EVANGELISTIC BLOCK PARTY SUCCESS STORY
The evangelistic block party (EBP) strategy began only a few years ago. A
California Southern Baptist church had participated in a secular block party in the
nearby government housing project and saw the possibility of using this strategy to reach
lost people, as well as help poor people.
At this church’s first party, more than 250 people attended and more than 25
people received Christ. Everyone was fed a barbecue lunch, free clothing was distributed,
and food was given away. The gospel was presented to everyone, and each person
received a New Testament.
This church hosted another EBP at a crime-ridden public housing development
nearby. It was well attended, and 75 to 100 people were saved. As a result, the church
began to overflow with new Christians. The church instituted other types of evangelistic
outreach and extensive follow-up. The prayer ministry began to increase tremendously.
A third EBP was held. Around 800 people attended and were fed a barbecue
dinner. More than 200 people were converted, one ton of clothing was distributed, and
thousands of pounds of food were given to poor people.
Thousands of people near the church were converted through intensive outreach
efforts. In a two-year period, using marked New Testaments, door-to-door witness, and
EBPs, 16,000 souls prayed to receive Christ!
Since that time evangelistic block parties have been held successfully throughout
the United States. It is our prayer that this manual will encourage, equip, and motivate
you to host your own EBP. At the EBP you will feed, clothe, and help people3/4but always
remember that without Christ, they have nothing. Give them Jesus. Witness in all you do.
Make it your primary work.
WHAT IS AN EVANGELISTIC BLOCK PARTY?
Churches all over America are using the evangelistic block party (EBP) to
introduce people to Christ. An EBP is part of the Special Evangelistic Event strategy of
the North American Mission Board (NAMB). It involves identifying a neighborhood
and providing a meal and program. In needier areas clothing is distributed. This creates a
friendly climate for evangelism as trained witnesses share the gospel. The EBP has been
used all over the United States as the perfect marriage between ministry and intentional
evangelism.
The EBP is also part of the Total Church Life strategy for NAMB’s Evangelization
Group. It is designed to reach our nation for Christ through the total penetration of an
area with the gospel. One neighborhood after another throughout our country can be
identified and saturated with the gospel through EBPs. The EBP calls for the total
participation of every member of your church in evangelism. It allows a large number of
church members to be involved in evangelistic outreach.
Jesus hosted a type of block party when he fed 5,000 people. On another occasion
He fed 4,000. These events did not take place in a church, synagogue, or temple. Jesus
went to the hillside where people gathered. He proclaimed the Gospel and met their
needs
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EVANGELISTIC BLOCK PARTY
The evangelistic block party is intimate.
Even though the evangelistic block party (EBP) is a mass evangelism event, its
intimacy is enhanced by using a personal evangelism thrust. The church has too often
cloistered itself behind institutional walls. EBPs provide churches with a ministry of
presence and visibility as the church moves out of its building in Christ’s name to feed,
teach, clothe, and evangelize.
At most parties no “come forward” invitation is given, but at periodic times
during the EBP a speaker will thank guests for coming and present a short testimony. He
will also call attention to church members who are mingling among with the guests and
giving them free marked New Testaments or evangelistic booklets. As trained witnesses
distribute the Bibles or evangelistic booklets they explain the gospel. The EBP provides a
non-threatening, intimate forum that can be used to enhance the sharing of the gospel.
The evangelistic block party is intentionally evangelistic.
Communicating the good news of Jesus Christ is the goal of every evangelistic
block party. Evangelism should be the priority in planning any EBP. An EBP should
include an interesting program, but entertainment is not the main point. It should
include food, but feeding a crowd is not the ultimate outcome. Every element of the EBP
should focus on people hearing the gospel and praying to receive Christ.
Block parties discussed in this manual are evangelistic harvest events. People who
will be at your EBP will be at different stages in their spiritual understanding. Some will
have no knowledge of God. Others will have a hazy awareness of a Supreme Being. Many,
however, will be interested in hearing about Christ. Some will be ready to receive Him.
EBPs provide a way to share Christ with those who are ready and to cultivate those who
are further away from Christ.
The evangelistic block party is informal.
The outdoor get-together, the meal, and the friendly program personalities create
a relaxed atmosphere of acceptance, so keep it informal!
The evangelistic block party is interesting.
It is important that you organize your party to be interesting and relevant. Include
activities that keep the event moving. Give away clothes, serve food, and distribute
Scripture portions or witnessing booklets. A good sound system will enhance the appeal
of the event. Play lively music the entire time. Talented people may be scheduled to sing
or present other skillful entertainment. Choirs, talks, or clinics by famous athletes,
puppeteers, or special groups may be used. Remember that people will be moving
around constantly; entertainers should not expect exclusive attention during their
presentations. Sometimes people are invited to share brief testimonies. Sermons are not
usually included, but if a message is shared it should be short and simple and presented
with enthusiasm. Keep the focus on Jesus and His great love for all people.
Planning a program that reflects the makeup of the neighborhood will create
additional interest. For example, a predominately Hispanic neighborhood with many
young children will certainly require a different type of program than one in an Anglo
suburban area made up mostly of senior citizens. Plan your music, meal, activities,
program, and evangelism strategy with the ages, education, and ethnic and
socioeconomic makeup of the participants in mind.
To increase interest and involvement the EBP is best conducted locally. Your own
church members should staff the EBP, prepare the meal, and most especially, provide
those who will witness during the party. What if the scope of your EBP is so large that you
cannot effectively do it alone? Involve another church in your planning and
implementations, but involve as few churches as possible to make the job of assimilating
these new persons into local churches easier. An inner-city church is an ideal location to
do EBPs, but they may lack the resources to sponsor one on their own. It can team up
with a suburban church that can provide the resources of money and personnel to
distribute clothing and meals. This will free members of the inner-city church to witness
during the block party.
The location of the EBP should be within your church's field of ministry. An
empty lot in the neighborhood, an apartment clubhouse, or your church property are
effective sites. The primary audience to invite to the party is local residents, not transients
or tourists. Inviting local residents allows for good follow-up.
The evangelistic block party is imaginative.
Imaginative variations on the basic EBP theme have been tried in various parts of
the United States. Following are some short descriptions of other types of evangelistic
block parties.
