I want to continue my thoughts about setting up a successful county fair booth. Far too often these booths go unnoticed or passed on by. So with the experience of others you can make your booth spiritually successful.
3) Get people to sign-up for Bible Correspondence Courses. We live in a time where people do not want to be bothered with the word of God. They believe that they are ok in their walk with God and don't want you and me interfering. But we have to find a way to break through and reach their hearts. I have tried different methods over the years and have found a few that worked and some that did not. One way was in having a give away. Those that would pass by would be drawn by the sign that said, "Free Bible Give-away." All they had to do was sign a card with their name, address and a phone number. This was not a raffle. No one gave us any money for the "chance" at a new Bible. But on the card we also placed an area for them to sign up for a in home Bible study, Bible Correspondence Course, and/or looking for a new church. They might not have thought about wanting to participate in a study before, but given the opportunity they sign up anyway. Sharing with people that come up to your booth that you offer such things as this is also very helpful. We do not want to run people off with a high pressure type of attitude, but we are in this to win the lost to Christ.
4) Information to give away. Never miss the opportunity to give people reading material on salvation. But there are some important things to always remember; first, get up-to-date looking tracts. The worst thing that a church can do is give out tracts with pictures of people from the 50's on the front. These are not very attractive and can draw people away from. The best set of tracts that I have found come from House-to-House Heart-to-Heart. You can view a list of these as well as order them from housetohouse.com. Another great give-away is from the World Video Bible School (WVBS). They have outstanding DVDs on salvation, evil/pain/suffering, along with a host of other material to draw people in. Many people today will watch a DVD rather than read a tract, so have this option as well. If you buy these DVDs in a somewhat larger quantity the price is drastically lower. Many work out to only $1-$2 per DVD. There website is wvbs.org. Finally, make sure that people know where your building is located. Have a map showing its location or a tract about the congregation with a map placed on it. Do also have times of services and the church phone number. It is not beneficial to have the minister's home number. I have found this to be problematic. My number is already in the public phone book. If you have a favorable contact then give them your card.
5) Volunteers at the booth. Having members for the congregation is an essential part of your booth. Never underestimate the talent that you have at your disposal. The members know the people that are walking by and can sometimes relate better than the minister can. But there are some things that the local church must set up in the way of rules for your volunteers. First, never argue with those that come to your booth. Far too often people just want to see if they can get you angry. If questions arise at the booth then have the following exchange with them, "That is a great question. If you would like we can set up a Bible study either in your home or at the church building." This disarms the person that just wants to fight and if the person does want to study they have the opportunity to sit down one-on-one.
Second, tell your volunteers to be very positive. This is not the place for gossiping, trash talking the other denominations and especially not the place to say anything negative about the church. If someone hears these things you possibly could lose the chance to teach them the Gospel.
Finally, make sure that those who work the booth are dressed modestly. This is the worst first impression from those of the church. I prefer no shorts but due to the temperatures sometimes this is not possible. If you must include (or allow) shorts, then set the rule for knee length. But if at all possible suggest that no one wear shorts for the booth. Look around, the other booths of businesses have volunteers without shorts (for the most part). Again, our best foot forward.
There are many other things that could be said about setting up a booth at the county fair, but this will get you started and help make for a successful experience. Don't forget to pray about this effort before you begin.
With a booth at the county fair we can Minister our Message....
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