Making connections with the homeless, addicted and distracted, the church takes on some controversial waters. Partnering with JC’s Girls, run by former stripper Heather Veitch, Central Christian’s women’s ministry reaches out to female performers in the sex industry. “This past Easter, our women went into the backrooms of strip clubs to deliver Easter baskets and pray with the dancers,” Bodin says. “They were in there all night to meet all the dancers coming and going, and just loved on them.”

University of Pennsylvania staffer Mary Anne Layden shares the harsh realities of strippers: 40 percent are substance abusers, 91 percent report being verbally abused on the job by customers, and 73 percent have been physically assaulted in grabs by customers. While media portrayals don’t highlight these aspects of the sex industry, studies show the industry is one that’s desperately in need of outreach.

Entertaining Allure

In his book “Fame Junkies,” Jake Halpern reports that in his study of 650 high school students, 44.3 percent of the girls wanted to become celebrity personal assistants, while boys chose fame as a characteristic equally desirable with intelligence. Halpern attributes this U.S. obsession with fame to the “belongingness theory” that states humans crave social acceptance. In his study, teenage girls who felt appreciated by family and peers most wanted to meet Jesus Christ, and those that didn’t feel appreciated most wanted to meet Paris Hilton. Halpern states that a connection with a celebrity fulfills the acceptance need.

To speak the language of the lonely, Central Christian Church created “Buzz Events,” giving people an unedited look into a celebrity’s lifestyle. Usually tripling weekend attendance, the Buzz Event invites a celebrity to discuss his or her relationship with God via a Q&A session with Senior Pastor Jud Wilhite. Previous Buzz Events have featured actor Mr. T and former NFL Dallas Cowboys player Michael Irvin.

“We invite people who maybe don’t have it ‘spiritually together,’ who are willing to share their story. Most of the time, they talk about their failures and shortcomings,” Bodin shares. “This allows people to relate to them, and then the pastor can teach off of their story in rock solid biblical teachings of grace and holiness. It’s a paradigm shift. Instead of having someone on a spiritual pedestal, we’re using their stories to help people to grow.”

Using all the bells and whistles found in mainstream event promotion, Central Christian Church attracts the unchurched, bringing approximately 140 new people per weekend to recommit or start a relationship with Jesus Christ, trading a connection with celebrities for a connection with Christ.

First Baptist Church Atlanta (pastored by Charles Stanley), also offers free admission to celebrity events with a twist. In March, the church brought in Team Impact, a group of former NFL players, professional wrestlers and weightlifters who use demonstrations of physical strength to preach the Word of God.

For churches without a celebrity connection, the use of entertainment can be a strong connecting point. David Hilty, associate pastor of Northgate Church in Pittsburgh, says his church typically holds two musical concerts a year geared to adults and teens. “It is an outreach to the entire community,” Hilty explains. “We are running print ads in a number of local publications, as well as radio ads on the two local Christian radio stations.”

Hilty says the best way for a church to connect with its community could be right before its eyes. “Probably the best form of advertising is an excited congregation,” he shares. “More people will come because their friends, co-workers, or neighbors are excited about asking them, than will come because of a well-placed newspaper or radio ad. Advertising certainly helps if you are having an artist who has name recognition, but I still think it’s the personal invitation that is the most effective. That way there is a built avenue of communication in place for follow-up. If someone makes a decision in response to something that happened at the event, or maybe just has some questions, it’s always better if there is someone with whom they already feel comfortable talking.”

Mission Party

Since it’s no mystery that Americans like a good party – think Super Bowl, spring break or Fourth of July – First Baptist Church Atlanta created its annual Impact Atlanta event back in 2004. Traditionally coinciding with its weeklong World Missions Conference every fall, the church sends out the congregation to 25-30 apartment complexes to host block parties. Derrick Poston, FBA minister of outreach, maintains, “Our members get a taste of cross-cultural experience and missions without leaving the country.” 

Poston says the event is a large undertaking, but is successful thanks to a committed team and the use of an agency that deals with apartment managers. Last year, the church found even more ways to build momentum. “We decided to have a leaders meeting to cast the vision. We had more than 70 at that meeting ... and encouraged them to form teams,” Poston says. “We invited them back to a pre-training and prayer-walking training luncheon on a Sunday just prior to the actual event.”

At the training luncheon, team leaders received EvangeCube training (along with festivities such as face-painting and balloon animals). Leaders were given posters for promoting the event and instructions for prayer-walking their complexes. Before the event, leaders attended a prayer meeting from 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. and then were sent to pick up hot dogs, games and other supplies.

Poston says leaders are required to “cook all the hot dogs we send them out with, and invite residents down to have a good time of food and games and share the Gospel.”   

Last year’s outreach involved 490 church members and 80 professions of faith. “Many of those we interacted with showed up for church the next day,” Paston reports. “Our members are discipling many of those who prayed to receive Christ.”

For more radical and fulfilling stories of Outreach, read Part II of this story Wednesday.