What kind of evangelization method is this? Does anyone approve of this?

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Bluegoat said:
I think this is usually called the wack-job method.
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Agreed! I think that is what it is officially called.🙂
Dangerous in the sense that parents are always warning their children to refuse candy from a stranger. The next person who offers it may not have bible verses to memorize for a contest, but something else in mind. They may not sense danger in the offering or accepting after an experience where no one harms them.

Besides, bottled water would be far more practical to kids on a hot day. Put the verse on the label, maybe one relating to water from the bible.
 
evangelizing by offering candy to children?:eek: That’s just creepy. Seriously, taking candy from strangers has got to be the number one thing that children are taught not to do, and for good reason. These people should know to stay away from methods that undermine sound parental teaching, and that also fit into the classic “creeper” stereotype.
 
StrawberryJam said:
Agreed! I think that is what it is officially called.🙂
Dangerous in the sense that parents are always warning their children to refuse candy from a stranger. The next person who offers it may not have bible verses to memorize for a contest, but something else in mind. They may not sense danger in the offering or accepting after an experience where no one harms them.

Besides, bottled water would be far more practical to kids on a hot day. Put the verse on the label, maybe one relating to water from the bible.
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Thats actually a great idea. When I was in elementary school a girl used to hand out candy canes with bible verses tied around them to the class around Christmas time.

But my elementary school was a little “out there” as far as the rules go. We still had school prayer even though it had been banned long before I went there.
 
StrawberryJam said:
globaltvedmonton.com/Edmonton+mother+angry+church+actions+city+park/5127660/story.html

Offering candy to children in a park? This is horrible.
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StrawberryJam,

This just makes me sick to my stomach, especially having been a victim of sexual assault as a child. Offering candy to young children like that puts them at so much risk for accepting candy from the pedifiles that troll the parks.

Besides that, it is the right of parents to teach their children according to their own beliefs.

It’s fine if the congregation of this Church wants to work to help the community or offer classes for children; but parents need to give their consent.

Our Church has Vacation Bible School every summer; but parents must register their children and give consent. They know their Children will be taught about Christianity. We don’t lure kids in off the street or approach them in local parks. That’s just so wrong.

Thanks for making us aware of this. Hopefully, the response to this tactic will help deter this practice in the future.

Peace to you, my friend,
Anna
 
StrawberryJam said:
globaltvedmonton.com/Edmonton+mother+angry+church+actions+city+park/5127660/story.html

Offering candy to children in a park? This is horrible.
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I read, a few years ago, Unchristian, a study by the Barna group on non-Christian younger adults / youth, and their attitude to Christianity in general and evangelical, born-again Christianity in particular.

On evangelism, the authors said that the best sort of evangelism is qualitative, built on close relationships, over a long period of time. This sort of proseltysing defeats the effort entirely, and kills the respect of our target group.
 
I want to thank all who have responded, and those who wanted to but may not have felt comfortable doing so.
I am thankful for all of you.

@Anna

You thank me for bringing this up. Yet it is because of you and others people will listen. And the others that replied, you really are all a part of why I still seek God.

We are a team! We can all agree to some things that are universal. We can and should work on doing this. Imagine what we may be able to do.
 
StrawberryJam said:
I want to thank all who have responded, and those who wanted to but may not have felt comfortable doing so.
I am thankful for all of you.

@Anna

You thank me for bringing this up. Yet it is because of you and others people will listen. And the others that replied, you really are all a part of why I still seek God.

We are a team! We can all agree to some things that are universal. We can and should work on doing this. Imagine what we may be able to do.
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StrawberryJam,

Though there have only been 9 posts on this thread, there have been 205 views. So, topics here can reach more people than we might expect.

There are definitely some universal things upon which we can all agree.

When it comes to the issue of proselytizing, I think St. Francis of Assisi said it best: “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” I have this quote in my signature line.

I think, as Christians, we need to constantly remind ourselves of the Great Commandment of Christ:

Mark 12: 28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29J esus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Through the love of Christ, we are to serve one another, without strings attached. When I was in my early 20’s (more than half a century ago 😉 ); I spent 3 months volunteering in an Indian ghetto in Arizona. A Christian missionary and his family had been serving this community for many years. The missionary told us that when he first came to the village and wanted to spread the Gospel of Christ; the Pascua Yaqui Indian leader told him, he must spend one full year serving the Indian people before he could speak one word to them about Christ. I’d say this Indian leader was a very wise man.

Peace and blessings,
Anna
 
Is it any different from some mega Evangelical churches that remove the cross from their building or sanctuary so that they can do a bait and switch on non-Christians?
 
hn160 said:
Is it any different from some mega Evangelical churches that remove the cross from their building or sanctuary so that they can do a bait and switch on non-Christians?
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Yes, because these dolts are targeting children.

I’m sorry, but I would be more than angry if this had happened to a child of mine. If these people want to encourage their beliefs, they should be reaching out to the parents, whose duty it is to instruct and inform their children about such matters as religion, morals, etc.

As someone who is not Christian, I also would be very upset had someone tried to force their religion on a child of mine. I am sure there are others out there who aren’t Christian who also would be unhappy with this tactic.

It is just wrong.

Peace,

Seeker
 
You’d think that everyone would know that in this day and age if you want to make kids accept your beliefs you write a textbook and get the schools to do the job of forcing it on them.

This is probably not a very good idea. I do wonder how people would have viewed it 50 years ago.
 
That is quite creepy indeed. I personally would call that proselytism rather than evangelism, and people who proselytize children are nothing but wolves preying upon sheep.
 
StrawberryJam said:
globaltvedmonton.com/Edmonton+mother+angry+church+actions+city+park/5127660/story.html

Offering candy to children in a park? This is horrible.
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They get weird sometimes.
My last experience was when I was waiting in front of a 7-11 while my son finished a cell phone call. I noticed a Bible Tract on the pay phone, picked it up, looked at it and put it back. Then I turned around and a guy was standing right behind me telling me that God had "put it in his heart that if I didn’t call my Father right away, “something terrible was going to happen to him” because I “didn’t know God.” The problem was that my Dad has passed away about a year earlier in his late eighties of natural causes.
 
ESMDHokie77 said:
This isn’t exactly a proper method… at all.:rolleyes:
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I think he figured that out very quickly, and I suspect he was new at that game.
I let the thing about my Dad go but not the thing about not knowing God. When challenged, he back off right away, and it’s not like I challenged him in a threatening or intimidating way.

It takes a lot of presumption to go around telling complete strangers they don’t know God. Especially in a country so many people self identify as Christian.
 
I can’t say I agree with the way that they did it, but I can see what they were thinking.

On the outside looking in, we can see all of the dangers in this.

But to them I HOPE it was their way of thinking how can we get the word of God out to kids. What do kids love? Candy.

While I do not agree with what they did, it did have good intentions.

They were looking at a way to get the word of God out and trying to make it more fun and exciting for the Children.

To be honest I do not see anything wrong with what they did, it is how they did it. I think myself it was a good idea really. But it should have been keep in their own community simply because of the evil in the world.

But on the up note I think of doing this in sunday school. Look at the kids who would be more interested in scripture.

But it needed to be kept in the confines of a Church or Sunday School or type of Bible School where things are safe.
 
StrawberryJam said:
globaltvedmonton.com/Edmonton+mother+angry+church+actions+city+park/5127660/story.html

Offering candy to children in a park? This is horrible.
Click to expand...
I agree. No, I don’t approve. If someone gave my children candy in the park in that manner, they would get an earful. A polite, but very stern, warning to stay away from them.

We knew of a church that would try to evangelize by getting kids (older – usually teens) to come out to games and activities. They would promise junk food and be upfront that it would be complete with a gospel presentation. If a teen “got saved” they were then encouraged to get involved with the church. I can only imagine the reactions of some of the poor parents when kids went home and told them they had to get born again and join a “real” church. While I understand the good, sincere intentions, I’m still very uncomfortable with it. There were so many strings attached to those relationships. These nice church folks truly cared but the ultimate reason for the relationship was to get you saved and in a true Bible-believing church family. Not saying this group was the same, but neither method would be welcome here.
 
StrawberryJam said:
globaltvedmonton.com/Edmonton+mother+angry+church+actions+city+park/5127660/story.html

Offering candy to children in a park? This is horrible.
Click to expand...
This type of thing is the reasons why Christians have a bad name.And why one shouldnt take someone(or a group) caling themselves “Christian” on face value.
Really,if you offer kids candy,they’ll probably agree to many things,but what has that got to do with truth.If anything,it would be counterproductive and turn more people away from Christianity,i would thing.
I don’t believe that children or the weakminded should be targeted,and there should be protection agains’t this.
Luring kinds with candy-isn’t theres another group of people who do that…😉
 
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