( More Creative Evangelism Events to reach Men)

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One of the privileges I have in being a Christian speaker is to help Churches strategize in putting together Outreach opportunities that are "effective" in reaching people who don't know Jesus.  Anyone can do an event on a Saturday in the Fall that draws the people that already attend their Church. However, if a Church is going to reach people that don't know Christ some outside the box thinking is mandatory. In this posts I have put together just a few suggestions for some events that may just help your Church get creative in reaching Men.

These events are in no particular order, but always remember that there are good times and bad times to do an event. Fall is approaching quickly, and that brings two huge "Men" times to be aware of.  Hunting Season and Football Season. Planning events on Saturdays in the Fall are tricky at best. Always keep this in mind. So with that said here is my list for this go round of Creative Outreach Events.

1) Dog  Dock Jumping Event- Men and dogs are always a winning combination. My Dad used to say that the Good Lord gives every man one good bird dog. If  you get two you are super blessed. Dog Jumping  and Retrieval contests coupled with Fishing events, Cookouts, and sporting events are very popular. A recent Dog jumping event in Georgia drew nearly 4,000 people. Those are people that will never come to your "Church event".

2) Barbecue Competitions- It has been said that Competitive Barbecue cooking is the "Fastest growing Sport" in the nation! Men of every generation, genre, and economic level can be found at these events. To me this jumps off the page as a must do for Churches in the near future, I mean what Church doesn't rally around an eating event right!  This event can be an effective tool in sharing the Gospel with people who don't know Jesus.

3) Ultimate Frisbee Tournaments- In case you haven't heard, ultimate Frisbee just became an official Olympic Sport! Staging Round Robin Tournaments attract men and women both young and old. Its a great way to do and event that isn't normally associated with the Church crowd.

4) 3D Archery Tournaments- I know that I have mentioned this one before, but this event is a winner from the word go. Archery hunting has exploded in the last several years. If you turn on the outdoor channel in the Fall 90% of their programming will be geared towards hunting with a bow. 3 D Archery courses are easy and fun to set up. Its an opportunity to give guys who may not be gifted in other areas in your Church a way to share their faith.

5) Biker Events- Yes I said Biker events. Some of the strongest Christians that I know are Bikers. They take their faith seriously. This type of event, if planned correctly can be a huge outreach success drawing in people that may never otherwise attend your service.

I want to say here that there is a "Pendulum Effect" in many areas of our Churches that swings back and forth between theological positions of doctrine, evangelism and discipleship. We tend to think that we have to be one or the other, when in actuality we need a balance of both.

These are only a few of the events that I share with Churches. God is using these to reach people all over our country. Now let me say that I know that Outreach events are not the staple of a healthy Men's ministry. However, when paired with proper preparation and follow up discipleship, these event can be quite effective.

 Chris Wells consults with Churches all over the country. If you would like to know more about how to plan and implement Creative Outreach events for your Men's Ministry, Chris would love to speak with you.

He can be reached at:
Chris@chriswells.org
864-414-9453

Making plaster casts of the big footprints of Jesus

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Most people who have met me learn pretty quickly that I have a fascination with the "Search for Bigfoot culture". I actually started doing research on the elusive "Sasquatch" long before there were actually people looking for Bigfoot for a living. One of the early techniques of compiling evidence that Bigfoot exists was to make plaster casts of the giant footprints found in areas where the creature was spotted. The footprints were filled with plaster paris and were often of enormous size. Thus the name "Bigfoot" was born. Despite decades of searching with high tech cameras, traps, infer red specs, and even aircraft, Bigfoot has yet to be found.

Jesus on the other hand has been found! Thousands of people not only see His footprints all over and around their lives. He has introduced Himself to their hearts. The evidence of His work is all around us. The problem is that most of us (even christians) fail to recognize and give proper credit to the handiwork of the Lord Jesus. I hear it all the time as folks attribute miraculous occurrences in nature, sickness, fortune, and life in general to the various phenomenon that they trust in. Mother nature, lucky stars, the man upstairs, and the lists go on and on. Well I am here today to share with you some of the "Jesus stories" that I have had in my life.

A few years ago I was hunting with Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Shaw Grigsby and former BASS Pro Doug Odom. It was a great day in the woods and Shaw's son shot a doe with the bow that day so we took it to the deer processor. The processor as it turns out was a missionary to Russia. He earns all his money to stay on the mission field by processing deer during the US hunting season. I had never met him before. As we gave him the deer I was introduced to him and he turned to me and said: "Are you Chris Wells the evangelist?" I told him I sure was as he handed me a book that had over 900 pages in it. I looked down and the thick book that read "The Evolution Handbook". He then proceeded to say: "God told me to tell you to read this". Well what do you say to that? I thanked him for the book and took it with me back to the deer stand.

That afternoon as I thumbed through the Evolution handbook I learned more about how science blows the false teaching of evolution away than I did even at seminary! I was so impressed I carry the Evolution books with me everywhere I speak. Now the story gets really good!

 I was speaking at a Free Will Baptist Church near Florence South Carolina when a teenager came up to me and introduced himself. He told me that he got the Evolution Handbook from a Wild game Banquet where he saw me speak 2 years ago.

 Here is what he shared: "Chris, I started writing science papers in my school from the Evolution Handbook. My science teacher is a Molecular Biologist that actually went to the Islands where Darwin came up with most of his theories. She began to ask me questions a few months ago, so I gave her the book. Last Friday afternoon I led my science teacher to Jesus in the parking lot." 

My friends  whether the "Finding Bigfoot" crowd finds him or not is really not going to change our lives. However Finding Jesus not only changes our lives now, but for all eternity.

*If you would like to know more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ. Please email Chris at chris@chriswells.org