Tips for evangelism in pubs and clubs
These tips have been brought to you by contributors from Church Army Evangelists, Activate, Purpose Driven Church Europe and Christians to encourage you to Share Faith through Words and Actions.
In the pub
Arrange for your church group to meet on a regular basis at the local pub. Most publicans will welcome regular local groups, and you can invite regulars to join in your discussions and tell you what they think, to listen to what the bible has to say about issues that interest them, and to bring matters for prayer. It is also an ideal non-threatening place to invite friends and neighbours to.
Gather a small group from your church and book an evening with meal at your local pub – ask the publican if they can get together a team to challenge you to Christians v Lions - a quiz, a game of football, cricket, rounders, team darts, or whatever other team game seems suitable – ideally one where you will lose but not too heavily. Then relax and enjoy their company, find out what makes them tick, and let them see that you are real people. People will watch you to see if Christ makes you a more attractive person, and a good witness will often influence the opinions of the wider community.
Church Army evangelist Stephen Plumb has started a church in his local pub with more than a dozen others. They wanted a “go to” model of church rather than a “come to us” one. Most church services are hidden away from view by the four walls of the building, but Stephen and his colleagues wanted to do church in full view of everyone in the pub.
Stephen says: “We now regularly have Christians in a 'local', praying, worshipping, reading the Bible and sharing their faith and lives with others, something that was not happening in that 'local' 12 months ago.”
Clubbing for Christ
Some people go clubbing to celebrate, others because they are lonely, but few have any contact with the church. How would Jesus reach this generation? Find out if other local churches are doing anything, spend a Friday or Saturday night in club land to see the opportunities and challenges, and ask the police, council and club owners how you can realistically offer support in partnership with them. You will be surprised how open people are to offers of help. This ministry is costly, and it is better to do something small consistently than to commit to more than you can sustain. Church Army evangelists and Diana Greenfield work as nightclub chaplains offering care and support and a listening ear within nightclubs. This is welcomed by the club owners and offers a good opportunity to build relationships and share faith in a low-key way, as well as offer much needed pastoral support. Is this the sort of work people in your church who are regulars on the club scene could do?
