Stephen Pate and Gene Wilkes, Evangelism Where You Live: Engaging Your Community (TCP Leadership Series). Chalice Press, 2008.
Referenced in: Evangelism – Guides to Practice
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is an excellent description of Community-Based Servant Evangelism (CBSE), which is about “living out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission in our network of relationships in the marketplace and neighborhoods…Christ-followers who live like salt and light servants to address the needs of their community in the name of Jesus.” (3) The book opens with the story of a leader from Wilkes’ Legacy Church, who struggled with wanting to be an example for his church and attend Sunday worship, but also felt called to be a salt and light presence as coach of a hockey team on which his son played that also had Sunday morning games. In accountable dialogue with the other leaders, he decided to maintain his coaching, even if it meant occasional Sunday absences, but he always sought ways to be Christ’s presence as the coach. This led to chapel services for his players when their games fell on Sundays, and an increasing Christian influence that led some of his players to accept Christ. Wilkes presents this as an example of what it means to be missional, engaging our communities at their point of need.
Chapter 1 lays the philosophical foundation for CBSE as a way to “love God and love others” and “make disciples of all people.” Chapter 2 discusses the barriers churches have built that keep them within the walls and out of their communities. Chapter 3 describes the concept of “Place,” reframing the limited volunteer hours people have to devote to standard church-based ministries by equipping them to be “missional” in their everyday lives. Chapter 4 expands on CBSE by defining in more detail the four terms: community, based, servant, and evangelism. Chapter 5 describes those who do CBSE as taking up the towel of service to be salt and light to their communties. Chapter 6 describes the various “connection points” these servants may utilize. Chapters 7 and 8 offer an eleven-step process to help churches mobilize members for this ministry.
From the Publisher
Many U.S. corporations and a few churches have discovered the importance of serving the community through civic organizations. For corporations the result has been growth and increased revenue. For the limited number of churches, the members have actually been able to experience being a part of an Acts 2 church, fulfilling the Great Commandment and Commission. This book envisions, motivates, and gives effective handles to the pastor and church leaders to implement a biblically based philosophy of ministry.
About the Authors
Stephen Pate is a church consultant and evangelism trainer with 30 years of experience in various church roles.
Gene Wilkes is Senior Pastor at Legacy Church, in Plano, Texas. He is the author of several books, including Jesus on Leadership: Discovering the Secrets of Servant Leadership from the Life of Christ—which has been translated into six foreign languages.
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