Suggestions for some downtown missionary work?

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Harpazo

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Shlomo kulkhoun!

I have been given an opportunity to go with the deacon at my parish and two other men to stand outside of a strip club downtown and evangelize this coming weekend. One of the guys that’s going told me that he couldn’t find any resources to use to pass out to people, other than things for Protestants. We’d be working with a crowd of people that probably would be completely non-Christian.

I understand full well that this could be a risky operation and that arrest might be a possibility. I believe God has been calling me to do something like this for a long time, and I realize that if we as Catholics believe we have the complete truth, who are we to keep it to ourselves?

Most of what they do one of the men informed me was, they just share their faith and tell people something along the lines of “you don’t have to go in” or “you can turn back right now.” I realize it might not be a success at all, and we’ll probably be mocked, harassed, etc., but I pray that we’ll be able to plant some seeds. Besides, it sure beats staying home on a Friday night!

If anyone has suggestions or has done things like this in the past, I’d be more than appreciative to hear about it. I myself can’t find any apologetics information to share or pass out to these people who so desperately need to hear Our Lord’s saving Gospel.

Alaha minokhoun
Andrew
 
Guys going to strip joints are sinning with their eyes (at least) in an environment of lust. Maybe a good thing to hand out would be holy images of the Blessed Virgin (with the Fatima message about souls going to Hell due to sins of the flesh), or perhaps some holy images of women saints like St. Therese, St. Bernadette or St. Maria Goretti (martyr of chastity).

I think these images would really bother the men going to see lustful women. Something holy will repulse them, but that can be the first step towards realizing their sin.

I think this is a different missionary effort than the standard apologetics-oriented things we can do. These are men who are in Satan’s grip, and their minds are darkened by lust. Grace can reach them. I good honest, direct approach might cause some of those guys to be embarrassed and maybe not even go in – and we hope they’ll convert to the Faith also.

I wish you much success in this.
 
What you intend on doing seems very much like what is being done at some abortion clinics with the exception that one is for entertainment.
What I would do is hand out something that invites men to look at the liturature. It would have to have a catchy title like “What men should see” or “Read befor going in” or “You must read this first”. Some will just put it in their pockets and read it later. This is OK because they may come to an understanding of how it is harming themselves.

mdcpensive1
 
Harpazo said:
it. I myself can’t find any apologetics information to share or pass out to these people who so desperately need to hear Our Lord’s saving Gospel.

Alaha minokhoun
Andrew
Click to expand...
you are already on the best site for apologetics tracts - please check out the CA homepage for tracts, similar to “what the Protestants hand out” but of course full of truth.

just a general note for anyone who wants to evangelize, protest, witness, or pray in front of a site like this, or anywhere: know in advance why you are there, and which of these activities is your priority. If you are there to pray, pray. If you are there to evangelize, decide how you will do it, and stick to the plan. If you are there to protest, that is neither prayer nor evangelization, so decide how you will protest.

Role play and practice for situations that are likely to arise, practice what to say, what to do, what not to say and do, how to react, how to avoid being provoked into a reaction, and how to deal with law enforcement. Check out the legal aspect first, don’t even go there if you are not sure local law is on your side. If you are breaking a legitimate law you lose credibility for your message.
 
or just tell them God loves them most guys go to places like that because they are lonely.
 
Good for you, do not be surprised if you see people you know, we protested an adult theater on a couple of occasions…and the people we saw driving in!!
 
Bring rosaries, medals, Catholic\Christian items to remind those who have fallen away. There are probably many who are fallen away Catholics
on Catholic Christians who are just in a world of sin. They sometimes just need a reminder of God.

Others might need just a holy witness, some have completely no faith and they all need different approaches. Seek to see everyone as a person and seek to portray the women in the clubs as women and not as objects.

As sisters, daughters, and relatives who shouldn’t be seen as objects. The men going inside have more dignity than that, they are usually lonely and don’t realize what a waste of their lives and how much of an insult it is to themselves, to do this sort of thing.

Maybe those comments give you some ideas on how to approach others and share our faith.

In Christ
Scylla
 
Or just tell them God loves them. Look them straight in the eye and calmly tell them that. You dont yell it just say it like you actually mean it. But remember my bias I’m kind of a hippy.
 
Thanks to all who offered suggestions. I just purchased 500 of the “God Loves You” pamphlets. I’m praying they’ll arrive on Friday. Keep me in your prayers, and I’ll update you all on Saturday!

Alaha minokhoun
Andrew
 
Harpazo, DEFINITELY get back to us on Saturday. I really want to know how this turns out!
 
He is planning on going out this coming Saturday (Feb. 23). After that is when he promised to let us know how it went. 🙂
 
Thanks to everyone’s prayers and concerns on this! I’ll give you the 411.

We went out last night, the 22. My apologies if I had stated the 23. The Deacon, unfortunately wasn’t able to go with us, so it was another man and myself. First we met at our parish and prayed in Adoration for about 45 minutes or so, then we carpooled downtown to the strip club, which was in an extremely shady part of town.

As soon as we got out, we walked out onto the sidewalk in front of the building and I set down my Bible and some tracts I bought, courtesy of Catholic Answers. My fellow parishioner led us in prayer as we asked for the Holy Spirit to be with us and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. Then we started to pray a Rosary. A man, who was a “bouncer” I believe, came out and asked us if we were coming in. The fellow parishioner said, “How are you tonight? We’re just sharing the Good News of Salvation, or something to that effect.” He went back inside without uttering a word

Later on after praying though the whole Rosary, some more of the bouncers came out and talked to us. They were surprisingly very polite, but terribly ignorant and so wrapped up in this way of life. My friend spoke most of the time, which I had no problem with at all. They tried to justify their actions, and we offered for them to pray tomorrow about where God really wants them to be. We handed them a tract, and they went inside. We returned to the curb, prayed Psalm 51. Then we prayed silently for about 5 minutes or so, and left to go to another part of town and walk around. Unfortunately in the other part of downtown Roanoke, there wasn’t much going on. Apparently 12 o’clock is the new 10.🤷

But we plan on doing this again soon!

Thanks for everyone’s prayers! I’ll try to make replies as soon as I can. I’m leaving to go skiing with my Boy Scout troop tonight, and won’t be back until late tomorrow.

Alaha minokhoun
Andrew
 
I*** hope you read this with conviction of being catholic.I once did the same as ou wish to do. ***

On the first occasion of doing what you intend doing I thought I had done so well and after work I went into the church knelt down and prayed. I closed my eyes and I saw an arm in front of me, it was on a piece of wood and it had a nail in it. I opened my eyes and closed them again and still I saw this image.
I wondered why I was seeing this, a voice seemed to ask me who told me to do thiscorner preaching. So I said that the bible tells us to preach to the world, those who are not saved. Well I found these words comming to my mind that I should remember the goats who told God what they had done in His name ( as you intend).
But you will remember how God told the goats to be gone because they lacked mercy, it was not their ministry only preachers priests can do this in the spirit.

We are told that if we want to do anything worth doing then pick up our shirt when we have two and our panths when we have two or so, and give them to the poor,when we have food give it to those who have nothing, to those who live under the trees, bridges give it to them.

Remember how God tells the sheep to come to Him for they did His word by giving to the poor.

If you wiant to do anything then as I did and still 30 years latter have fed thousands given to thousands and they come to me askiing me to speak to them because they were fed first.
It has to be God’s spirit that speaks through us.

Godbless
 
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