Up-Dated: Friday, April 04, 2014

Your Community will not be Offended!

Table of Contents
* Explanation
* 1st Point    Train Shift Leaders
* 2nd Point   Train Workers
* 3rd Point    Going to Work
* 4th Point    Testifying
* Summary
* We charge nothing for services
* Soul Winning

Explanation
Some of you have followed a link to this page to learn about soul winning in general, not necessarily at public events.  You are still at the right place.  We use public events to spread the Gospel to the lost, but it has another important aspect.  It is the easiest place imaginable to train soul winners.  Here is why.

With Winning and Warning's Method ...
* You can start by only witnessing to people who have ALREADY ASKED TO SEE IT.  What better way to learn than with interested prospects?

* You will not have to deal with objections or cranks or confrontations.  All of this is handled by another who uses 3 simple questions.  This technique places a tract in everyone's hand, but discovers the real prospects for a witnessing and learning experience.

* You will be seated with your prospect at a table, so you won't have to juggle a New Testament as you switch from verse to verse.

* You will probably witness mostly to teenagers, the majority of prospects at public events.

* You may read with them from a Witness Pamphlet, which ...
- relates the Gospel
- suggests a prayer
- offers assurance
- points them to your church

* All of this is excellent training for you to learn how to witness under all kinds of circumstances
to ...
- Relatives
- Friends
- Neighbors
- Workmates
- Schoolmates
These are prospects with whom you already have ties and you can begin to build a fellowship (personal - church - community) which can expand to true meaningful relationships.

1st Point:
Train several Shift Leaders on how to Greet, Meet and Seat prospects to whom the Workers witness.

It is assumed ...
That the booth space has been acquired at a Fair or Festival or Flea Market and your church needs to know how to be readied to occupy and work.

Training Shift Leaders will take less than 1 hour in a private session.  Most of this time will be on "what not to do".    It is that simple.  About 15 minutes will be spent in encouragement to be out-going.  About 15 minutes will be for training in how to Greet, Meet and Seat the prospects for the Workers.

Shift Leaders should memorize 3 simple questions before coming to the meeting. This is not necessary, just helpful for the trainer.

Shift Leader duties may sound difficult and stressful.  Actually, their job is much easier than the Workers.  Our 3+3+3=Seated Method takes out all the complication and anxiety.  It is carefully worded to quickly get to the point.
Here is what the questions basically accomplish ...
* only the Born Again go to Heaven
* "are you Born Again?"
* "you would like to SEE how to be Born Again, wouldn't you? Not become Born Again, just SEE it"

The above are not the 3 Questions in their usable form, just a quick representation.  The 3 Doors, 3 Questions and how to use the 3 Minutes is fully explained in the 3+3+3 = Seated Method.

Most Shift Leaders become comfortable in delivering and applying the 3 questions in the first 10 minutes in the booth.  If there is more fear than expected, have them start with teenagers to help raise their comfort level.  Most prospective Shift Leaders have previously been marginal soul winners, if soul winners at all.  It takes 1 Shift Leader for the first 4 Workers.  A 10 x 10 Booth (standard for most events) will accommodate 2 tables for Workers.  1 or 2 other Workers may be able to stand and witness, but it is much better to either obtain another booth or one that could be expanded out of the back (look around to see if others are using space behind the booth, before claiming it - the Event Committee might not approve)

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Western Idaho Fair
We trained 2 men who in turn trained about 20 others as Shift Leaders for the Western Idaho Fair.  This is a 10 day, 12 hours per day event and takes a lot of help.  The church had over 150 people volunteer.

When all was over, the Lord had given them 243 professions of faith, 70+ for assurance and 340+ heard a witness, but did not ask the Lord to save them, on the spot.  This is over 650 personal contacts with a few Workers winning people for the very first time and a few more for the first time in a long time.

Not every church has 150+ Workers.  You only need 2.  A Shift Leader and a Worker.  Don't go to a 10 day event.  Rent a booth at a Flea Market or 1 day Festival.  Go and work the day and these 2 people will have more experience in soul winning than could be obtained by other methods in a months and months.

Flea Market
A church just starting the month before, worked a large Flea Market with us.  Just the Pastor and me.  The Lord gave us 14 professions of faith from 10am to 4pm and others to whom we witnessed, but did not ask the Lord to be saved.  The Pastor related to his people that next Sunday evening as to what took place.  The next time we went, others wanted to come.  Do you see it? Not everyone wanted to get started, but a few that time and a few more the next.

Some tables and chairs will be needed for the soul winning booth and a few other inexpensive items and materials.

"Your Community will not feel like you have treated them in an obnoxious manner." gsa

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2nd Point:
Teach Workers how to relate the Gospel from the Bible in a flowing style lending understanding to the lost.

This will take 1 regularly scheduled service.  The potential Workers will be assured that ...
* Workers will only witness to prospects who have already ASKED TO SEE how to be saved.  Potential prospects are qualified by the Shift Leader who shields all others from the Workers.
* Workers will not be responsible for prospects being saved or not saved, this is God's responsibility.
* Workers do not have to be proficient witnesses.  If needed, they can read from a Witness Pamphlet.  There is no shame in reading to the prospect.  This is exactly what the prospect would do if they had picked up a tract.  The Witness Pamphlet takes the prospect from one point to another with a series of questions that makes the witness presentation flow and is easily understood.
* Workers will not be responsible for the community receiving a clear witness, unless the community is OPEN to one.
* Workers will easily obtain Follow-Up Contact Info from prospects on Decision Cards for follow-up afterwards.
* Workers will understand how to let prospects know what to do next from the Witness Pamphlet.

Your Gospel verses or witness method can be used or ours.  If your verses are used they should follow a logical line of reasoning, flowing with a transitional statement or question from one area of the witness to the other.  We do not try to reason prospects into heaven, but we make a effort for them to understand what we are talking about in each area (sin, penalty for sin, Jesus as Saviour, etc.) We attempt to tie each area together.  Of course, lost people cannot understand the mystery of the Gospel, but they must understand what is being said, without introducing too many concepts or using too many unfamiliar words.

We encourage those witnessing without much experience to read directly off a Witness Pamphlet ("Cheat Sheet") containing ...
* verses
* transitional statements
* prayer
* warning for insincerity
* assurance
* where to go to receive further help

There are a few good tracts which could be used, but most are not practical because they are written for the approval of preachers, not the conversion of the lost.  Many are written for specific occasions.  Still others may say it for YOU or appeal to YOU, but most everyone else misses it.

This point will take 1 session either at a Sunday evening service or a Mid-week service.  Most of this time will be spent in "what not to do".

"Your Community will not feel like they have been bashed with the Gospel." gsa

This only takes a few minutes, plus what ever time to answer questions to everyone's satisfaction.  Thusly removing the FEAR which paralyzes the person in the pew.

Our tract distribution method is simple but vital.  Getting tracts out through the church doors is one thing.  Placing them in the willing hands of the lost is another.

Most soul winners start out distributing tracts, then progressing to a witness.  With this 4 Point Method, YOUR PEOPLE will immediately be handing out tracts in a manner where prospects will ...
* Receive
* Retain
* Read
... them

This is very encouraging to members.

Fiesta
While working at Fiesta in San Antonio, TX, a Worker told me he wanted to buy 10,000 of the tracts we use.  5,000 for him and 5,000 for us.  Of course we thanked him, but asked why?

He said he wanted a tract people did not throw on the ground, but actually kept and read. 

Go to a parade and find out in 45 minutes what people think of your tract.  Do they walk away with it in their pocket or with it on the ground?

Some take consolation in saying "Our tract must have convicted them, they threw it away."  Conviction should not be confused with anger or disgust or confusion or other types of rejection.  Give them something they will keep.

Western Montana Fair
While working a soul winning booth at the Western Montana Fair, I offered a man a tract.  He said he already got one, a year ago that day.  I asked him to tell me about it.

He said he got one last year, put it in his pocket and when he got home he emptied his pocket and left the tract on his dresser for the entire year.  He said, this very day, was the first day he picked it up and read it.  We went on to discuss the tract and so on.

The point is this.  He Received it, Retained it and Read it.

Rattlesnake Roundup
While working the Rattlesnake Roundup in Freer, TX, my wife offered a tract to a man.  He looked at it and said, "I got one of these in San Antonio at Fiesta, read it and I got saved."

Parades Everywhere
As tracts are distributed at Parades, people will
* take them and offer thanks
* some will even come and ask for them
* Christians from other churches will express gratitude
* others will know what is going on and ask that their spouse, child, grandchild, etc. be given one.

While at a Christmas Parade (at night) in Fredericksburg, TX, I came across a lady who immediately knew what I was doing, she turned to see another lady and their 2 husbands, the latter drinking beer.

She said, "Well, thank you very much and give one to him, him and her."  The other 3 were laughing about something and gladly took them.  I was gone before they knew what happened.  Only God knows the results, but I felt very good about a situation where there seemed to be a Christian, who may have been praying for such a break as this.

2000 tracts were given away that night and as our path was retraced, only 10-15 were on the ground.

In every case, Parades are a very uplifting experience for members and a super step towards actual soul winning.  See our section on Parade Ministry.

Guymon, OK Parades
Pastor has almost his whole church turn out to work parades.  They usually have a Bar-B-Q afterwards.  Everyone gets excited and lifted because of the festive reception from the general public.  They also have a testimony time to relate the good experiences.

Even with all the good that can comes out of parades, they can be done wrong.  Many have worked Parades, Fairs, Festivals, and so on and quit because of poor results.  This kind of work is like anything else.  There is nothing to it (simple, easy), but it must be done right.  Do not minimize tract distribution at public events.

"Your Community will not feel like they have been assaulted because they do not believe like you do." gsa

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3rd Point:
Take Workers and Shift Leaders to a Soul Winning Opportunity at a Public Event.

Set the Workers down.  Have the Shift Leader send them prospects who have already ASKED TO SEE how to be born again.

If explained properly, a lot more members will volunteer than initially thought.  We take the position that there is Something for Everybody in the Soul Winning Booth.

Strawberry Festival
A small, country church rented a booth at the Strawberry Festival in Poteet, TX. 

One of the Workers wanted to start by watching, then handing out tracts, etc., but he did not express his wishes.  As a Shift Leader, I attempted to pass a prospect to him, but he balked.  As the prospect sat down and the other Worker discovered the prospect was more comfortable speaking in Spanish, the first Worker jumped at the chance to witness.  After the initial prospect was behind him, he stayed busy the rest of the afternoon, witnessing and doing Shift Leader work.

8 months later this same man's Pastor called and reported he had over 500 professions of faith since the Strawberry Festival while working only at Flea Markets.  His 3 sons were the Workers and he was the Shift Leader.

Everyone can move to the next level.
Those who only want to watch, will usually move into tract distribution.
Those only wanting to hand-out tracts usually move into listening to others witness.
Those only wanting to listen to others witness usually move into witnessing.
Some move up several levels in a single day.

Rivalli County Fair
2 men were helping in the booth.  1 had never won a soul before.  The other had not witnessed in 22 years.
The first won 3.  The latter ended the fair calling in his own people to whom to witness.
Both moved up several levels and will never be the same.

"Your Community will not recoil from you and think they must strike back with their own beliefs." gsa

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4th Point:
Have Shift Leaders and Workers Testify

On Sunday evening following each event, take time to allow those participating in this soul winning outing to testify. 
* Do not pass this off lightly
* Do train your members in how to testify
* Excitement creates excitement, let Workers and Shift Leaders bring some enthusiasm to the rest.
* Tell them upfront, that you are looking for only the positive incidents. 

Do not relate how you stumbled and fell on a lady who was holding an ice cream cone which she dumped on her 90 year old mother who screamed so loud that her grandson's dog bit you.  It may be humorous, but stay with the positive.

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 Summary

It should be evident there is
* little wasted motion
* little time in the class room
* urgent work to be done
* apparent outcome right away
* a great time of maturing for members
* even greater excitement for Jesus Christ
Your people are reaching your community with the Gospel and learning who to share their Saviour, too.

Where are you going to find at any price an exercise or method or system which offers
* Release from Fear?
* Clear, Simple Training?
* Fast Track Results?
* Boiling over Excitement?

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 We charge nothing for services

Churches need not buy or rent anything from us.
Many churches do take-up a free-will offering to cover some of our special expenses where we come and train or help at the event. 
Some churches take us on as a monthly mission program, through Faith Promise Giving.  This is how we are able to serve churches everywhere without charge.

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Contact us. 
* Ask pertinent questions.
* Compare schedules if interested. 
* Get back in the Soul Winning business or expand what God has already given.

 Soul Winning!

* The real Cure for your community
* The real Business of every church. 
* The real Heart of God.
* The real Revitalization for your members.

Other churches in your Community will express:
"We wish our church would do something like this." "We will be praying for you."
"We hope our (family member) comes by."
"We admire your courage."
"God bless you."

When other churches are asked, if they believe in being Born Again, will say, "Yes."  They are not against your telling the Community about it.  But they are against any claims by you that they are in error.

Stick to the Born Again process at public events.  Do all the church bashing, if you must, when you follow-up.

This is how we let new Born Again people in the booth know that their church is in error:
After they have prayed and completed a Decision Form with their name, address and phone, we ask, "Do you go to church sometimes?" (Not, "What church do you go to?") 
Most will say, "Yes." 
We reply, "I wonder why they have never told you how to be Born Again?  You know it is true, if you just got the changed heart. Hmmm!" 
Then I move on, not even waiting for an answer.  The worst thing would be for them to answer and then feel they have to defend their church. Give them something God can use to work with and move on.

Connecting
See our slide show: "Connecting with Prospects" to learn how to latch on to converts.  Do not just witness and turn them loose.  Connect!  Find a way to bring them in to the fold.

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G. Steven Andres
Psalms 45:17
Missionary Evangelist
Copyright - 1996 to 2010