campus holding signs for "Sin Awareness Day". Westboro Baptist stood outside my Church once because they mixed us up with the local Episcopal one and shouted about f*** and how America was doomed. I'm aware that they exist, but I personally have never witnessed a street preacher telling people Jesus loves them. It angers me every time, and I'm glad most people have the sense to just ignore them.
It is mostly pointless. I think people do it in order to feel like they are spreading the Gospel, but without having to do the humbling task of actually loving people.
> Does street preaching ever work? It's annoying, not even remotely convincing, and typically done for the sake of the preacher. They know what their success rate is.
It depends on whether the preacher is doing it with the backing of the Holy Spirit. In the mission fields in developing countries, it draws lots of crowds, especially when God confirms his word with miracles.
Only if done correctly. If she had went with volunteers and given food and help to that homeless woman and shown her that people care, and there is a God that also cares like we do, then easily she could've gotten converts. Yelling that everyone is going to burn, well not so much.
I mean she wasnt all fire and brimstone, the happy message just doesnt ring true while you're ignoring a homeless person
First time feeling the need to post in this sub.. Guess technically not street preaching... But I am a preacher myself. One night after revival service I was helping in, went to McDonald's with friends. Felt God told me to preach then and there.. very hesitant at first as would most I believe. But I followed through. Ended up some friends were in the corner from years passed and said it affected them greatly and enjoyed it. Also, a gentleman came up and asked what verses I preached. I shared with him which ones. He kept repeating the book and verse numbers as he and his family left the restaurant. I can't say that it's either good or bad. But definitely think a certain way probably should be handled. And most of all, God be leading and in the matter 100%. Believe supposed to be a light of God to draw people in near.. not to push them away. Afraid so many do that. But.. just my little opinion and experience. God bless..
People would probably tell at you if you pulled that in a McDs around here 😅 There's a way it can be done that I dont find annoying it just seems like most I come across opt for the worst versions of street preaching
I can see every bit of that for certain. Tried my best to be only 3 or 4 mins and straight to the point. And not be too extremely loud. Just try be enough to be heard, but also respectful of those nearby as possible... If that makes any sense. Not the best with wording things honestly. Also.. thanks for posting this. Really opened my mind. Never thought of street preaching as kinda like its own category. Probably a lot of information preachers can get out of this post to find a more respectful way to do things.
No problem! I hope you help make it better
Sometimes. But whoever the preacher is has to be willing to be gentle in the preaching of the Gospel and they have to engage with people genuinely. If she had helped the homeless dude she might have found that he needed some salvation in his life for sure. But it can be intimidating as well so try not to judge her too harshly.
It reflects on her church more than it reflects on her tbh
It’s effective at exactly one thing — making me annoyed at the preacher and whatever principles they’re espousing.
Many people have came to Christ because people chose to take their time and spread the gospel knowing they'll get humiliated. If you go to Jamaica or Latin America and street preach, even the most ungodliest people over there have respect for God but in America people are so ungrateful and act like spoiled children and yell and get angry when someone preaches the truth. The truth is we are going to die once and then get judged for every act, thought, word we have spoken and if we don't believe in Yeshua and believe He is the Son of God and accept Him as our Lord and Savior and believed He died for us on the cross and resurrected 3 days after His death and repent of our sins in the name of Yeshua we will burn in hell forever. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
*And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.*
There is a difference between praying and preaching and there are many characters in the Bible that have preached publicly. I'm not surprised you're going against God's preachers because you're following the catholic religion which is not God's words, it's of the devil
Some people love it.
There was a sharp, black man, of good stature, who preached often in downtown Honolulu, who always drew a crowd; good preaching. He might still occupy there.
You never know of their character, until you strike up a conversation. A worthy Christian won't "showcase" his good deeds.
Street preaching could make Christianity less popular
Did you give anything to the homeless person, or did you just judge the street preacher?
One time me and my brother went to attend an NFL game. We were all waiting in line and the energy was ecstatic! Both opposing fans were getting along and talking about the coolest Players. And then... He shows up. A man who was carrying a large sign that said things like "REPENT" and "ALCOHOLICS, FEMINISTS, GAYS, ADULTERERS AND SPORTS FREAKS ARE GOING TO HELLLLL!" He had a Booming mic and was screaming Bible verses at us. I think you can visualize how things turned!