Pippert, Out of the Saltshaker and Into the World

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Rebecca Manley Pippert, Out of the Saltshaker and Into the World, Revised and Expanded. InterVarsity Press, 1999.

Referenced in: Approaches to Evangelism – Modern Classics

LifeandLeadership.com Summary

For over two decades, this has been one of the most popular texts on evangelism among evangelicals, having sold over 500,000 copies. The 2000 edition is fully revised and expanded.

Pippert’s emphasis is on adopting the evangelistic heart and practice of Jesus. Of special importance is his preference for relating to “sinners” where they were, immersing himself into their culture, learning their language and heart cries, and allowing his presence and his words to touch their lives with the love of God. This contrasts with the Pharisees of Jesus’ day whose interest in strict obedience and ceremonial purity, while intent on pleasing God, actually made them blind to the very ones who needed God the most and caused them to erect barriers to the kingdom. Pippert suggests that today’s church often does the same as the Pharisees, at times unwittingly. She encourages us to have a better understanding of holiness and obedience that also mediates the love of Christ for others.

She suggests that perhaps the best way for us to be the presence of Christ is through a conversational style that exposes our faith without imposing it, trusts in the power of the Holy Spirit to relieve our anxiety, uses plain language instead of God-talk, asks leading questions, and helps people see the holes in their own systems. Toward that end, she proposes three conversational models:

Model A – Investigate, stimulate, relate. This begins by discovering who a person is just by getting to know them and sharing common interests. Stimulate is to arouse curiosity about the gospel by piquing interest in the gospel. Relate is tying the message of the gospel to the particular concerns and interests of the other.

Model B – Concentric circles. This slowly peels away layers that allow us to build trust and go to a deeper kind of sharing into a person’s deeper mindset. Not uncommonly, this may start with general interest, to specific interest, then into the abstract of philosophical layer, and eventually into a theological core.

Model C – Relationships, beliefs, epistemology. The idea here is to control the conversation by taking the initiative of asking questions. This begins relationally by finding areas of common interest. The next dimension is beliefs, expressing genuine interest in what others think on a variety of levels (politics, love, the meaning of life, and eventually relationship with God) by asking questions as simple as, “What do you think about…?” Epistemology continues the questions by helping another come to grips with the foundation s of their belief system.

Closing chapters discuss how to give reasons for our faith and being careful to integrate those with whom we have conversations into the witness of Christian community.

Pippert’s volume is definitely in the genre of conversational evangelism, though her intent is not so much to generate dialogue but to lead the conversation in a particular direction.

This volume is a base for the Saltshaker Resources from IVP, all by Pippert:

From the Publisher

A year 2000 Finalist in the ECPA book competition!

“Christians and non-Christians have something in common,” writes Rebecca Pippert. “We’re all uptight about evangelism.”

So begins the bestselling book on evangelism as a lifestyle. Through stories, biblical insight and plain common sense, Pippert helps us feel relaxed and enthusiastic about sharing our faith. She offers an inspiring view of what effective, engaging evangelism might look like—for individuals as well as for churches through memorable stories, like this one:

When I first came to Portland, Oregon, I met a student on one of the campuses where I worked. He was brilliant and looked like he was always pondering the esoteric. His hair was always mussy, and in the entire time I knew him, I never once saw him wear a pair of shoes. Rain, sleet or snow, Bill was always barefoot. While he was attending college, he had become a Christian.

At this time a well-dressed, middle-class church across the street from the campus wanted to develop more of a ministry to the students. They were not sure how to go about it, but they tried to make them feel welcome. One day Bill decided to worship there. He walked into this church, wearing his blue jeans, T-shirt and of course no shoes. People looked a bit uncomfortable, but no one said anything. So Bill began walking down the aisle looking for a seat. The church was quite crowded that Sunday, so as he got down to the front pew and realized that there were no seats, he just squatted on the carpet—perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, but perhaps unnerving for a church congregation. The tension in the air became so thick one could slice it.

Suddenly an elderly man began walking down the aisle toward the boy. Was he going to scold Bill? My friends who saw him approaching said they thought, You can’t blame him. He’d never guess Bill is a Christian. And his world is too distant from Bill’s to understand. You can’t blame him for what he’s going to do.

As the man kept walking slowly down the aisle, the church became utterly silent, all eyes were focused on him, you could not hear anyone breathe. When the man reached Bill, with some difficulty he lowered himself and sat down next to him on the carpet. He and Bill worshiped together on the floor that Sunday. I was told there was not a dry eye in the congregation.

The irony is that probably the only one who failed to see how great the giving had been that Sunday was Bill. But grace is always that way. It gives without the receiver realizing how great the gift really is.

As this man walked alongside of his brother and loved him with all that he had received from Christ’s love, so must we. This man was the good Samaritan. He made Bill feel welcome, feel as if he had a home. So he also knew the secret of the parable of the prodigal son: there finally is a homecoming, because we really have a home to come to.

This thoroughly revised and expanded edition of Out of the Saltshaker is now even more valuable, with new chapters on the natural stages of evangelism (cultivating, planting and reaping), new stories of God’s work in people’s lives and added material on meeting the challenges of the new competitors to Christian faith. Out of the Saltshaker is more than ever a rare book—one that is both fun and deep, light and life changing.

Features & Benefits:

Help for facing fears about evangelism
Shows how evangelism can be a natural part of everyday life with family, friends, co-workers and neighbors
Practical
Full of real-life stories
Drawing on biblical principles
Fun and enthusiastic
Life changing
Revised and expanded edition of a bestseller
Includes a study guide for individuals or groups

About the Author

Pippert is an internationally known speaker who regularly lectures on spiritual renewal, evangelism and character formation for church conferences, at schools and colleges and in pastoral training seminars. She has also written several popular books on evangelism and Christian living. Her bestselling book Out of the Saltshaker has sold more than a half-million copies worldwide.

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