Lotech,

Like Grumps, I read your post twice, and after thinking a bit I will share my thoughts.
As believers we have been given a mandate to become "fishers of men", however, we live in an era where many believers are nothing more than keepers of the aquarium. I applaud your vision to reach people where they are at.
I understand your desire to avoid offending people. I appreciate your forthrightness in the title of your post. Truth is, the cross is a stumbling block and an offense. It seems no matter how you present yourself and the message, you are always going to offend someone. I'm saying this to encourage you. Also, if this is an idea you had on your own the results won't be so great. But if there is a Divine initiative behind this mission your experience will be fruitful.
Just a thought ... if I were fishing on a small river and came upon your tent I would surely drop by. If your goal is to minister to people on the river, there might be less expensive ways than giving away fly rods. Don't get me wrong, if someone gave me a custom built fly rod in Jesus' name I would be extra thrilled. It might be easier on the pocketbook to provide bottled water and hamburgers. Just about everyone gets hungry when they are fishing. Many stores will donate freely to ministries. A step like this might enable you to stay creekside 6 months an only have to raise funds for 3 months.
One final thought .... from the verses of Scripture you mentioned your approach seems to be more evangelical in nature. I think that's great. We can share truth in a way that appeals or a way that repels.

About 13 years ago I used to fish on the Ohio River below a dam. From the parking area you had to walk over these big rocks --some as big as cars -- to get to the water. Early one morning I pulled up, only one truck in the parking lot. When I got to the rocks I noticed an older man, dirty, unkempt, writing on the rocks with colored chalk. He had a small boom box that was blasting out songs in Hebrew. He was drawing Biblical symbols on the rocks and he also had a scraggily goat tied to a rope fastened to his tailgate. I approached him and said hello and he just looked at me and walked away towards the woods with the goat in tow and a large knife in his hand. Extra weird. From glancing at what he had written on the rocks he embraced a belief system that included a little bit of everything. I wanted to tell him that the sacrificial system was part of an old covenant but he wouldn't even speak to me. It creeped me out so bad I got in my truck and left. I didn't want to be fishing with my back turned on a dude like that. Would you?
This has absolutely nothing to do with your post ... but we can share truth in a way that appeals or repels -- the whole vinegar/honey metaphor.
Good luck and God bless. Keep the fire burning.

Regards,
Greg Qualls



[This message has been edited by gqualls (edited 06 January 2006).]