Relevant quotes 

These are quotes collected around this study. They have come from a variety of sources at the time of writing in 2011.

 

'I am determined to put the gospel back into the Gospels'

Bishop Tom Wright, biblical scholar. Christianity magazine. Nov 2011 p.45

 

'I enjoy evangelism - it is life giving when you engage with people and see thimgs happen'.

                            Chris Duffet is a City Centre Chaplain and appointed next President of the Baptist Union of Bgreat Britain

 

'And as we read the Gospels what we see of course is an extraordinary spectrum of different kinds of encounter. There's the encounter that leads people to jump in feet first, literally in the case of St Peter. There's the encounter that makes people sit up, suddenly review their lives and, in great confusion, start out on a path about which they have no idea with a lot of stumbling, Matthew the tax collector perhaps. There's the sort of encounter with people who are very frightened of change but desperately eager that it should happen for them and in them and who slip up to the edge of things, hoping to get a little bit of the flavour of change and like the woman in the crowd with the flow of blood just reach out, touch for a moment the garment of the Jesus who's passing by only to find of course that Jesus, with his infallible instinct for embarrassing people, rounds on her and says, 'You want something?'

Rowan Willaims at Fresh Expressions 'Changing the Landscape' day May 2011

Longer quote extract

http://www.freshexpressions.org.uk/changingthelandscape/2011/rowanwilliams

 

 

'It's not "what is the Gospel?" it's really a question of "who?" - sharing faith is all about relationships'

Roy Crowne, Hope

 

'Following my talk last Sunday on different approaches to sharing the Good News about Jesus, I've looked at the response handed in by a healthy 80% of both congregations. Matthew's friendship approach came first with 44% of first choices. Tabitha's service approach came second with 30%. Then the blind man's testimonioal approach with 16% followed by Paul's intellectual approach with 7%. Peter's challenge approach with 6% and, perhaps surprisingly, the Samaritan Woman's invitational approach with 5% (the invitational approach featured quite strong as a 2nd or 3rd choice.'

Rupert Martin is Vicar of Sandal Magna and Walton in Wakefield. Grapevine: 23.7.00

 

'The intimate relationship'Do you know, Jesus was a rubbish evangelist - he never used the analogy of the bridge, gave a tract, or explained the four spiritual laws!     Ian Bunce is Head of Mission for Baptist Union of Great Britain

 

'Look at Jesus and his relationships - he spent most of his time after they were convereted, rather than before. What do we do? We spend lots of time getting to know people before we ask them to come to Christ! I am a Vicar with thousands of people in my parish - I havn't got time to spend a lot of time with all of them!'

Robin Gamble, Vicar of Idle, Bradford, and author of 'Jesus the Evangelist'

 

'Although he was a preacher and Apostle, the ironic thing is that Paul wasn't converted by preaching! Of course people will say he heard the preaching of Stephen, but that was not where he made a response'

Brian McLaren commenting on evangelism as preaching, in relation to St Paul

 

'"Beautiful Lives" is a Re-source book based on our experience in Leicester where 60 people became Christians following the principles of Jesus way - be nice and bring others is a simple summary of our teaching which, over the years, changed the perception of evangelism'.  

Alison Morgan, author of The Wild Gospel, working with www.resourse-arm.net

 

'Jesus never told us to make converts - he told us to make disciples'

Michael Marshall in 'A Guide to Evangelism' MMS 1984 p.43

 

'A spirit filled heart is not in conflict with the theologically disciplined mind. The evangelist needs both. Severed from its spiritual and doctrinal foundations, evangelism loses its conviction, credibility and power'.

Michael Marshall in 'A Guide to Evangelism ' MMS 1984 p.15

 

 

'The church exists for mission as a fire exists for burning'     Emil Brunner

 

'The churches of the World Council of Churches are on a pilgrimage towards unity under the missionary vision of John 17: 21'                                      Mission and Evangelism - an ecuenical affirmation. World Council of Churches 1983 p.4

 

'The proclamation of the Good News is a continual necessatu and all people, believers and unbelievers, are challenged to hear and respond since conversion is never finished' 

Mission and Evangelism - an ecumenical affimation. World Council of Churches. 1983 p.81 

 

 

'Jesus said he wants us to go and make disciples - if we don't go, we can't be surprised if we don't get new disciples!'                                                                                  Robin Gamble at Missioners Conference, June 2011

 

'That's very interesting' said George Lings who runs the Sheffield Centre Reseaech Unit for the Church Army, when I described the three stories and the triangle of relationships in 'Sharing faith the Jesus way'. 'Yes I can see that', he said, and then went on to say, 'I suppose the question which comes to my mind is "where is evangelism in all of that process?"' He went on to say, 'I suppose it is in the energy that connects all three stories'.

George Lings at Missioners Conference, June 2011