The Way of The Master... Door-to-Door?

[farmboyinthesticks]

Has anyone here had any luck witnessing (ala WOTM) door to door? If so, what has been your experiences? <br>
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I just recently joined a small "soul winning" group at my church. The way it works is we meet at the church on Saturday mornings, have breakfast and a devotional, then go out to our surrounding neighborhoods and start witnessing. <br>
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I usually accompany someone who has a little more experience at it than I have (no experience at all). <br>
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Let me give you a scenario of a typical visit... We ring the doorbell and the person comes to the door. The individual I'm with will introduce himself, introduce me, and say something like, "we're from such-and-such church down the street and we're just out inviting people to attend our service tomorrow morning." <br>
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Now at this point, we usually get one of three responses: "Sorry, I'm not interested", "Oh, we already go to so-and-so church up the street", "where's your church located?". The guy I'm with usually hands the person a tract that says, "If you were to die today, are you sure you would go to Heaven?". The tract has a gospel message inside (no mention of the 10 commandments), and the address and service times of the Church. <br>
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To say the least, we get way more negative responses than we do positive. <br>
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After watching Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort on their show and listening to there audios, I know that we are going about this all wrong. Can anyone give me some pointers as to how I could witness to someone more effectively door-to-door? <br>
<br>
FarmBoy <p></p><i></i>

[water]

I am such an introverted person, I would probably do more harm than good by going door to door for the purpose of witnessing.<br>
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I am not saying door-to-door is wrong...certainly it is not; however, I know if someone came to *my* door...before I was saved...I would not have given them a second of my time. Not to say I was a mean person...quite the contrary...I am just so personal.<br>
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IMO, God made each one of us differently...none of us are like another...though some of us share some qualities and characteristics for sure.<br>
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I think for people who have an outgoing, personable personality...they might do fine going door-to-door...engaging complete strangers on the most intimate of subjects.<br>
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Me...it would be a complete train wreck.<br>
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I have a door into the hearts of others like me...the quiet, personal, introverted types...these are the people in my life...these are the people I am given favor with and can relate to (notice that relate is a two-way road here).<br>
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If I were to write a book of instructions on how to witness to people *the way I witness*, I think it would be useless to someone who was very different from me.<br>
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Just like I will never go door-to-door (well, I should not say never...there will be a time when "train-wreck-witnessing" is called for...until then though...hehe)...there are surely many who should never try to get inside the closed doors of those who are highly introverted.<br>
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But then...it is all upon the Lord...we just go where he says go and do what he says do...the real work is between the Spirit and the souls you encounter.<br>
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Just be sure that is what you are being called to do. Who is calling you to do this? <p></p><i></i>

[farmboyinthesticks]

Here's an update of my efforts in witnessing door-to-door... <br>
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It's been a couple of months now since my last post, so I hope you will find this encouraging. This past Saturday, 11/5/05, I decided to bite the bullet and step out in faith. <br>
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A few weeks ago I purchased some of the $One Million Bill tracts from LivingWaters.com. These things are great ice-breakers and make witnessing to people much easier. Now, the night before (Friday) I stayed up and made copies of Ray Comforts message of "The Passion" on regular CDs. The message is only 12:30 min long, so it would be easy for someone to listen to in their car (hopefully). I also had a clipboard of "survey" questions to ask people when they come to the door. Questions like...<br>
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1) If you could as GOD one question, what would it be?<br>
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2) What do you think GOD is like? How would you describe HIS personality? <br>
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3) Do you think GOD should punish murderers or rapists? If so, how? <br>
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4) Do you think that a murderer or rapist deserves to go to Heaven or Hell? <br>
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5) Who deserves to go to Heaven? <br>
<br>
6) Do you consider yourself a good person? <br>
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<br>
I went to the gathering at my church Saturday morning. I showed up a little late, so I missed the breakfast... oh well, live and learn I guess. <br>
<br>
Anyway, I got directions to the neighborhood that I would be visiting and met a 21-year-old young man to partner up with. So off we went. <br>
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The first several houses we visited either nobody was home, or nobody wanted to answer their door. But then we came to a young man in his late teens who decided to hear us out. I introduced myself and my witnessing partner, told him which church we were from, and asked if he had a few minutes to take a survey. He said yes. When he answered #6, I took him through 4 of the 10 commandemnts: Blasphemy, Lying, Adultery (Lust) and Stealing. He admitted that he was a Lying, Thieving, Blasphemous Adulterer at heart and was going to face GOD on Judgment Day. I asked if he would be found innocent or guilty and if he would go to Heaven or Hell. He almost immediately said Guilty and on his way to Hell. At this point, I thought to myself, "Wow, this really works." <br>
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I then gave him the Gospel message using the analogy of being in Civil Court unable to pay the fine that has been passed down, when all of the sudden someone you don't even know steps up and pays the fine for you. He said that this made sense to him, and I told him that this is exactly what Jesus Christ did for him 2,000 years ago so he wouldn't have to go to Hell. <br>
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I then left him the $Million tract, one of our church tracts, and the CD with Ray's "The Passion" message. I purposefully did NOT lead him through the sinner's prayer, I figured that since I opened the door (even if it was only slightly opened) the HOLY SPIRIT was able to get inside and work with this young man on HIS time-table. <br>
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I had basically the same experience with a young lady in her 30's and another young man in his 30's. <br>
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I can't wait until the next time. <br>
<br>
FarmBoy <p><br>
FarmBoy</p><i></i>

[bludbot]

Farmboy <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :yourock --><img src=http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_30_109.gif ALT=":yourock"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>
<br>
Please post about your next trip out. Thank you for sharing with us. Have you heard the Cd by Ray Comfort, "What Hollywood Believes" ? I have passed out that Cd quite a bit and the response has been very good. People actually have thanked me and even talked about what was said on the cd.<br>
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Farmboy, you said,<br>
I purposefully did NOT lead him through the sinner's prayer, I figured that since I opened the door (even if it was only slightly opened) the HOLY SPIRIT was able to get inside and work with this young man on HIS time-table. <br>
<br>
Excellent!!!!!! <p></p><i></i>

[farmboyinthesticks]

Bludbot, <br>
<br>
Thanks for the encouragement. You know, I have listened to "What Hollywood Thinks" and found it to be very interesting. I may go ahead and burn that message onto CD and pass them out as well. <br>
<br>
<p>FarmBoy</p><i></i>

[farmboyinthesticks]

Update (11/12/05)<br>
<br>
Saturday went pretty well. We really only had to opportunity to speak to 2 people (most were not home, or didn't want to talk), so in those situation we left tracts. <br>
<br>
The first opportunity we had to share the 10 commandments, the judgment to come, and the gospel was to an older gentleman who realized his violation of GOD's law and his need for a Saviour, but unfortunately he didn't seem too concerned about going to Hell. <br>
<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :whaa? --><img src=http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_19_2.gif ALT=":whaa?"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>
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So, I left him a $Million Tract, and Ray's message entitled "The Passion". <br>
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The second person we spoke with was an older lady who was a Jehovah's Witness. I tried to control the conversation and steer it towards the 10 commandments, but this lady was a talker. She certainly knew her "faith" and was not afraid to talk and talk and talk about it. I think we stood in her driveway for about 45 minutes. Needless to say, we couldn't reach her... she wouldn't even accept the $Million tract of the CD of "The Passion". <br>
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Oh well, at least on the bright side, I was able to share the gospel with my 3 neices at the youngest's birthday party that afternoon. <br>
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<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :banana --><img src=http://www.logodesignforum.com/forums/images/smilies/banana.gif ALT=":banana"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <p>FarmBoy</p><i></i>

[bludbot]

Quote:<br>
Oh well, at least on the bright side, I was able to share the gospel with my 3 neices at the youngest's birthday party that afternoon. <br>
<br>
That's great!!! Just remember that we are not aiming for a commitment from anyone. Just do as you're doing. Speak the truth, prick the conscience, and let the Holy Spirit take it from there. The man that has the tract and the cd now has some really great resources to listen to & read. The woman heard the truth and more may have been absorbed than you or I could even dare to imagine.<br>
So mission accomplished!!!!!<br>
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Passing out the cd's is great. I'm going to be purchasing more asap!!!! There's a new tract by Ray Comfort about America and it is very timely. Will be grabbing a handful of those as well.<br>
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God Bless you Farmboy for you obedience to the Lord<br>
Keep us posted <p></p><i></i>

[KnightoftheWord]

I applaud all you do the build the Lord's Kingdom. I will not personnaly do door-to-door (especailly in a suit) because,<br>
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A) Jehovah's Witness inference<br>
B) People see it as an invasion of privacy<br>
C) I do not see any parrelels in Scripture<br>
D) Witnessing to people on the street or just outside of their house seems to be more appropiate.<br>
<br>
Have you ever thought of open air preaching? <p></p><i></i>

[Billscottsr]

I love Ray Comfort, I am actually good friends with his son-in-law Emeal Zwayne (We call him EZ). I was the worship leader for a home fellowship at Ez's house.

Until I relocated to Oregon, I used to go every Friday night to Santa Monica with Ray. I love the style of evangelism that he uses. I use it myself. When I was in the jail ministry in Orange County California, I would use the same tactic that you are using on the inmates. I would take them to Romans 3:10-20 and then I would use the law. It amazes me that even inmates think they are good enough to get to heaven an then when you share the law with them; they will admit that they are lying thieves who commit adultery.....I tell them that they are just like me. I am all of these things.

After the law has been established and people see their need for a Savior, then the gospel really does become good news.

Have you ever read Hells best kept secret? Ray wrote it. It changed my life and the way I witness. Hells best kept secret is what convinced Kirk Camereon to call up Ray and that is how they became friends. My friend Mark Spence handed Kirk the tape at some event......

Mark Spence also works for Ray Comfort and is a pastor at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace in Yorba Linda California. Ez is also a pastor. You will never meet a better bunch of guys in your life. I love them all so much.