How to Talk about Jesus by Sam Chan

Most Christians know they should be trying to tell their friends and family about Jesus. But in a post-Christendom world, personal evangelism is viewed negatively--it's offensive, inappropriate, and insensitive. Recent studies confirm that the majority of Christians rarely evangelize, worried they might offend their family or lose their friends. In How to Talk About Jesus (Without Being That Guy), author Sam Chan equips everyday Christians who are reluctant and nervous to tell their friends about Jesus with practical, tested ways of sharing their faith in the least awkward ways possible.

Drawing from over two decades of experience as an evangelist, teacher, and pastor, Chan explains why personal evangelism feels so awkward today. And utilizing recent insights from communication theory, cross-cultural ministry, and apologetics, he helps you build confidence in sharing your faith, and teaches you how to evangelize your friends and family in socially appropriate ways.

Title

How to Talk about Jesus
Author(s)

Sam Chan
ISBN

9780310112693
Publisher

Zondervan
Topic

Evangelism & Mission
Audience

Adults
Pages

153
Published

01/11/2020

Overall rating

4.0 based on 1 review

How to Talk about Jesus

HTTAJ is absolutely crammed full of wisdom about how Christians can share their faith with friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, and make sure that the gospel gets a good airing. This isn’t a book about what the gospel is or the reasons why Christians should evangelise, or even how God works in our evangelistic efforts. There is very little reflection on what the Bible has to say about evangelism in HTTAJ. Instead, it’s a book of tips and wisdom and insights about personal evangelism told in an engaging, breezy style. None of the tips are game–changers, but they’re all sensible pointers for thinking through how we can be good friends with non–Christians so that we can share the greatest news with them. That said, this wouldn’t be the first book I give most people. Sam Chan is a huge extrovert (no matter how much he protests) and is constantly sharing anecdotes about a BBQ he hosted for the neighbourhood, or a passenger he was chatting to on the plane, an Uber driver he got talking with, or that friend he led to Christ. As good as a storyteller Chan is, he is equally intimidating as an evangelist. I think the book would also have been improved, with a wider reflection on applying the principles in other settings. It’s often very middle class: remembering how he became a surgeon, or how he takes friends out to dinner and pays for them, or manicures his lawn so that his neighbours will admire it. With those caveats in place, I’d certainly commend How to Talk About Jesus as both an apologetic for and cheat–sheet guide to personal evangelism in the 21st century.

10 of those