We’re all aware of Jesus’ famous words at the end of Matthew’s Gospel where the disciples were commanded to go and make disciples of all nations. It’s a command that is still important today, and yet in our rapidly changing world it can be difficult to present the gospel in a way that will be meaningful to this present generation. My three choices for this issue all offer an important contribution to this discussion.
My first choice is Straight to the Heart. The authors start from the premise that whereas previous generations were more likely to be convinced by facts and academic argument, modern society tends to respond better to an appeal to the emotions. This means that we need to think differently about how we communicate the gospel, while taking care not to water down the truth of who Jesus is. Blackaby and Blackaby point out that we are now living in an emotionally driven culture, and so we need to weigh up different approaches that will engage with people’s feelings. They argue that there are five ‘pathways’ we can use to communicate our faith more effectively: story, beauty, art, desire and community. Each of these is examined in detail, and the possibilities for pointing others to Jesus are explored through related settings. For example, those who are skilled in art (and other crafts) can use their gifts to portray biblical truths and/or start conversations about spiritual matters. This is a fresh approach which is well worth considering.
I found Shaped by the Spirit, by Kate Pocklington, to be really helpful in terms of reflecting on my own spiritual development. Pocklington examines the influences that shape us, such as family background, education and culture. She looks at how her own experiences have formed her, but also how God has met her in, and changed her through, the different periods of her life. Pocklington does not shy away from the more difficult types of formation, but spends time discussing how pain and suffering can mould us to become more like Jesus. The subtitle of this book is ‘Being formed into an outward-focused people’, and Pocklington makes it clear that her motivation for writing is the belief that as we allow God to transform us through our experiences, we can be better prepared to share his love with those around us. She notes in her introduction that ‘Men and women are waiting for the transformational gospel story to redefine their world … offered by a transformed people.’ Many of the chapters include gently probing questions to help the reader consider the things that have influenced them and how God might use these. Shaped by the Spirit is a relatively short read that is nevertheless crammed full of thought-provoking themes, written in an easily accessible style. This is a book that will help both new and mature Christians, and would make a good study for churches who are serious about missional discipleship.
Another short book that packs a punch is The Soul-Winning Church. I have to confess that I’ve found some of the books I’ve previously read on evangelism quite intimidating, but this is definitely not the case here. (As an aside: the authors deliberately chose the phrase ‘soul-winning’ to counteract the negative experiences many have had whilst engaged in evangelism.) I thought it was great that in this book, the role of personal evangelism was set in the wider context of the church’s responsibility to reach out to the lost. Medders and Logan also recommend this as a book that churches could read together, and I think that would be a valuable practice. The Soul-Winning Church starts powerfully with a call to prayer. Medders writes, ‘I want to exhort us to return to the root, the power, the public secret of revival and renewal in our churches – praying to the God who saves.’ The next chapter focuses on the posture of a soul-winning church, considering attributes such as holiness, mercy and grace. After examining what this could look like, the authors turn to more practical matters around how we can reach out to others (and how new converts can be effectively discipled). An encouraging read for those who are keen to grow in this area.
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