Bill Hybels and Mark Mittleberg, Becoming a Contagious Christian, Willow Creek Evangelism Resources. Zondervan, 1996.
Companion volume: Hybels, Just Walk Across the Room
Referenced in: Evangelism Approaches – Missionally Responsive/Evangelical
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This highly popular evangelistic method (based on sales of over 1 million) was developed in the trenches by Bill Hybels and the team at Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago. The meat of the approach is described in the first volume, Becoming a Contagious Christian, which should be read first before considering any of the other works that are designed as supplements and strategic guides.
This is a strongly biblical approach to evangelism that blends both authentic relationship (demonstration/dialogue), overcoming barriers to belief (defense), and clear communication of the gospel (declaration). This may partially explain its wide appeal. Contagious Christian works well alongside Hybels’ subsequent work, Just Walk Across the Room (2006), which a lighter emphasis on the “clear communication” aspect (see paragraph below) and more emphasis on the “high potency” and “close proximity” dimensions.
In Contagious Christian, after a couple of motivational chapters, Hybels describes his evangelistic approach in an equation based on the “salt” and “light” metaphors from Matthew 5:13-16: HP + CP + CC = MI
- MI stands for “Maximum Impact,” to have the greatest spiritual influence possible on those around us. “Salt” and “light” are the metaphors Jesus chose to describe how we wield such an impact.
- HP and CP relate to salt: “In order for salt to have the greatest possible impact, it must be potent enough to have an effect. And second, for any impact to take place, salt has to get close to whatever it’s supposed to affect. So Jesus may have chosen the salt metaphor because salt requires both potency and proximity to do its thing.” (42) Thus HP is High Potency and CP is Close Proximity.
- CC relates to light: “Jesus seems to be saying He want His followers to be able to spiritually illuminate others not only by living out His teachings, but also by explaining His message of forgiveness and grace with precision and accuracy. That’s what it is to be light.” (45) Thus CC is Clear Communication.
This explains the equation: HP/High Potency + CP/Close Proximity + CC/Clear Communication = MI/Maximum Impact.
He devotes several chapters to each element in the equation:
The Prerequisite of High Potency:
- The Attractiveness of Authenticity
- The Pull of Compassion
- The Strength of Sacrifice
The Potential of Close Proximity:
- Strategic Opportunities in Relationships
- Rubbing Shoulders with Irreligious People
- Find the Approach that Fits You
The Power of Clear Communication
- Staring Spiritual Conversations
- Making the Message Clear
- Breaking the Barriers to Disbelief
The Payoff: Maximum Impact
- Crossing the Line of Faith
- Contagious Christians and Contagious Churches
- Investing Your Life in People
For those who see this as a potentially helpful approach for their churches, the supplemental volumes may be helpful.
- Mark Mittleberg, Lee Strobel, and Bill Hybels, Becoming a Contagious Christian: Six Sessions on Communicating YourFaith in a Style that Fits You (Participant’s Guide). Revised Edition, 2007.
- Mark Mittleberg, Building a Contagious Church: Increasing Your Church’s Evangelistic Temparature. Zondervan, 2007.
- Mark Mittleberg, Bo Boshers, Bill Hybels, and Lee Strobel, Becoming a Contagious Christian, Youth Edition, Student Guide.
- Mark Mittleberg, Bo Boshers, Bill Hybels, and Lee Strobel. Becoming a Contagious Christian: Youth Edition, Leader’s Guide. Zondervan, 2001.
From the Publisher
Evangelism doesn’t have to be frustrating or intimidating. Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg believe that effectively communicating our faith in Christ should be the most natural thing in the world. We just need encouragement and direction.
In Becoming a Contagious Christian, Hybels and Mittelberg articulate the central principles that have helped the believers at Willow Creek Community Church become a church known around the world for its outstanding outreach to unchurched people. Based on the words of Jesus and flowing from the firsthand experiences of the authors, Becoming a Contagious Christian is a groundbreaking, personalized approach to relational evangelism.
- Discover your own natural evangelism style
- Develop a contagious Christian character
- Build spiritually strategic relationships
- Direct conversations toward matters of faith
- Share biblical truths in everyday language.
This landmark book presents a blueprint for starting a spiritual epidemic of hope and enthusiasm for spreading the Gospel.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
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