The Sacrament of Evangelism

A recent statistic suggests that 15% of the churches in America are growing but only 2.2% are growing evangelistically.Much of the church in America has lost its evangelistic zeal and forgotten how to re-ignite it; this book is an attempt to light the fuse of the powder keg so that the church, long-distracted by so many things, might return to its primary mission in the world. We do not take Christ to anyone; He is already there. We go to make explicit what we see Him doing implicitly. It is not a question of whether God is at work in His world . . . Our hope is to see more of God?s people at work with Him! Learn about why we share our faith, Christ's role in our evangelism, the deep longings in all our hearts, and how to effectively live a sacramentally evangelistic lifestyle.We are offering a way of looking at life and the world that is open to God?s presence everywhere. This approach is called sacramental. And where better to experience God?s presence than in His workplace? This is the Sacrament of Evangelism. Review Back Cover: ?Biblical, passionate and practical - here?s a clarion call for Christians to introduce others to the God who is already present. Jerry and Stan offer a much-needed antidote to the fear many Christians feel about that dreaded word evangelism.? Lee Strobel, author, The Case for the Real Jesus -- Evangelism is cooperating with what God is already doing! That insight is not only liberating but it is laid out beautifully in this timely book by Root and Guthrie. They understand that evangelism means practicing God?s presence as we engage in compassionate, authentic relationship with seekers and skeptics. The stories are inspiring and the discussion questions make this a perfect tool for small groups. I highly recommend it!Rebecca Manley Pippert, author, Out of the Salt Shaker, Hope Has Its ReasonsInside Pages: ?Biblical, passionate and practical - here?s a clarion call for Christians to introduce others to the God who is already present. Jerry and Stan offer a much-needed antidote to the fear many Christians feel about that dreaded word evangelism.? Lee Strobel, author, The Case for the Real Jesus -- Having taught evangelism around the world I have discovered that the fears are remarkably the same: What if I offend? What if I?m rejected? What if they ask me a question I can?t answer? However, over time I realized that the deeper, unspoken fear was the assumption that evangelism is ultimately all about us and our skills. We suck up our courage and just hope that God will back us up! But we?ve got it backwards. God always goes before us because He is already there. We follow Him into the world, He doesn?t follow us. Evangelism is cooperating with what God is already doing! That insight is not only liberating but it is laid out beautifully in this timely book by Root and Guthrie. They understand that evangelism means practicing God?s presence as we engage in compassionate, authentic relationship with seekers and skeptics. The stories are inspiring and the discussion questions make this a perfect tool for small groups. I highly recommend it!Rebecca Manley Pippert, author, Out of the Salt Shaker, Hope Has Its Reasons -- "Need confidence in sharing your faith? Let this book encourage you: you are not alone. God was there before you; He'll be there with you. Reach out boldly-this is God's deal. He is at work, and he wants you to join Him in the all-important sacrament of evangelism."Mark Mittelbergauthor of The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask and The Reason Why, and coauthor (with Bill Hybels) of Becoming a Contagious Christian-- What a brilliant book to help us shift our paradigm of evangelism from dry obligation to a vitality of worship and a refreshing experience of God. In a world fearful to share truth Root and Guthrie give us key ingredients for evangelism that have not been fully examined for centuries. The authors have a gift for helping us under