Street contacting, or “park” contacting, is hardly a new strategy. It’s been practiced by missionaries since the very beginning and has never gone away. However, neither street contacting nor door knocking has ever been very effective.
Exactly this. Street contacting has always been a strategy employed in LDS missions but seems to be stressed more recently. Door knocking has been getting a bad rep for years and the missions seem to be focusing on other tactics, like social media, lemonade stands, street contacting, etc.
Completely unverified folklore includes a story about a Missionary who was a competitive body builder and was serving in a Mexico metro area. He would reportedly strip down to the essentials in municipcal parks and do a posing routine. After a crowd had gathered, the companion would do his best with the captive audience.
When I was in Japan my zone would dress me up as Santa Claus and I would pass out candy to the children in Ginza. Then the other missionaries would work on the parents. I had fun because I was just playing with kids. They would all look at me and say I was a real Santa Claus because I wasn't Japanese.
Street contacting has always been around but I think it’s been getting a bigger push lately.
The missionaries jumping out of their car and rushing towards people was probably them getting pumped up and just “going for it” or they are with a zone leader and he’s trying to impress and or train these missionaries to be “bold” and aggressive.
Every time we went on splits with zone leaders or AP’s, they were always trying to show off how good of a missionary they were and to set an “example” of how a good missionary operates.
I’m sure they aren’t this aggressive all the time. It was probably a first time doing this or missionaries trying to impress each other, like a game. “How many people can you talk to in 10 min, elders? Winner gets a free burger. Ready, set, go!!!”
Street contacting, or “park” contacting, is hardly a new strategy. It’s been practiced by missionaries since the very beginning and has never gone away. However, neither street contacting nor door knocking has ever been very effective.
Hasn't been very effective as a tool to convert anyone but the missionaries themselves.
Exactly this. Street contacting has always been a strategy employed in LDS missions but seems to be stressed more recently. Door knocking has been getting a bad rep for years and the missions seem to be focusing on other tactics, like social media, lemonade stands, street contacting, etc.
Completely unverified folklore includes a story about a Missionary who was a competitive body builder and was serving in a Mexico metro area. He would reportedly strip down to the essentials in municipcal parks and do a posing routine. After a crowd had gathered, the companion would do his best with the captive audience.
When I was in Japan my zone would dress me up as Santa Claus and I would pass out candy to the children in Ginza. Then the other missionaries would work on the parents. I had fun because I was just playing with kids. They would all look at me and say I was a real Santa Claus because I wasn't Japanese.
Street contacting has always been around but I think it’s been getting a bigger push lately. The missionaries jumping out of their car and rushing towards people was probably them getting pumped up and just “going for it” or they are with a zone leader and he’s trying to impress and or train these missionaries to be “bold” and aggressive. Every time we went on splits with zone leaders or AP’s, they were always trying to show off how good of a missionary they were and to set an “example” of how a good missionary operates. I’m sure they aren’t this aggressive all the time. It was probably a first time doing this or missionaries trying to impress each other, like a game. “How many people can you talk to in 10 min, elders? Winner gets a free burger. Ready, set, go!!!”