Advertising consultants tell us the effect of their message is multiplied when people see their product in different places. If someone sees an advert five times on the side of a bus they are less likely to remember the message than if they were to see it on a bus, a billboard, on the radio, in a shop and online. One advertising guru called it the power of multi-point contact.
We are not crassly reducing evangelism to a marketing exercise; evangelism is God using us to draw people to himself! But that still means that we can practice and learn to play our part as well as we possibly can! (Why do something for God that is second-best?)
One way to multiply our message is to use door-to-door leaflet drops around our town. There are five steps to doing this well.
One: Define your community
If you are working alone it might be just your road. If you have a small team from your church with you, perhaps an entire housing estate. Don’t attempt too much, make it doable!
Two: Commit to a regular, realistic delivery schedule (perhaps twice a year)
National events can be useful times (elections, coronations) as can church events like the launch of Christianity Explored or Alpha, marriage or parenting courses, as well as the Christmas services.
Three: Choose your leaflet wisely
10ofThose produce a whole range of gospel leaflets themed around topical events, such as elections, coronations, the World Cup or Olympics. It’s important to include contact details for the church, (or yours if you are personally leafleting your immediate neighbourhood). CPO produce invitation cards you can customise with your own details and message.
Four: Pray!
Five: Head out and do the delivery.
Be friendly, polite, ready to talk to folk and be respectful. Walk on their paths, not across their grass, shut gates behind you and ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have’ (1 Peter 3:15). You never know who might stop for a chat.
One church we know does this as part of their house-group programme. As well as meeting for Bible study, they regularly walk their ‘patch’ and deliver church invitations.
Pray: Lord, forgive us for being inward looking, send us out to the lost in a whole variety of ways.
Previously: Launch Pad #18 The Welcome Pack That Goes the Extra Mile!
Next: Launch Pad #20 Host a Pre-Marriage course – Meet and serve non-Christian couples
