Will McRaney - The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a Changing Culture

After years of bad raps, evangelism has a new lease on life thanks to Will McRaney's wonderful new book, The Art of Personal Evangelism. Not only will this new book help individual Christians better share their faith, it will help church leaders better grow their churches. Anyone interested in sharing a timeless message in a timely manner will want to be sure to read this book.

Charles Arn
President, Church Growth, Inc.

Evangelism! Some people love it, while others hate it. Still others think it is an outmoded concept that should be allowed to gather dust in the back rooms of our minds. The Art of Personal Evangelism literally blows the dust off such uncritical thinking and challenges us to see evangelism through the lenses of our pluralistic age.

McRaney carefully rebuilds a biblical foundation for evangelism, while providing practical tips on reaching people for Christ in the postmodern environment in which we minister. The Art of Personal Evangelism may well become the classic resource on how to share Jesus in a changing culture.

Gary McIntosh
Professor of Christian Ministry and Leadership
Talbot School of Theology, Biola University
President, McIntosh Church Growth Network

Christian leaders are telling us to Just Do It when it comes to personal evangelismand those are Will McRaney's parting words. But McRaney goes beyond what we know we should be doing and tells us how. After grounding us in the biblical foundation for evangelism, McRaney translates it into our postmodern culture and gives steps to take in sharing the gospel. This book will be on your shortlist for evangelism resources. Just Read Itthen do it!

Bob Reccord
President, North American Mission Board

For over ten years I have taught courses on evangelism. The one glaring need over these years has been for a comprehensive, practical text on personal evangelism. Dr. Will McRaney has provided both the academy and the church an essential tool. In evangelism, personal witnessing lays the foundation for all other approaches; this book provides the essential resource for personal witnessing.

Alvin Reid
Professor of Evangelism
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

W RITING A PERSONAL EVANGELISM TEXT has been a challenging undertaking. I have discovered much about myself. I discovered many of my limitations as a writer and scholar. I have been humbled by the challenge of putting into words that which will be most helpful to you.

Some of the issues addressed in the book required some serious investigation and reflection. I discovered significant areas that I have not explored. However, I have experienced the grace of God to complete this privileged task in spite of my limitations.

It is much easier to critique books than to write one. I often have my students discuss the strengths and the limitations of a book, not its weaknesses. However, I recognize that this book does have weaknesses for which I assume responsibility.

I have also rediscovered much from writers who have gone before. Much of what I am saying has been written before in some form. I am indeed attempting to stand on the shoulders of people of great faith and skill who have written much on personal evangelism.

No one book could possibly cover all the issues surrounding personal evangelism. I am limited, and the subject is broad. I have not attempted to develop an indepth book around the biblical basis or particular practices of evangelism, but I am thankful that others have done so. Also, I have not attempted to ask or answer all the theological questions. However, I am glad that others have done extensive work in the theological areas as I have been helped in this project through their significant contributions.

In reviewing my efforts, I have come to discover components that could have been included but were not. It is difficult to leave some things unsaid and other areas only highlighted. My hope is that you will find encouragement, strength, and practical help in the midst of all the limitations of this work.

This book addresses the major foundational and practical issues surrounding personal evangelism in order to assist in reversing the church's decline in the latter part of the twentieth century in many parts of the Western world. A danger is to write about the methods of personal evangelism to the neglect of the foundational principles. It is my desire to be practical and yet give you the basis on which personal evangelism approaches and strategies should be built. Without effective personal evangelism, the church cannot reverse the decline in most every denomination in the United States.

I have attempted to provide a balanced book that takes seriously the foundations and theories from which all of evangelism must flow, while providing principles and practical tips in communicating our rich message. I have intentionally seen my task through the lenses of the pluralistic context in which we live, particularly postmodernism. This shift will have a great impact on the approach of evangelism but not on the foundational principles that are rooted in Scripture.

Many good books cover personal evangelism through the lenses of modernity. Most of the evangelistic questions arising out of modernity have been identified and answered in some form. I also trust that my book will assist you with the foundational issues and provide some assistance to you along your spiritual journey. If you find yourself operating in a culture built primarily around modernity, you can find additional books to support your quest for assistance in evangelism, particularly personal evangelism.

I will touch on many resources that have helped me along the way, but if you are looking for an overview of the subject, I encourage you to read Introduction to Evangelism by my friend Dr. Alvin Reid. I will not attempt to duplicate the topics that he and others have covered so well.

I GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE who have encouraged me through the years of ministry and particularly through completing this often overwhelming task. My wife Sandy is my friend and partner of eighteen years. We share the love of our three girls, Blakeney, Hadley, and Macy, each with a unique personality that brings much joy and excitement to our lives.

I also thank my president, Dr. Chuck Kelley, and my colleagues at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for their encouragement and assistance and for allowing me to chase my dreams in such a wonderful teaching environment. I also thank my students with whom I have learned and, I trust, contributed to their passion and skill in communicating the gospel message to those without Christ.

Several students assisted me in various ways with this book, particularly Myles Brown. In addition to the professional editing by Leonard Goss from Broadman & Holman, my assistant, Carol Bryd, and several colleagues and friends provided input.

Two other people have made this book possible. One is the person who personally taught me to walk with Jesus day by day and challenged me to invest my life in others through the sharing of my faith, within and outside my comfort zone. That person is Rick Stark, who as the Athletes and Action staff member at Mississippi State, walked with me through those critical years of spiritual development. Rick, thank you for investing part of your life in me.