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 Effective "Altar Call" Ideas |
Kevin Walker |
| What are the most effective ways that you have found to call for a response at the end of a sermon? What are some different things that you have tried? |
Golf Cart Mafia Associate
Posts: 2158
11/11/15 12:03 pm
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Eddie Robbins |
| The evangelist used to say that at his last meeting, a young man refused to come to the altar and he just got word he was killed in a car wreck and is burning in hell right now. That always fills up an altar until you learn he says that everywhere. |
Acts-pert Poster
Posts: 16509
11/11/15 12:40 pm
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UncleJD |
| Eddie Robbins wrote: | | The evangelist used to say that at his last meeting, a young man refused to come to the altar and he just got word he was killed in a car wreck and is burning in hell right now. That always fills up an altar until you learn he says that everywhere. |
That seems to happen at a lot revivals.  |
Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere
Posts: 3145
11/11/15 1:12 pm
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Da Sheik |
I think it depends on the DNA of your particular congregation. We have really gifted speakers at our church so that frees me to accept invitations to speak at other churches occasionally. Some churches are really conditioned to having intense times of prayer at an altar while others seem more comfortable having prayer wherever they are sitting. In my early years of pastoring, I was in a church where the people would come to the altar- kneel for about 2 minutes, and then return to their seats before the musicians were even through playing the invitation song 
That used to really bother me until I realized that church was never going to be the kind of church that I grew up in where people "tarried " at Jerusalem (aka "the altar"). Once I realized that, I restructured my altar calls to something that worked much better. At times I would even include a liturgy for us to read during the altar time (often a prayer from the Psalms or a passage of scripture with call and response ). The end result- I was less frustrated and the people still "met with God" in a meaningful way. I think that's the key.
One thing I think most people are weary of , is the never-ending altar call. You know the one. The one where the pastor is certain there is someone God wants to touch and yet they sit stoic like a statue. So the pastor lingers in awkward silence for what seems an eternity. Eventually, someone comes forward (almost like a mercy-rule in baseball) so that the altar call will conclude. |
Acts Enthusiast
Posts: 1865
11/11/15 1:56 pm
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Link |
I've noticed some preachers really want people at the altar (which is usually the area at the edge of the stage rather than a padded bench at the front like you might see in a Nazarene steeple house, a raised table for the mass like you see in an RCC steeple house, or a large sacrificial barbecue pit like structure like you see in the Bible).
I've seen preachers give really broad-ranging altar calls. They can be as direct as asking everyone to come up to the front and pray. I've heard an altar call for anyone who wanted to be used of God in their life or something like that.
One method that doesn't work to well is to ask people to come forward if they are struggling with something, and then, to start listing different sins and throw in something like porn or homosexuality. Mention homosexuality, and people stop going forward for some reason. "Oh, the altar call for gays. That's not me." I've seen it done. I thought, "He mentioned homosexuality. No one is going forward."
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Acts-perienced Poster
Posts: 11849
11/11/15 2:22 pm
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Old Time Country Preacher |
| Eddie Robbins wrote: | | The evangelist used to say that at his last meeting, a young man refused to come to the altar and he just got word he was killed in a car wreck and is burning in hell right now. That always fills up an altar until you learn he says that everywhere. |
An don't fergit the story of somewhere in Russia/Siberia a hole was bein drilled when it hit a open place. I heard it preached that the folk had drilled into hell an ya could literally hear folk screamin in agony from the hole. No joke. An at'll fill an altar too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Well_to_Hell_hoax |
Acts-pert Poster
Posts: 15570
11/11/15 2:35 pm
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| Anyone who rejects Christ and wants to go to hell... |
roughridercog |
Stay in your seat. 
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Doctor of Bovinamodulation |
Acts Mod
Posts: 25305
11/11/15 6:54 pm
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Cojak |
| Da Sheik wrote: | I think it depends on the DNA of your particular congregation. We have really gifted speakers at our church so that frees me to accept invitations to speak at other churches occasionally. Some churches are really conditioned to having intense times of prayer at an altar while others seem more comfortable having prayer wherever they are sitting. In my early years of pastoring, I was in a church where the people would come to the altar- kneel for about 2 minutes, and then return to their seats before the musicians were even through playing the invitation song
That used to really bother me until I realized that church was never going to be the kind of church that I grew up in where people "tarried " at Jerusalem (aka "the altar"). Once I realized that, I restructured my altar calls to something that worked much better. At times I would even include a liturgy for us to read during the altar time (often a prayer from the Psalms or a passage of scripture with call and response ). The end result- I was less frustrated and the people still "met with God" in a meaningful way. I think that's the key.
One thing I think most people are weary of , is the never-ending altar call. You know the one. The one where the pastor is certain there is someone God wants to touch and yet they sit stoic like a statue. So the pastor lingers in awkward silence for what seems an eternity. Eventually, someone comes forward (almost like a mercy-rule in baseball) so that the altar call will conclude. |
Lots of sense in this comment.
I met and enjoyed fellowship with Bro Aldridge of the Belmont, NC 4SQ. He had his best people ready to go and talk to and pray with anyone at their seat. I was not used to that, but remembering the many earlier alter calls I had been in, I realized his wisdom. Not everyone can lead some to the Lord, some well meaning folk have done damage. 
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Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/ |
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Posts: 24283
11/11/15 8:14 pm
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