Joyfully Spreading the Word

This was a book I was looking forward to reading with eager anticipation, as spreading the gospel is not really one of my strengths. It has been said that 'evangelism' is in the same category as 'cancer' when it comes to words which provoke intense fear. At times, my fear of evangelism and rejection has crippled my life to such an extent, I began to seriously doubt the power of the gospel I was afraid to speak was able to save me from this sin. Other times, I have been blase, and neglected to see the urgency that the people around me needed a Saviour.

I needed to read this book!

To be honest, I found the first few chapters rather boring and frustrating. The book opens with reminding us of what the gospel is. While you could argue that ALL Christians need to be reminded of the good news they are commanded to tell, I felt it was a bit ho hum, been there done that. I get their point - we do need to know the 'what' before the 'how' - but I just wanted real-life examples of evangelistic life in the trenches. Will there be anyone who is faced with similar people I know with similar objections to Jesus and the Christian faith? Will there be any encouragement for me in my specific context?

The book is a collection of experiences of different Christian women, in different situations around the world. Therefore, each chapter has its own 'voice'.

One of the chapters which impacted me most powerfully was the one by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, author of The Secret Life of an Unlikely Convert. She speaks of her experience as a lesbian, university academic who came to Christ through the loving hospitality of a pastor and his wife, who invited her into their home and church for years, gently and patiently witnessing to her. This, she believes, holds the key to reaching out to the LGBTQ community. The LGBTQ is a real community, constantly in each others' lives and homes, supporting each other. For Christians, our idea of community is often just church on Sunday and Bible study one night/morning a week. We need to do more in this area if we are to reach out to people whose worldview is often on a collision course with our own. Rosaria reminds us that LGBTQ people's greatest sin is not sexual sin, but unbelief - just like everyone.

I also gained a lot from the chapters on evangelising children (something on my mind right now as a parent and Sunday School teacher), and also on evangelism in universities and workplaces (two former stages of my life). Often people fit into four categories:
- The Interested
- The Uninterested
- The Curious
- The Churched (people who have been raised in the church, and may know a lot about Jesus and the Bible, but are not actually trusting and following Him).

There are plenty of encouraging stories of how God is powerful and can change even the hardest of hearts. There are also plenty of doses of realism and heartbreak - people who received the Word with joy, but later walked away. It is a reminder that we have a role to play, but only God can save. He is sovereign over all.

This book is such an encouragement and I recommend all Christian women read it.