Real Life Evangelism Series

Martha Grace Reese, author of Unbinding the Gospel (Chalice Press, 2007) announces the upcoming (January 2008) release of two additional components to what is now titled the Real Life Evangelism Series. If you click here you will find the PDF announcement.

From the announcement we learn:

The Real Life Evangelism Series is an integrated set of resources. It is grounded in a four-year, Lilly Endowment study of superb evangelism that included 1200+ interviews, 50 site visits, and a major survey of congregations doing the best job reaching unchurched people. The Series has sparked a transformation in understanding, thinking, habits and practices of prayer and evangelism in churches of all sizes, cultural and geographic settings, and theological understandings.

The next two books are entitled:

• Unbinding the Heart, a six week study for church members.

Unbinding Your Heart: 40 Days of Prayer and Faith Sharing is a six-week version of Unbinding the Gospel, with the addition of 40 days of individual prayer exercises coordinated with each chapter. It will enrich your church’s community life. It will help individuals risk face to Face encounters with God. Your entire congregation will begin to talk about their faith. The E-vent creates consensus and momentum in your church!


• The third piece in this series is designed for clergy and is entitled: Unbinding your Church: Steps & Sermons for Pastors. This piece provides support to the previous two books by providing tools and resources to pastors committed to sharing faith that is transforming.

Unbinding the Gospel

Mainline Protestant Churches have struggled with the whole issue of evangelism -- in part because of an unnecessary linking of evangelism with high pressure efforts. Martha Grace Reese, a Disciples of Christ pastor and consultant on evangelism has written an excellent new book called Unbinding the Gospel, published in late 2006 by Chalice Press.

A review of the book can be found at Ponderings on a Faith Journey, the blog of Pastor Bob Cornwall, editor of Sharing the Practice. Click here to read the review.