Sometimes talking about Jesus with your friends can feel like trying to close a deal on a sales call, pushing something on people they may not really want. But what if you thought of evangelism more like inviting friends on a spiritual journey?
Imagine being free to be yourself and free for the Spirit to work in you. Imagine that it doesn't depend on you alone, but that you can be an important part of a witnessing community. Imagine telling people stories instead of trying to download content.
Rachel Gregg, an InterVarsity student leader, had her whole perspective on evangelism completely changed:
"I used to view evangelism as important but really, really delicate. If I said the wrong thing or couldn't answer a question, I felt I alone would be responsible for my friend rejecting God. Reimagining Evangelism ushered me into a more freeing way of viewing evangelism: as an invitation. Just because I offer the invitation doesn't mean that I have everything figured out, I'm just a little further along in my journey toward Jesus than my friends.
“Now I can see that I treated evangelism like a series of steps—A + B = conversion—and it wasn’t working. It was draining for me, and insincere to seekers. Reimagining Evangelism helped me understand again that the gospel is both good and news. After we address the underlying issues of trust that our not-yet-Christian friends are dealing with, we can introduce them to a Jesus who is unafraid of their questions.
"Reimagining Evangelism is an important read because it names the lies we believe and frees us up to do evangelism like Jesus did."
Emily Brown, also an InterVarsity student leader, had this to say:
"Before I read this book, I always envisioned evangelists as those crazy people ranting and raving on my campus, or the door-to-door Jesus salesmen handing out pamphlets to harried homeowners. Rick Richardson set me straight through his storytelling and the occasional Lord of the Rings allusion. By the end, students will be excited to share the gospel in modern and innovative ways."
InterVarsity staff agree. Rick Mattson, an apologetics specialist, says he “especially appreciates Rick Richardson’s call for Christians to serve as 'detectives' and 'travel guides' in the process of witness.”
Here is your invitation to reimagine what evangelism could be like for you.
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Reimagining Evangelism is also available as a curriculum set with a DVD and Participant's Guide.
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