South Street Baptist Church is planning what it calls "an outreach". Being a thoroughgoing and business-like church it sets up a committee to plan. After prayer and the consideration of a few verses of scripture the small planning group get down to work. The air is full of such phrases as "attractive publicity", "modern posters", "good refreshments", "bookstall", "street visitation", "a good speaker", "a coffee bar setting", "guitar group" and so on.
All of which proves one thing - they are not talking about outreach. In fact they are talking about exactly the opposite - "in-drag"!
- Gavin Reid, The Gagging of God: The failure of the church to communicate in the television age, (Hodder & Stoughton, 1969) p. 87.
It is sad that these words, written nearly 40 years ago, nevertheless continue to capture the essence of conservative evangelism today. Reid continues:
To many churches "outreach" means opening the church doors wider than usual and waiting for someone to come. This assumption that people will come to services or meetings if the format is changed around somewhat or modern language is brought in to replace "thees and thous", is still being made in the majority of those churches that care deeply about communicating the gospel. The assumption is a false one.
- ibid. p.87.
The obvious question, then, is: Is there a better way?
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