Ministry Ideas | No Secrets, Just Hooks

On November 17, 2012, UFC fans witnessed one of the most thrilling returns in the sport's history: Georges St-Pierre, arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, stepped back into the Octagon after a torn ACL to defend his welterweight title against Carlos Condit. It was a war.

Condit was relentless. He threw strikes from every angle, dropped GSP with a head kick, and almost stole the show. GSP later said, "Of all the guys I would not want to fight again, it would be Carlos Condit. He’s a nightmare."

What made Condit so dangerous? His unpredictability. His arsenal was vast. You never knew what was coming next.

That fight teaches us something beyond combat sports—especially when it comes to outreach, evangelism, and connecting with people.

Outreach Lessons from the Octagon

There’s no silver bullet for church outreach. No guaranteed strategy. No perfect formula. The truth? The most effective approach is simply this: try everything.

The speaker in the transcript (a church leader and passionate outreach advocate) put it plainly: “My secret is there is no secret.” Instead of hunting for a magic method, they commit to relentless, creative action. Just like Condit, they keep people guessing. And just like GSP, they keep showing up.

Over 100 Visitors, 0 Secrets

Since 2003, this small church has seen over 100 visitors from 79 different family units. The methods? All over the place:

• Fliers taped up in bus stops

• Personal invites

• Social media posts

• Instagram Bible videos

• English classes

• Google Maps listings

• Street signs and visible church presence

• Door-to-door soul winning

• Accidental walk-ins from curious passersby

Some of these methods seemed insignificant at the time. Like the flier taped to a bus stop that caught the eye of a woman named Connie. That flier led her and her partner to church. They got saved. Got married. Got baptized. All because of a single flier and someone willing to try.

Not Every Effort Works—And That’s Okay

The speaker admits to pouring $350 into a sleek Facebook ad video that only brought in four visitors—mostly seniors. Meanwhile, a quick phone photo of gift bags posted on Facebook resulted in 11 new families attending a back-to-school Sunday.

One effort flopped. Another exploded. Why? There’s no telling. But both were worth trying. Because as the quote goes, "You can't make wind, but you must plant turbines." You never know which outreach attempt the Lord will use.

Outreach is Fishing—and Crabbing

The analogy is simple but profound: traditional fishing is like targeted evangelism—go out, cast the line, and pull someone in. Crabbing is different. You set a trap (or many traps), walk away, and let the crabs come to you.

Both methods work. The key? Keep casting lines and dropping traps. Keep trying. Keep reaching.

10 Hooks in the Water

The church’s current goal? Always have ten active methods of outreach at any given time. Social media, bus stop fliers, English classes, events, personal evangelism—you name it. No single strategy dominates. Each method is another hook in the water.

Sometimes it’s as simple as setting up a coffee table outside the church with a chalkboard sign that says, “Free Coffee on the Way to the Market.” Maybe people stop. Maybe they don’t. But it’s another hook. Another crab pot.

Hard Work > Secret Strategy

There’s an undeniable message running through all of this: outreach is work. Hard, relentless, creative work. There are no shortcuts. No perfect plan. Only daily commitment.

It’s like Bruce Lee said: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

Or like Alabama football legend Nick Saban, who recruited every single day—even during National Championship Week. That’s the kind of drive outreach demands.

Final Word: Keep Trying

The most touching story involves a man named Benjamin. Never been to church. Struggling with addiction. Walked in smelling of alcohol. Stayed. Talked. Got saved. Got sober.

How did he find the church?

A flier. A year old. Given to his dad, who came once and never returned. But when his son was in crisis, he remembered the place that shared the Gospel.

And that’s it.

That’s the secret: there is no secret.

Just effort. Just boldness. Just fliers, videos, coffees, and conversations. Just faithfulness.

So keep trying. Keep showing up. Keep taping fliers in bus stops.

Because you never know which crab pot God will fill next.