I like to use questions in my conversations with people to help them think about matters of faith.
Questions help draw people into conversations, and likewise can help further a conversation along rather than me making declarations all the time.
I was looking at an article by Paul Hazelden about The Modified Engel Scale (Complete). The Engel [...]

In the comments on the post entitled “From the Bookshelf: Unbinding the gospel,” commenter and blogging friend Jimmy Kinnard asked “Why aren’t people who love the Lord talking about it?”
He asks a great question.
We easily talk about the things and people we love, but when it comes to our love for God, we are as [...]

I’ve been doing some writing and thinking about helping the church become visitor friendly.
A list of related articles is below.
Hospitality is only a part of church based evangelism.
I just read a timely article about this in Net Results Magazine’s September/October 2007 Issue.
Bill Easum writes “Back to Basics,” calling on church leaders to get back to [...]

A great question about the gospel and evangelistic methods. Do many methods strip the gospel of its riches through oversimplification?
An article from an athiest about unconvincing arguments for God. It’s a good read if you want to examine your witness.
The Engle scale – Is evangelism a Linear Process?
First time visitor impressions. [...]

Thanks to Evangelism Action, I read a sermon by John Piper about the story of Philip and the Eunuch. You can click on
The Leading of the Lord in Personal Evangelism :: Desiring God
to read the manuscript, or download the audio feed.
My own comments on that same passage is here.
For more in our series:
The Apostle Paul
Simon [...]

I attended Martha Reese’s workshop (author of Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism (Real Life Evangelism Series) at the Evangelism Conference in Nashville.
I was going to do my own write up, but the Presbyterian News Service beat me to it.
You can read it here:
PC(USA) – Presbyterian News Service – The ‘E-word,’ God and the [...]

Today I read a post at 9 Marks about the corporate role of the church and its support of personal evangelism.
The writer asks: “What is the role of the local church (i.e., corporate witness) in our personal evangelism (i.e., individual, personal witness)?”
Consider the ethos of your church. Are you proud to invite a non-christian [...]

I’ve soaked up reading Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism (Real Life Evangelism Series) by Martha Reese. I met her in Nashville and spent some time interacting with her on the research. The full research can be seen here at GraceNet.info
She did a survey study of over 1000 mainline churches to observe what churches were [...]

There was a church that took over an abandoned post-office and turned the exterior into a nice presentable place. It looked sharp, clean, and with fresh paint and landscaping, it was attracting my attention.

During the renovations, a Spanish sign for the church went up and my interest grew.

But the sign had no service times, just [...]

Jim Wallis spoke to our gathering at the National Evangelism Conference for the PCUSA. I appreciated much of what he had to say. Rather than write my own summary, I have searched a few news articles and found this one to be pretty representative summary of Wallis talk.
Spiritual renewal key for social transformation, says US [...]

I was cleaning out a file cabinet this morning (what a way to spend a day) and came across my notes from a talk by Bill Hybels of Willow Creek given to an evangelism conference. I share them here as a pointed reminder about considering our life and witness.
Three ways to repel:1. “In [...]

I’m a Presbyterian Pastor. In Nashville last week, I visited with Eric Hoey, our denominations point person for evangelism. We have talked on the phone, prayed together, and he will be coming to address our presbytery in October and keynoting our event in March.
It’s a privelege to know Eric and I appreciated [...]

This morning, I was talking to a fellow about where he lived. He had moved to the area from out of state, and had been living in his home for under 1 year.

“I live down the street from the church.”

I asked, “What church is that?”

His reply: “For the life of me, I’ve never been [...]

While in Nashville, I skipped out the conference worship service to attend The Peoples Church in Franklin TN.

It is a mega church with multiple campuses and multiple services over the weekend. But they had a few programs I can share about evangelism. This program below can be used no matter what size the church.

“Come to [...]

Personal news
I write this while sitting in the airport in Nashville. I’ve been there to attend the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) National Evangelism Conference at the Grand Old Opry house.
Workshops on evangelism, plenary speakers, and general networking made it a worthwhile event to change. I was glad to see Presbyterians fired up about helping others become [...]

I read an awesome article this evening that lays out the relationship between Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. Read it here: Offerings: Q & A: Evangelism and God’s Sovereignty.
As a pastor in the Presbyteiran tradition and a teacher of evangelism, the tension between human free will and God’s sovereignty is one that comes up [...]

Looking for an idea to engage your neighborhood? Read about Saturday in the Community at The Blind Beggar. (Photo from the Website).
The last church I was with does something similar at Christmas time. Local churches donate toys that are sold in the local low-income community. Proceeds buy more toys that morning until the funds run [...]

In Romans 1:16, Paul emphatically declares “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for those who beleive.”
A question that I occasionally ask myself: Am I ashamed?
What does being “ashamed” look like? Does the gospel embarass me?
Fear of assertion.Our culture loves ambiguity and relativity. To [...]