Fall Fishing
Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed.
(Mark 1, The Message)
 Fall is coming…and I love fall for loads of reasons. My body and temperament love the cool snap in the air, the light breezes and bright sunshine. Fisher-men and fisher-women love fall too—they love it for the great fishing. Here a few quotes, I found for you on web sites devoted to fall fishing:
Fall fishing is great! It is the time of year bass gorge on food as they get ready for winter. As the water temperatures cool down in our lakes, the natural food bass love become more plentiful.
Fall is my favorite time of year for fishing - the mornings are cool, afternoons warm and the air just feels good - crisp and clean. And the fish bite!
Fall is a fabulous time to go fishing. The fish are scattered at all depths and are feeding heavily. The cool days have driven off most of the things that aggravate fishermen like gnats and mosquitoes. The changing leaves are pretty and the lake is usually calm.
I’ll bet that for many of us, our fall Alpha course is our favorite—and hugely anticipated. This month, as we prepare for fall courses, I want to highlight just one tip regarding a common challenge for Alpha courses around the country—getting seekers to come along on the course. Catching men and women instead of bass, requires one thing that all serious fishermen know: “you catch fish on their terms, not yours”.
This means we must invite seekers to our courses on their terms. This is one reason we never ask guests to come for ten weeks. We ask them to try it once. This leaves them in charge, on their terms. The Apostle Paul knew “on their terms” was crucial. He said:
Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life.
(I Corinthians 9, The Message)
The fishing lessons of Jesus, Paul and people out on boats all over teach us a few key things for inviting seeking guests to our courses this fall:
- Potential guests are best met in “the world”, on their terms and their turf—not in the church. Pay attention to people in the routines off your every day life. Be alert to those who would enjoy dinner parties wherein they could ask or say anything regarding faith.
- Potential guests will feel most motivated to come if they know they can bring their seeking, confused or even cynical agenda to the conversation. This puts the invitation “on their intellectual and emotional terms”.
- Fish congregate in the fall around streams that contain their favorite food. Alpha guests are most likely to come if they can congregate too. Try inviting small groups of people—2 or 3?—who already know each other from work or soccer practice to come together. They will find comfort in knowing they are not alone with a bunch of “religious” people.
Fall is not just a great time to catch bass, It is a great time to use the simple tips above to catch men and women on an Alpha course.
Happy—and effective!—fall fishing,
Todd | 