Don't Knock Door-Knocking?

I'm just thinking out loud here. (Dangerous, I know.)

Americans are, by and large, a fairly astute lot when it comes to being highly skeptical of anything being told them by some total stranger who knocked on their door out of the blue. I think that whenever someone tries to cram "religion" down people's throats, being a total stranger (while doing the cramming) is like adding insult to injury.

It seems to this writer that Americans are not actually opposed to a personal dialog about faith and spiritual pursuit of truth. Rather, they do seem to be opposed to the aforementioned throat-cramming, which almost never works, really. The key thing is that the dialog must be personal. They just want to get to know you first, as a friend, and decide that they respect you enough (as a person) to be curious about your faith. They just want to know how much you care, before they care how much you know.

Now, here's the rub. You can call it a double standard if you want, but even after them basically declaring (in an unspoken way) that door-to-door, cold-call type evangelism is off limits for them and won't work, they also (even after getting to know you) will wonder whether you're truly sincere about all this heaven-or-hell, eternal-life-versus-eternal-damnation stuff, if you don't act as serious about it as it warrants, e.g. by going to door to door like the apartment building really is on fire (spiritual speaking) and people really need to be warned.

It's like they really want to believe the "door knocker guy", but only so long as he's not knocking on their door, and only so long as they get to know him first in a non-confrontational friendship.

Keeping up a rather futile door knocking ministry is tough for several reasons. I mentioned that it is rather futile. That's major. Because it is hard to get Christians to be the "door knocker guy" whenever they see practically no results. And that's before we factor in the scarcity of family time, and how hectic life is. There's also the problem of people's shyness. People who are shy just fear any possibility of confrontation, whether they're behind the door or in front of it.

One idea that is working elsewhere, and which we'd like to try here, is to just go about leaving door hangers (which avoids a lot of the fear of confrontation), inviting people to a "block party" (a type of community day). Free food, music, and making friends. The spiritual stuff can come in due time. What do you say?

A Little Birdy Told Me (Bird Invades Local Church)

Our church's alarm system (anti-burglar) went off twice this week. The latest was this morning. We found no explanation the previous time. The police came both times. This time the policeman said, "All the doors and windows are secure, but I saw a bird looking at me from a window in the back." It was a kitchen window.

Sure enough, a bird was inside the church. Managed to shoo it out. Nature. Gotta love it. Now I guess we'll be on poo patrol for a while. No one knows how long the bird was in there. We also need to search the outside of the building to try to find ways to close up any gap that may be letting nature in. And pray there are no more birds inside!

Chaiyong Wattanachat Promoted To Glory

Brother Chaiyong Wattanachat, General Superintendent of Thailand, has died (Friday, September 4, 2009). Brother Jack Cunningham, Supterintendent of VA District UPCI, wrote of him, "He has a great reward awaiting him in glory. He was a powerful Apostolic. I'll miss him."

Brother Jack Cunningham (at left) with Brother Chaiyong in Thailand in February of 1998 to help with a Holy Ghost crusade.

Myself, I was privileged to get to know Brother Chaiyong while I was in Thailand in late 1994 and over New Years 1995 with Bishop Cole ("Achan" Cole, as the Thai church called him; it's a title of respect for their esteemed elders). What a huge honor it was for me to preach their annual General Conference. Achan Chaiyong was a wonderful man.

From left to right: Achan Chaiyong, Brother Frank Poling, Achan Ping, and Brother Cole. Achan Chaiyong (whose name means "son of victory") served faithfully as the first superintendent of the UPC of Thailand. Now that he has passed on to be with the Lord, Achan Ping (whose name means "to lean upon") will surely serve well as superintendent.

Words fail me to express what God wrought through these two spiritual giants, Brother Chaiyong and Brother Billy Cole, who were destined by God to be paired up like Johnathan and David of old.

The Lord laid His foundation in Thailand through Bro. Cole, Bro. Chaiyong, Bro. Poling, and other missionaries and national ministers there, and it will surely grow until the Lord's return.

Below: Altar service at the Holy Ghost crusade in Thailand in February 1998. Over 1,500 Buddhists received the baptism of the Holy Ghost!