THE ART OF PERSONAL EVANGELISM

The Art of Personal Evangelism

The Art of Personal Evangelism

Introduction

In recent years, the Share Jesus without Fear book and its growing family of ancillary products have sparked a faith-sharing movement that continues to gain momentum. It began with the jaw-dropping story of William Fay, once a money-driven businessman with Mafia ties who ran a house of prostitution until it was raided by police. Facing the threat of jail time, Fay turned to Jesus Christ for redemption and ever since has been turning others to Him as well.

Many evangelism styles are so challenging to the average Christian that they are like asking a baby to run a marathon before they learn to crawl. Share Jesus Without Fear is very practical and the principles presented can be practiced by both the experienced soul winner and the person who is scared to death.

Dicsussion

Dr. Fay has witnessed to more than 25,000 people, so he is well able to address the common responses and reactions of people. He gives real-life scenarios that will open your mind to new possibilities with regard to sharing your faith. But the best part is how simple sharing the gospel becomes when you understand his approach. I have been a Christian 20 years, but this is the first time I've begun to feel confident to share my faith with anyone.

William Fay skillfully communicates a new measurement for success to an American church audience that has been influenced by societal measures rather than biblical standards. Fay's measurement for success in personal evangelism is not in the result, not in the number of conversions or the method of communication but instead rests on Christians being vocal and active in sharing their faith

Critical Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses

In an American culture where society tracks success with graphs and charts measuring sales, units produced and measurable results, Fay's message is an encouragement to Christians who, he says, must understand that their biblical evangelistic responsibility is simply to share while trusting God to bring His desired result. Fay claims that only 5 to 10 percent of evangelicals have shared their faith in the past year.1 This reader doubted the validity of that assertion, however, and would have liked to know the source of the data. Written in a conversational tone rather than as an academic text, Sharing Jesus Without Fear lacks sufficient footnotes and end notes for readers who doubt Fay's findings. This reader's experience as an evangelical pastor of more than 20 years leads him to believe that Fay may have been too generous in his estimate.

Christians who feel like sales professionals working to “close the deal” when sharing their faith are likely to find Share Jesus Without Fear too scripted for their tastes. These readers, however, are encouraged to take a serious look at their approach to evangelism. This reader suspects that most succumb to the “sin of silence” that Fay identifies and expect that their Christianity will be passed by osmosis or a weak form of ...