Photo by: rick

With my recent post on how Christians that love beer are called to be missionaries to the world of beer, I thought I would give you some quick tips on how to be a missionary at your local bar.

1. Leave a big tip.
   In the words of one of my friends, “Your Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but you’re leaving a 5% tip.”  What is it with most Christians being so tight with their money?  I workded as a waiter through college, and I have to say that I was embarressed to be a Christian sometimes.  I didn’t work on Sunday’s, but the people that did hated it.  And it was all because of the Christians that came in after church.  They were rude, annoying, and terrible tippers.  In the world of waiting, this is like having Satan as your customer.  Show so some love and leave a nice tip.
2. Don’t be afraid to be a Christian.
   Now I’m not saying walk into the joint carrying your John McArther Study Bible, wearing all white, having a huge comb-over and singing Amazing Grace (you’ll get your ass kicked).  What I’m saying is to not be afraid to share the hope that you have inside of you.  Whether that means spending some time reading your Bible while enjoying a nice cold one or helping someone get through a tuff situation by sharing about Jesus, don’t worry about openly being a Christian (whooo! that was a run-on sentence).  The reality is that most people are actually really cool with it (and sometimes really curious).
3. Get to know your bartender/support staff by name.
   Bartenders and support staff are normally nameless faces.  You’ll be amazed with how much further a relationship will go if you know someones name.  Enough said. 
4. Care for the people that work there and the regulars.
   I’m not talking about superficial-I’m-pretending-like-I-care caring.  Actually care for the well being of these peoples lives.  This is both spiritually and here on earth.  Care about their lives, their families, their finances, their jobs, their souls.  Take interest in them and their lives.
5. Pray for them.
   This kind of goes in line with the previous tip.  The reality is that if you care about their lives you should be praying for them.  When they tell you about their troubles, pray for them.  When you think about them during the week, pray for them.   As you get to know them better, ask if you can pray for them right then and there. 
6. Bring your Christian friends with you.
   God has designed us to work together as a body.   We called to work together.  We are called to unity.  We are called to lift each other up.  We are called to use our gifts where they are needed.  So why do we always think of evangelism and missions as a Lone Ranger affair?  If you are doing this alone, I would say that you are working from an area of weakness and not strength.  So don’t go it alone.  Plus, you just look weird drinking by yourself.
7. Listen.
   This goes hand in hand with the caring tip, but I think it deserves to be by itself.  You need to listen to the problems of those that are around you.  Bars can be a breading ground for loneliness and dispair.  Be observant of those that around you in the bar.  Be there to listen.
8. Toast “to the glory of God.”
   You might think this is corny, but it works for me.  It helps me remember why I’m at the bar.  It’s a reminder of what my ultimate purpose is.  It helps me to remember that there is Someone greater than beer.
9. Pray for yourself.
   “Pride comes before the fall.”  Don’t think that you can do this without God.  He is your ultimate strength.  Pray for strength.  Pray for guidance.  Pray for opportunities.  Pray for humility.  Pray for patience.  Pray.
10. Share the gospel.
    In in the end, missionaries share the gospel.  You can be nice.  You can pray for people.  You can listen to their problems.  You can do all this and more, but if you don’t share the gospel, it’s pointless.  The gospel is the only thing that has the power to change anythig in their lives.  If you don’t share the gospel, you’re nothing more than a nice guy who likes to drink beer.