Summary:  The thesis of The Sacrament of Evangelism is that evangelism is a sacrament (i.e., filled with the presence of God) and should be part of the daily lives of all Christians.  Evangelism isn’t optional, only done by super spiritual people or left to those called to the ministry.  Rather “Christians out to plant God’s flag wherever they are called, using the unique opportunities and relationships He provides”.  The book is targeted to those new to evangelism who need encouragement and basic direction at the high school or early college level.  It has four sections that cover the God’s requirement of evangelism, God’s love expressed in evangelism, connecting with others at their point of need to engage in evangelism and reproducing evangelists.  It’s sprinkled with examples of evangelism from the two authors and generally limited to their experiences.

Assessment:  It’s not a bad book, but it’s not really a great one either.  The authors didn’t seem to know what they wanted the book to be about.  It’s a mile wide and an inch deep with a mixture of examples of how to do evangelism, quotes from secular philosophers that show identify the longings of humanity, a very basic introduction to theology and encouragement that anyone can (and must) call others to God through the Gospel.  None of them were necessarily bad, but I was hoping for something deeper.

My favorite chapter was titled “Points of Connection.”  It provided helpful guidance on how to relate to other and move beyond small topic to conversations of more substance that could ultimately lead to a discussion about our need for God.  The book is also designed with short chapters and study group questions after each, which make it a useful tool for small group discussions on the topic of evangelism.

Note: This book was provided to me by Moody Press in exchange for an unbiased review.