Stone the Preacher

Strange new ways to share your faith are always hatched at the Ambassadors’ Academy. Here’s something we did on the Santa Monica Pier during Academy #16 called the Tract Gauntlet. Too many people were refusing to take my tract as they walked down a narrow passageway, so I enlisted five or six others to stagger themselves along the path. Did it work? To see other wild and wacky ideas, click here and here.

Thanks to Allen Peek for this video.

What’s a PhotoBomb you ask? This is a PhotoBomb:

This is also a PhotoBomb:

This is how the Urban Dictionary defines a PhotoBomb: (verb) to drop into a photo unexpectedly; to hop in a picture right before it is taken; any time the background of a picture hijacks the original focus.

This is PhotoBomb evangelism: Drop into a photo, smile, then give everyone a Gospel tract afterward.

They will then invite you into their shot.

Years later, families and friends will always remember the time some crazy Christian loved them enough to drop into their picture to give them a fighting chance for Heaven—by handing out a Gospel tract with a big ole winning smile!

First three images from ThisIsPhotobomb.com

We are about to unfold the story of Frankenstein, a man of science who sought to create a man after his own image without reckoning upon God. It is one of the strangest tales ever told. It deals with the two great mysteries of creation – life and death. I think it will thrill you. It may shock you. It might even – horrify you. So if any of you feel that you do not care to subject your nerves to such a strain, now’s your chance to – uh, well, we warned you.—From the introduction to the 1931 film “Frankenstein.”

This was a monster task performed by a Jesus freak. Mad Mike, the Long Island Loudmouth was up to it on Brand Blvd. during the 2008 Ambassadors’ Academy…. (more…)

It’s Halloween time again…uh, excuse me… I mean it’s Harvest Time! Okay, we all know that the world celebrates October 31st like Christians cheer Christmas, so let’s give them what they want: something spooky. Every Monday in October, expect something evangelistically scary . BOO! 

Send this “DEATH BETH” link to a friend—or enemy—to give them a fright. She really knows what happens when you die!

Then take a cute little death survey: 

Enter your birth month:
Enter the first two letters of your first name:
How do you think you will die:
Are you healthy? Yes No
Do you take risks?

A very clear Gospel presentation is next.

Here’s a negative review from Iron Pyrite, an atheist blog, which just goes to show that this is an effective tool for the lost… and found:

“This is a Christian scare tactic website that is supposed to predict when you are going to die. You enter your information, then you get preached at, you’re gonna die slowly, etc, accept Jesus, or else. Pretty sophisticated, for primitive people who still need a night light.”

This is what I tried out at the campus of El Camino College today.

We lured the students in by having them guess the various celebrities on these million dollar bill Gospel tracts. When they try to guess who the stars are, we rewarded them with a celebrity of their choice. Then if they wanted to try for a real $20, we took them through the “Good Person” test. If they fail (and everyone fails), we gave them a quality, plush stuffed animal as a consolation prize.

These celebrity million dollar bills are the latest crazy tract that Living Waters has put out. People are very willing to get them and ask for more. With a little creativity, you can get the Gospel out to hundreds of people in just a short time, with a minimum of effort.

 How do you think these were received on campus as we experimented this afternoon? Well, if a picture is worth a thousand words…

Thanks to “Fish with Trish” for this great idea!

These tracts are only $3.00 a pack if you buy ten or more from here.

Read what’s on the back of these bills by clicking here.

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I am no fan of guys carrying signs when attempting to get the “Word” out. In many ways, I think that the judgmental attitude of the sign carriers, as well as the “condemnation without cause” message of the signs, can actually do more harm than good. (Read a detailed analysis here.)
But there is a sign that I can recommend: The “What if?” sign.

Brett Coronado, one of the leaders at the most recent Ambassadors’ Academy, the evangelism “bootcamp” from Way of the Master, came up with this. You simply stand in a busy place holding the sign. Eventually, the curious will come up to you and ask “What if?—what?”

Be creative. Have fun with your questions. Make sure, though, that you transition into a question that allows you to speak about the Gospel.

You can ask them a variety of questions:

• What if the world ended tomorrow?
• What if everything you know is wrong?
• What if Paris Hilton is really a man?
• What if they cancel American Idol?
• What if you died today? Where would you go?

People will come up to you and ask about your sign. The fish will actually jump into your boat!

What if you tried this in your area?

The teaching portion at The Ambassadors’ Academy, The Way of the Master’s evangelism bootcamp, offers a whole bunch of fresh new ideas for those who want to try something a little different. The one idea that intrigued me was called “The Mumble.” If you have been sharing your faith for awhile, especially in handing out gospel tracts, then you know the best way to get those pieces of precious literature into someone’s hands is simply to ask, “Did you get one of these?” The person will think that they are missing out on something and will take those printed words of salvation right out of your hand.

But maybe you’re tired of saying the same thing over and over…

Try mumbling.

That’s right, when you hand out a tract, mumble. Stick out your tract hand and say “Hblkmohnujimnnn!” as you offer it to a person. They may think that you are a little weird, or have gone Pentacostal… regardless, they will most likely take the tract.

Remember it’s, “Hblkmohnujimnnn!”

My favorite words of Charles Spurgeon are, “Do something! Do something! Do something!”

Think he would approve of “The Mumble?”

How effective is posting an evangelistic video on YouTube? I was concerned when I read the following comment sent to my account:

Please Read.
Pastor Steve,
I have recently watched some of your videos, and I have a couple of questions. I am under no circumstances trying to question your beliefs. I am 13 years old, and I do believe in God, but I don’t fully understand all of the things that he wants, and what he commands.

I have sinned, many times. I haven’t done anything terrible, I haven’t broken the law. But I feel like I have broken the law of God. I pray, and ask for forgivness, and I try my hardest not to commit the same sins over and over again. Does this mean I am going to hell? I have asked other pastors and they have told me as of now, No. That I am not perfect, and we all sin. After I watched your videos, and you asked people basic questions about if they have sinned, and you questioned not once but twice if they would go to Heaven or Hell, it made me iffy, that I am in the same place, but I still think that I haven’t done extremely bad things, I still think I will go to heaven. What do you…

And that’s how it ended. I went to my account to reply but the comment wasn’t even on my channel. I went to the account of the person who sent this to me, left a message and my email address, but no response. What’s more, I went to the sender’s account the very next day and found that my comment was gone! Was it a joke?

Then I received this nice comment on my channel from holybender666, typos and all: “Expletive fat pice of expletive get a job expletive if i could make a replica of the finger id make one just for you”

Then later, he/she/it wrote: “i hope u got my comment u expletive”

And finally, a little bit later: “by the way my names damion ”

Is YouTube evangelism effective? What do you think?

In case you missed this from Tony Miano’s site, let me draw your attention to it.

Last Saturday there was a nationwide protest by the gay community and its supporters. While it may have been a little dangerous for the average open air preacher to be in the midst of these angry throngs, Tony had a novel idea… Click here to see what he did!