Reimagining Evangelism: Inviting Friends on a Spiritual Journey

I found this material to be a great and refreshing look into evangelism. As a firm believer and one who loves to talk about Jesus, Life and Love, I began to wonder if anybody else thought the current "system of evangelism" was a bit to strict, legalistic and constricted. Not everyone could deal with this system, and I wanted to figure out if others were out there like me. It was a great way to understand how the author might approach evangelism--more like a tour than a sales pitch--and how to go about telling others about this approachable and tangible lifestyle. Great for all readers of Christianity, whether you believe in sharing or not. It's a part of life, to share it with others and get them excited.

Rick Richardson has done an outstanding job of weaving together the tapestry of contemporary culture with the mandate to bring the good news in it's timeless truth. He does a phenominal job of updating evangelistic methods for today - avoiding the irrelevance of the '70s techniques and the pitfalls that many 'postmoderns' easily fall into. Before you are done with this book, Rick will turn you from a 'gospel salesman' into a welcoming 'tour guide'. I give it 5 stars and have already recommended it to a dozen friends. I'll use it broadly in my ministry!

Does your evangelism lack vitality? Do you get turned off by the sales approach to evangelism? Do you struggle experiencing the Good News as good news? Rick Richardson replaces the old sales image of evangelism with the new images of travel guide, detective, collaborator, listener, story-teller and matchmaker. All these images are more compelling and motivating than selling Jesus to non-Christians! Rick's thought-provoking presentation of the gospel message gives a fresh vision of God awesome love and desire to transform the whole world. It's a Big Story that you will want to share with your friends. Reimagining Evangelism will change your evangelism paradigm, and renew your passion for joining the adventure of inviting friends on a spiritual journey.

This book captivated my attention from the moment I opened it. Richardson's analogy of Christians as Travel Guides vs. Salesmen is a perfect frameword in which to examine how we have practiced evangelism in previous generations. Travel Guides help those with whom they travel recognize what is already going on around them and invite them to respond and take next steps. How exciting for the church to understand it's role is no longer to "sell" something (they were never really sure quite what they were supposed to sell anyway) but to simply accompany people in their normal, anything but ordinary lives and....be open. I personally can't wait until the DVD curriculum comes out in 2007! I know our church will be studying it.