Going Public with the Gospel: Reviving Evangelistic Proclamation - Softcover

Allison, Lon; Anderson, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0830813659 ISBN 13: 9780830813650

Publisher: IVP, 2003

Synopsis

In some circles public evangelism has fallen out of favor. Many churches are daunted by the prospects of reaching the unchurched out in the open, beyond the walls of their sanctuaries. And many Christians assume that the days of mass public evangelism have passed and instead rely on outreach through private, individual efforts. But the gospel of Jesus Christ has always been a matter of public proclamation. From the earliest days of the church, in every age, the growth of Christianity has been tied to the public preaching of the good news. In this landmark book, evangelists Lon Allison and Mark Anderson issue a stirring call for the revival of public gospel proclamation. They show how God has used evangelistic preaching in the past and how it can be practiced with relevance and effectiveness today. Recovering public proclamation, they argue, is key to the vitality and ongoing mission of the church. An essential resource for evangelistically minded Christians from the local church to specialists in international missions organizations, this guide offers hope that Christianity can again reach the masses in the public square.

About this title

About the Author

Allison is director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He previously directed the Evangelism and Prayer Division for the Evangelical Covenant Church and planted two churches focused on reaching pre-Christian and nonchurched people. Allison also wrote John R. Mott: That the World May Believe (Billy Graham Center Publishing, 2002).

Anderson works with Youth With A Mission. He is the founder and international director of YWAM Campaigns, one of the largest evangelistic ministries in the world--conducting significant numbers of citywide evangelistic campaigns around the world each year. Anderson has also served as a pastor and church planter in several different nations. Drawing on his marketing background, he has a passion to develop new models to evangelize and disciple the diverse peoples of the world.

Review

"I believe that this is a book that many of us have been awaiting for a long time. And Lon Allison and Mark Anderson are uniquely qualified to write it. Those who believe in public evangelism will be encouraged and better equipped to enable it. For those who have believed that the day for mass evangelism has passed, this book can revolutionize their thinking and their involvement in sharing the gospel with lost people of every generation." (Paul Cedar, Chairman, Mission America Coalition)

"This book is for every potential proclaimer who has lost urgency or wondered about their calling to preach the gospel in a postmodern age. This book is also for the whole church, helping us all recover a theology and practice of communicating the good news which is God's power for salvation. Timely, practical and challenging, it will help you communicate the unchanging gospel in ever-new cultural forms, not just to individuals, but even to whole nations." (Rick Richardson, Associate Professor of Evangelism, Wheaton College, and author of Evangelism Outside the Box)

"This book is long overdue! Anderson and Allison remind us of the tremendous power of the gospel message as they urge us not to neglect its public proclamation. Their insight on the content required to preach the gospel biblically and their challenge not to neglect communicating the whole gospel--particularly the uncomfortable parts--is desperately needed in our self-focused age. Their stories are moving; their styles of communicating Christ are creative and inspiring. This book is not just for those gifted to proclaim Christ publicly; it will help anyone who longs to communicate the gospel with passion, fire and accuracy." (Rebecca Manley Pippert, evangelist, author of Out of the Saltshaker)

"Never buy a book on evangelism by someone who doesn't do it! That is what I advocate to emerging Christian leaders. Lon Allison and Mark Anderson are practitioners--in the language of Isaiah 52:7--they have 'beautiful feet.' Going Public with the Gospel needs to be required reading in the development of Christian leaders. These gifted communicators have allowed their passion for proclaiming God's truth to permeate this book--to ooze out of each page. Going Public with the Gospel communicates in a way that will force you to rethink ideas that you have never questioned before about proclamation evangelism. May it serve as a great encouragement to call out many new voices to proclaim the Good News and re-ignite the pilot light of evangelistic preaching in our desperate world." (Carson N. Pue, President, Arrow Leadership Ministries, Vancouver, British Columbia)

"Are my words getting through? Are they making a difference? In a world with hundreds of competing voices and thousands of high-tech distractions vying for the attention of our hearers, we have good reason to wonder. What a shot in the arm this book is! Grounded in solid thinking and filled with real-world examples, Going Public with the Gospel is a rich reminder of God's delight in using the simple spoken word. Lon and Mark bolstered my confidence, offered many practical suggestions and reinvigorated me for the task." (David Henderson, Senior Pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church, West Lafayette, Indiana, author of Culture Shift: Communicating God's Truth to Our Changing World)

"Lon Allison and Mark Anderson's combined decades of 'in the trench' experience in evangelism around the world make them uniquely qualified to challenge the global church to better utilize the gift of the evangelist, a calling so woefully underutilized in many parts of the world today. Their ability to combine passion for the subject with positive ways forward makes this book worth reading for anyone with a heart to see God's kingdom advanced in our generation." (Kevin Palau, Executive Vice President, Luis Palau Evangelistic Association)

"Weaving together personal narrative and biblical insight, this book passionately pleads for Christians not to neglect the public proclamation of the gospel in today's world. A much-needed corrective to those who think evangelistic preaching no longer works or should be relegated to the gospel ghetto. In the footsteps of St. Paul in the marketplace of Athens, Allison and Anderson want us to proclaim Jesus and the resurrection in the 'naked public square' of contemporary culture. And let the church say 'Amen!' " (Timothy George, Dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University)

"In this book Allison and Anderson provide an important reminder that the oft-maligned evangelistic preaching is still a powerful and effective method for gospel proclamation." (John E. Phelan Jr., President and Dean, North Park Theological Seminary)

"In a world where so many say the role of faith in our lives should be private, bravo for two friends who challenge us to make it public! Resourced by an enormously effective career history of proclaiming Christ in the most innovative ways possible, Lon and Mark illuminate the way forward for proclamation of the good news. It is a must-read for anyone wanting to live seriously the Great Commission of Jesus. The stories, hope and tools in these pages give me courage and insight for a life of bold witness, and their challenge comes at a critical time for our world." (Lorna Dueck, Executive Producer, Listen Up TV, and Columnist, The Globe and Mail)

"Is public proclamation of the gospel still important? Many argue that with the rise of postmodernism the end of evangelistic preaching is near. Before you bury the tried and true method of gospel preaching you should first weigh this well-written clarion call for proclamation powerfully linked with the incarnational witness of the church." (John H. Armstrong, President, Reformation Revival Ministries)

About this edition

• Publisher: IVP
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0830813659
• ISBN 13: 9780830813650
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 180