Open Air Preaching

<< Rebecca said...First--I am not a feminist, so that does not motivate the question. It is more looking for a way out of such a responsibility. Do women ever do open air preaching? I've never seen it. Call me a coward, I just can't imagine doing it, since (grateful for an excuse) I have my four year old in tow wherever I go. Terrifying thought to get up and have people heckle me. I have a desire to share the gospel, just not that way.>>

Rebecca, I appreciate your honesty. Yes, women do open air preach, and it’s wonderful (two of the girls from our staff do it regularly). Here’s some thoughts: I’m sure you would agree, that sharing the gospel with someone who is prepared to listen is like giving a starving person life-giving food. Imagine having two people listen to what you have to say. Now imagine 200--listening to every word, and hearing how they can find everlasting life. That’s open air preaching on a good day.

Let me tell you two secrets about fear and preaching open air. It is only there before you preach. It’s like standing beside an unheated swimming pool on a hot day. The longer you stand there, the harder it becomes to dive in. You simply have to take the plunge, and when you do there is the initial chill of the flesh, but then it automatically adjusts, and you are swimming. That’s what happens when you dive in and preach. When you see others dive in, and see them swimming, it will give you courage. The second point is about hecklers. This is going to sound weird, but your fear of hecklers will disappear the moment you get a good one. They are the best thing that could ever happen, because they will double your listeners and sharpen your mind. Once you have had one, you will fear getting up to preach and not getting one. Why? Because every question they come up with is old hat. There really in nothing new under the sun. We have a DVD called “Open Air Preaching--Four in One” where you can actually see all this in action, and get teaching on the subject. Here’s the blurb: “Comfort as he takes a team from David Wilkerson's church and open air preaches in Washington Square, New York, right in the middle of a Hare Krishna convention. Witness an encounter with the New York police, learn how to draw a crowd using a fake funeral, and discover how to handle ‘hecklers.’ Then go step by step though open air preaching at UCLA and other Southern California universities. Also join Ray and his team as they preach open air in Paris, Jerusalem, London, Tokyo, Santa Monica, New Zealand and Amsterdam.” It was seeing the New York open air preaching video that caused Kirk Cameron to contact me, and to get involved in this ministry. For details see: www.livingwaters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=620&Category_Code=DVDs