I just couldn’t believe it. There he was, a young boy, pulling in the fish, one right after another. And only about 10 feet away from where we were fruitlessly awaiting our first nibble. I enjoy nature, to be sure, but my goal was to catch fish! Not that anyone was counting, but my tally was a big fat zero!

Visions of the good ol’ days swam through my head, back in the north country of Minnesota, fishing for pike at White Iron Lake with Grandpa. Fish were bigger back in those days and ready for the picking. Yes, many pictures can be found in the family archives of my brother and me with Gramps, beaming from ear to ear as we strained every muscle to hold up our stringers of fresh pike (and bass and walleye, too).

But the times they are a-changing, as the song goes. Most of those kinds of pictures are old. Fish aren’t biting like they used to. Not too many fishermen like Grandpa anymore.

But, then again, that young boy was pulling them in left and right. How? I had caught fish a long time before this youngster had ever been born. I was taught by an expert who had a proven record. My equipment was newer and better! But—he had the fish.

Finally, swallowing my pride, “How are you doing that.” I knew how silly that sounded, but desperation was my master. I wanted to know why I wasn’t catching fish!

He responded, “The fish in this stream like corn …,” as his outstretched hand offered me some.

But I protested to myself, I have always used worms! Sometimes minnows or leeches. But never corn! He kept right on fishing, and I kept looking at his fish-filled pail and my empty pail.

As Christians, if we are trying to be fishers of men, we must ask what bait would best attract people to hear the gospel. It makes no sense to use bait that does not attract anyone. The apostle Paul wrote of his ability to adapt the bait to his potential audience: “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” (I Cor 9:22). Jesus, our prime example, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and spoke compassionately. He did all of these things to attract people to Him and to draw them in to hear the message of salvation.

Are we stuck always using the same evangelism bait? Just because it worked in another time and place does not mean it will work everywhere. We try to bring people to where we are, inside the church building, for our special gospel services or meetings – but they don’t come. Our evangelical “sub-culture” is foreign to people of the world and often a stumbling block. If there is to be a stumbling block, it should be only Christ.

Of course, just as we would never want to use poisonous bait in going after real fish, so our means of reaching out to people must not be detrimental to the presentation of the true gospel or to the glory of God. Given that caveat, we should use the most effective bait possible to reach the people we seek for Christ.

At our church, the gauntlet was thrown down at one of our monthly men’s prayer breakfasts: “Who would like to go for broke and reach unsaved men?” Four men responded, and we met for lunch to discuss a vision. We decided that if we were fishing for men, the best bait would meet the felt needs of the men we wanted to reach. Today, men are lonely for friendship; they want to be part of a band of brothers. Even beer companies sell their product using the attractiveness of camaraderie in their commercials. Most guys in business are used to quality presentations. And, of course, most men like good food and sports. All this would play into our efforts to attract the interest of the men in our community.

The result of our planning was that we organized bi-monthly dinner outreaches for men. Here is what the “bait” looked like:

1) Quality time in a quality restaurant with a quality meal. Since we wanted to avoid unnecessary stumbling blocks, we patterned the evening after a casual business dinner that a company might put on. It would take place in a nice restaurant with a seminar format. This would expose non-Christian men to Christian guys in a non-threatening atmosphere and be an excellent way to build friendships. We decided that a private room would work best.

2) No singing. That would be too “churchy” for many unsaved men.

3) Christian men would each bring a non-believing guest. The “admission ticket” for the Christian men was to invite an unsaved friend, relative, associate, or neighbor. We didn’t want the event to become just another Christian men’s fellowship – we had enough of those already. This stipulation ensured that at least 50% of those attending would be unbelievers and that the Christian men wouldn’t easily fall into the Christian sub-culture and lingo. Those who complained that it wasn’t fair if they didn’t know someone to invite were gently reminded that great fellowship opportunities were available to them at other men’s meetings—but this outreach effort was designed for, well, outreach.

4) Meals paid for ahead of time. Each man paid his own way (collected ahead of time). One fixed price included tax and a generous gratuity (we also wanted to leave a credible impression on the wait staff of the eating establishment). We all would have the same meal or a limited choice within the price range. Each Christian was encouraged to pay for his guest as well. Those who couldn’t afford all this were subsidized by others.

5) The program. After dinner, the MC would open the “seminar” portion with humor. This let our guests know that Christian men can have a roaring laugh. Humor relaxes people and opens them up to hear a presentation. We would line up Christian men from interesting walks of life: professional athletes, company executives, lawyers, financial experts, etc. We found that speakers were more than happy to come.

Each speaker would present his life’s work and include stories or something practical for the men. They shared how Christ had made a difference in their lives, but we asked them to weave it in naturally. It was important that the speaker clearly articulate his relationship with Christ. There would be no hard-sell gospel, simply a testimony—no preaching!

One speaker, for example, was the president of a large Great Lakes shipping company, and he shared the insider’s view of shipping, complete with pictures and diagrams showing how the canal locks between lakes worked, etc. His company owned and operated seventeen enormous lakers. The men were fascinated! One of the men who came was a hobbyist who built model ships—he brought a scale model of a tall ship with a million sails, built to perfection. At the end, the speaker testified how he was saved, weaving in a clear gospel presentation. Ten years later, I met a fellow who told me how that dinner event opened him up to the gospel for the first time. (I had not seen him during the intervening years.) The joking and laughter cracked open his stubborn heart, and later that year, he trusted the Lord as his Savior. Now he was serving the Lord  in a ministry supporting missionaries on furlough. Praise God!

7) Casual discussion to follow. The groundwork was laid for after-dinner conversations. Many men reported that the drive home with their guests was the best part of the event, as conversation about spiritual things flowed freely.

8) The church paid the speaker an honorarium to keep the cost per person low.

What were the results? First, our attendance was anywhere from 10 to 60 men, with roughly 50% being unsaved. Many of our visitors returned repeatedly, and some even invited their friends. Some trusted the Savior, and others were taking one step closer.  Second, if any of these men did come to Sunday services at the church, they did not feel like complete strangers—one less obstacle to overcome. Third, Christian men were spurred on to evangelism and were challenged to share their testimonies with others.

Another “bait” used in our local area was an annual wildlife dinner. Christian men from the surrounding churches donated some of their wild meat from hunting season. At one of these dinners, close to 200 men attended, more than half of whom were non-Christians. Following the meal, one speaker addressed hunting and fishing topics and another presented the gospel. One year, our keynote speaker was a current NHL coach who was a committed Christian.

These are some examples of the “bait” God used in one corner of His vineyard. Not everyone responds to the same “bait.” But we were beginning to reach a group of men who may never have heard the gospel otherwise. The message was the same, but the methods change. Men were being won to the Lord.

Did I ever catch fish in that stream next to the young boy? Well, no. By the time I discovered his “secret,” lunchtime was calling me, and I was tired of fishing. But, in fishing for men, let us not be hindered by the comforts of the flesh and the weariness of well-doing (Gal. 6:9). Let us use whatever means we can to present the unchanging gospel to our lost and dying world. Most important – LET’S KEEP ON FISHING!