Most people who accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour are first introduced to Him by a friend. Especially for people without a church background or a basic understanding of Christianity, evangelism must be seen as a long-term process beginning with friendship. The larger the friendship network of believers with unchurched people, the greater the evangelistic potential of the church.
Recommended Training Resources:
"Becoming a Contagious Christian" A comprehensive range of teaching materials on the subject of relational evangelism, from paperback book to complete 8-session training kit including video, overhead transparencies, teacher's guide and participant's manual. Available through Union or Conference PM department. For a PowerPoint presentation for "Contagious Christian" click on the link below (slides prepared by Pastor Jon Gendle). Note: Clicking on the links below will open them in your browser. If you want to download the files, simply right-click on the one you want and select "Save Target As ...".
Becoming a Contagious Christian (1.4 Mb)"Friend 2 Friend" A brand new workshop prepared by the PM department of the General Conference, on how to introduce friends to Christ naturally. The five sessions follow the five steps outlined in Ellen White's description of Christ's way of working:
"Christ's method alone gives true success in meeting people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, 'Follow Me.'" (Ministry of Healing, page 143)
Training kit includes sermons, PowerPoint presentations, video, teacher's guide and participant's manual. Available through Union or Conference PM department
"Becoming a Contagious Church" is a useful sequel to the "Contagious Christian" course, focusing on the need for the local congregation to be relevant and user-friendly. Kit includes same basic materials as the contagious Christian course. For details on how to obtain the kit, contact the Union or local conference office. For a PowerPoint presentation for "Contagious Church" click on the link below (slides prepared by Pastor Jon Gendle). Note: Clicking on the links below will open them in your browser. If you want to download the files, simply right-click on the one you want and select "Save Target As ...".
Contagious Church - Values and Strategies (1.35 Mb)
Recommended Reading:
"Present Truth in the Real World" by Jon Paulien, available through Adventist Book Centre
"Evangelism made Slightly Less Difficult" by Steve Chalke, available through Christian bookshops
"Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary" by Lee Strobel, available through Christian bookshops
"How to Be Unbelievably Friendly" by Chris Storey, available through Christian bookshops
