Ed Stetzer re-posts some interesting data about door-to-door outreach.
Door-to-door used to be the almost universal strategy of outreach by conservative Baptist churches (and probably many other types as well). It usually involved an attempt to evangelize (what Mark Driscoll calls "Shotgun Weddings to Jesus" in his book Radical Reformission).
In the last ten years, I have knocked on every door in this community at least four times, and some doors more. We have tried everything from simple invitations to church, to religious surveys, to asking people what they think about church and what kind of church they would attend, to outright evangelism.
In that time, I can recall only one person that came from door-to-door invitations, and he came only two or three times. That may be a testimony to my ineptness at cold-calling, though I have spent many an evening sitting on someone's front porch just "chewing the fat" about life and getting know them. As a result of knocking on doors, I know a lot of people and they know me, but it hasn't been effective in church growth.
In some communities and perhaps with some personalities, door-to-door is still somewhat of an effective way of outreach. Stetzer has some interesting numbers on who is open to invitations, but no numbers (so far as I have seen) on how many actually show up from door-to-door. That would be interesting to me.
4 comments:
I have participated in a lot of door-to-door outreach; also using different approaches. Rarely have I seen any results of my visits. However, it never fails that we received a more than usual number of visitors to our services after an dtd event; none of whom were invited by anyone in from our church.
Are there any other good ways to get the gospel to people in our communities where we can confront them face to face with the gospel?
I certainly don't agree with the idea of making church the kind of place that unbelievers would love to come to...that's not biblical, so how else can we get out there and spread the word?
We go door-to-door because the Lord commanded us to give the gospel to every creature. How can we do this if we do not have a systematic approach? We talk with folks and ask them if they will give us an opportunity to teach the gospel to them, explaining that we are talking about quite a bit of time over a few weeks. The overwhelming majority refuse, but they are given the opportunity.
I don't believe in the fast-food gospel style, decisionism, quick-prayerism, etc. Sinners need to hear the gospel, understand it, and obey it by repenting and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
I have participated in a lot of door-to-door outreach; also using different approaches. Rarely have I seen any results of my visits.
The problem that most religious door knockers do not understand is that a person's home is their castle and when we are home we do not like to be disturbed in the privacy of our own home. Door knocking is rude. It disturbs those who are relaxing from a hard day or night's work, disturbs those who are sick in bed and have to struggle to the door, or sick people or babies or small children who are napping get woken up. It's just plain old ignorant to door knock. Luckily my village has banned door knocking of all kinds.
If your god was real there would not be the need for so many humans to have to go out door knocking and all other kids of work to try to get your version of Christianity told. If your God was real and all powerful then why would he need mortal and flawed humans to do all of his work and relay his messages? Why are all infants born atheist and do not know about this god unless another human tells them? Because, god, gods and goddesses do not exist??
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