In some circles public evangelism has fallen out of favor. Many churches are daunted by the prospects of reaching the unchurched out in the open, beyond the walls of their sanctuaries. And many Christians assume that the days of mass public evangelism have passed and instead rely on outreach through private, individual efforts. But the gospel of Jesus Christ has always been a matter of public proclamation. From the earliest days of the church, in every age, the growth of Christianity has been tied to the public preaching of the good news. In this landmark book, evangelists Lon Allison and Mark Anderson issue a stirring call for the revival of public gospel proclamation. They show how God has used evangelistic preaching in the past and how it can be practiced with relevance and effectiveness today. Recovering public proclamation, they argue, is key to the vitality and ongoing mission of the church. An essential resource for evangelistically minded Christians from the local church to specialists in international missions organizations, this guide offers hope that Christianity can again reach the masses in the public square.
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"I believe that this is a book that many of us have been awaiting for a long time. And Lon Allison and Mark Anderson are uniquely qualified to write it. Those who believe in public evangelism will be encouraged and better equipped to enable it. For those who have believed that the day for mass evangelism has passed, this book can revolutionize their thinking and their involvement in sharing the gospel with lost people of every generation." (Paul Cedar, Chairman, Mission America Coalition )
"Is public proclamation of the gospel still important? Many argue that with the rise of postmodernism the end of evangelistic preaching is near. Before you bury the tried and true method of gospel preaching you should first weigh this well-written clarion call for proclamation powerfully linked with the incarnational witness of the church." (John H. Armstrong, President, Reformation & Revival Ministries )
"Going Public with the Gospel is a 'home run' that touches all the bases of proclamation evangelism. My good friends Lon Allison and Mark Anderson bring two unique perspectives to bear on this vital but sometimes overlooked aspect of ministry. A must-read for anyone who is interested in changing lives through evangelism." (Steve Wingfield, founder, president and evangelist, Wingfield Ministries )
"Lon Allison and Mark Anderson make a convincing case for evangelistic preaching. More to the point, they tell how to do it. Full of refreshing insights and contemporary applications." (Robert E. Coleman, Distinguished Professor of Evangelism and Discipleship, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary )
"People sometimes say that proclamation evangelism is irrelevant today. Yet Billy Graham and Franklin Graham are having the greatest crusades in their history. We know that our adversary wants everyone to believe that the spoken Word is not applicable today, for he knows the power of the Word. Lon Allison and Mark Anderson have brought this premise back to the forefront of the church today, i.e., that proclamation evangelism is biblical, has a proven history, is blessed by God and is for today. The power of the Word has always moved entire cultures and societies. The gospel is the greatest incorporation of that power. In Going Public with the Gospel, Lon and Mark are simply stating a truth that our culture and our world needs. They know that as truth is proclaimed, it will never come back void, but will literally change souls." (Tom Phillips, Vice President of Training, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and Executive Director, Billy Graham Training Center )
"This is one of the most important books I've read on proclamation evangelism. Going Public with the Gospel is an unusually readable book with an urgent message. Drawing on Scripture, history and their own extensive experience, Allison and Anderson have written a book that should be required reading for evangelists, pastors, educators, parachurch leaders and every person preparing for Christian ministry." (Lyle W. Dorsett, Professor of Evangelism and Spiritual Formation, Wheaton College and Graduate School )
"A challenging and engaging (evangelistic) call to arms. The inner section on evangelism and preaching is at the heart of the New Testament; here its huge implications for our day are fleshed out. I found the section on the content of gospel preaching especially sobering, the one on the power of God unusually uplifting." (Rob Bugh, Senior Pastor, Wheaton Bible Church, Wheaton, Illinois )
"Like the apostle Paul, we have every reason to be proud of the good news of Jesus Christ. After all, it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes! But how will they hear if we don't go public with the gospel? I applaud Lon Allison and Mark Anderson for all their efforts to honor and enhance proclamation evangelism in our day." (Luis Palau, Evangelist, Broadcaster and Author of God Is Relevant )
"Truth never changes, but it must be packaged culturally and generationally to make it relevant. A fresh, new wave of public evangelism is urgently needed now. Going Public with the Gospel points the way." (Loren Cunningham, Founder, Youth With A Mission )
"A valuable, insightful and thought-provoking book. A 'must' book for every preacher." (J. John, evangelist, author and founder of The Philo Trust )
"This is a bold and provocative book. Against the conventional wisdom that mass evangelism is through, it asserts the ongoing priority of evangelistic preaching. Against the comfortable marketing mentality of much contemporary outreach, it calls for costly grace and radical discipleship. Against much timidity about supernatural acts it dares to say the Spirit is alive and well! You may not agree with all the authors propose to be challenged. It may shake our complacency. It may also, God willing, help to raise up a new generation of evangelists with the fire of God in their tongues, their heads and their bellies." (Leighton Ford, President, Leighton Ford Ministries )
"This book is for every potential proclaimer who has lost urgency or wondered about their calling to preach the gospel in a postmodern age. This book is also for the whole church, helping us all recover a theology and practice of communicating the good news which is God's power for salvation. Timely, practical and challenging, it will help you communicate the unchanging gospel in ever-new cultural forms, not just to individuals, but even to whole nations." (Rick Richardson, Associate Professor of Evangelism, Wheaton College, and author of Evangelism Outside the Box )
"In a world where so many say the role of faith in our lives should be private, bravo for two friends who challenge us to make it public! Resourced by an enormously effective career history of proclaiming Christ in the most innovative ways possible, Lon and Mark illuminate the way forward for proclamation of the good news. It is a must-read for anyone wanting to live seriously the Great Commission of Jesus. The stories, hope and tools in these pages give me courage and insight for a life of bold witness, and their challenge comes at a critical time for our world." (Lorna Dueck, Executive Producer, Listen Up TV, and Columnist, The Globe and Mail )
"In this book Allison and Anderson provide an important reminder that the oft-maligned evangelistic preaching is still a powerful and effective method for gospel proclamation." (John E. Phelan Jr., President and Dean, North Park Theological Seminary )
"Weaving together personal narrative and biblical insight, this book passionately pleads for Christians not to neglect the public proclamation of the gospel in today's world. A much-needed corrective to those who think evangelistic preaching no longer works or should be relegated to the gospel ghetto. In the footsteps of St. Paul in the marketplace of Athens, Allison and Anderson want us to proclaim Jesus and the resurrection in the 'naked public square' of contemporary culture. And let the church say 'Amen!' " (Timothy George, Dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University )
"Lon Allison and Mark Anderson's combined decades of 'in the trench' experience in evangelism around the world make them uniquely qualified to challenge the global church to better utilize the gift of the evangelist, a calling so woefully underutilized in many parts of the world today. Their ability to combine passion for the subject with positive ways forward makes this book worth reading for anyone with a heart to see God's kingdom advanced in our generation." (Kevin Palau, Executive Vice President, Luis Palau Evangelistic Association )
"Are my words getting through? Are they making a difference? In a world with hundreds of competing voices and thousands of high-tech distractions vying for the attention of our hearers, we have good reason to wonder. What a shot in the arm this book is! Grounded in solid thinking and filled with real-world examples, Going Public with the Gospel is a rich reminder of God's delight in using the simple spoken word. Lon and Mark bolstered my confidence, offered many practical suggestions and reinvigorated me for the task." (David Henderson, Senior Pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church, West Lafayette, Indiana, author of Culture Shift: Communicating God's Truth to Our Changing World )
"Never buy a book on evangelism by someone who doesn't do it! That is what I advocate to emerging Christian leaders. Lon Allison and Mark Anderson are practitioners--in the language of Isaiah 52:7--they have 'beautiful feet.' Going Public with the Gospel needs to be required reading in the development of Christian leaders. "These gifted communicators have allowed their passion for proclaiming God's truth to permeate this book--to ooze out of each page. Going Public with the Gospel communicates in a way that will force you to rethink ideas that you have never questioned before about proclamation evangelism. May it serve as a great encouragement to call out many new voices to proclaim the Good News and re-ignite the pilot light of evangelistic preaching in our desperate world." (Carson N. Pue, President, Arrow Leadership Ministries, Vancouver, British Columbia )
"This book is long overdue! Anderson and Allison remind us of the tremendous power of the gospel message as they urge us not to neglect its public proclamation. Their insight on the content required to preach the gospel biblically and their challenge not to neglect communicating the whole gospel--particularly the uncomfortable parts--is desperately needed in our self-focused age. Their stories are moving; their styles of communicating Christ are creative and inspiring. This book is not just for those gifted to proclaim Christ publicly; it will help anyone who longs to communicate the gospel with passion, fire and accuracy." (Rebecca Manley Pippert, evangelist, author of Out of the Saltshaker )
"Going Public with the Gospel gives fresh legs to the Pauline question, how can people find and develop faith without evangelistic preaching? It compellingly confronts the erroneous assumption that today's sound-bite generation rejects the God-ordained means for proclaiming the good news. This is an important book by practitioners whose perspective comes from time-tested experience." (Paul D. Robbins, President, Christianity Today International )
"Is public proclamation of the gospel still important? Many argue that with the rise of postmodernism the end of evangelistic preaching is near. Before you bury the tried and true method of gospel preaching you should first weigh this well-written clarion call for proclamation powerfully linked with the incarnational witness of the church." (John H. Armstrong, President, Reformation & Revival Ministries )
"Going Public with the Gospel is a 'home run' that touches all the bases of proclamation evangelism. My good friends Lon Allison and Mark Anderson bring two unique perspectives to bear on this vital but sometimes overlooked aspect of ministry. A must-read for anyone who is interested in changing lives through evangelism." (Steve Wingfield, founder, president and evangelist, Wingfield Ministries )
"Lon Allison and Mark Anderson make a convincing case for evangelistic preaching. More to the point, they tell how to do it. Full of refreshing insights and contemporary applications." (Robert E. Coleman, Distinguished Professor of Evangelism and Discipleship, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary )
"People sometimes say that proclamation evangelism is irrelevant today. Yet Billy Graham and Franklin Graham are having the greatest crusades in their history. We know that our adversary wants everyone to believe that the spoken Word is not applicable today, for he knows the power of the Word. Lon Allison and Mark Anderson have brought this premise back to the forefront of the church today, i.e., that proclamation evangelism is biblical, has a proven history, is blessed by God and is for today. The power of the Word has always moved entire cultures and societies. The gospel is the greatest incorporation of that power. In Going Public with the Gospel, Lon and Mark are simply stating a truth that our culture and our world needs. They know that as truth is proclaimed, it will never come back void, but will literally change souls." (Tom Phillips, Vice President of Training, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and Executive Director, Billy Graham Training Center )
"This is one of the most important books I've read on proclamation evangelism. Going Public with the Gospel is an unusually readable book with an urgent message. Drawing on Scripture, history and their own extensive experience, Allison and Anderson have written a book that should be required reading for evangelists, pastors, educators, parachurch leaders and every person preparing for Christian ministry." (Lyle W. Dorsett, Professor of Evangelism and Spiritual Formation, Wheaton College and Graduate School )
"A challenging and engaging (evangelistic) call to arms. The inner section on evangelism and preaching is at the heart of the New Testament; here its huge implications for our day are fleshed out. I found the section on the content of gospel preaching especially sobering, the one on the power of God unusually uplifting." (Rob Bugh, Senior Pastor, Wheaton Bible Church, Wheaton, Illinois )
"Like the apostle Paul, we have every reason to be proud of the good news of Jesus Christ. After all, it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes! But how will they hear if we don't go public with the gospel? I applaud Lon Allison and Mark Anderson for all their efforts to honor and enhance proclamation evangelism in our day." (Luis Palau, Evangelist, Broadcaster and Author of God Is Relevant )
"Truth never changes, but it must be packaged culturally and generationally to make it relevant. A fresh, new wave of public evangelism is urgently needed now. Going Public with the Gospel points the way." (Loren Cunningham, Founder, Youth With A Mission )
"A valuable, insightful and thought-provoking book. A 'must' book for every preacher." (J. John, evangelist, author and founder of The Philo Trust )
"This is a bold and provocative book. Against the conventional wisdom that mass evangelism is through, it asserts the ongoing priority of evangelistic preaching. Against the comfortable marketing mentality of much contemporary outreach, it calls for costly grace and radical discipleship. Against much timidity about supernatural acts it dares to say the Spirit is alive and well! You may not agree with all the authors propose to be challenged. It may shake our complacency. It may also, God willing, help to raise up a new generation of evangelists with the fire of God in their tongues, their heads and their bellies." (Leighton Ford, President, Leighton Ford Ministries )
"This book is for every potential proclaimer who has lost urgency or wondered about their calling to preach the gospel in a postmodern age. This book is also for the whole church, helping us all recover a theology and practice of communicating the good news which is God's power for salvation. Timely, practical and challenging, it will help you communicate the unchanging gospel in ever-new cultural forms, not just to individuals, but even to whole nations." (Rick Richardson, Associate Professor of Evangelism, Wheaton College, and author of Evangelism Outside the Box )
"In a world where so many say the role of faith in our lives should be private, bravo for two friends who challenge us to make it public! Resourced by an enormously effective career history of proclaiming Christ in the most innovative ways possible, Lon and Mark illuminate the way forward for proclamation of the good news. It is a must-read for anyone wanting to live seriously the Great Commission of Jesus. The stories, hope and tools in these pages give me courage and insight for a life of bold witness, and their challenge comes at a critical time for our world." (Lorna Dueck, Executive Producer, Listen Up TV, and Columnist, The Globe and Mail )
"In this book Allison and Anderson provide an important reminder that the oft-maligned evangelistic preaching is still a powerful and effective method for gospel proclamation." (John E. Phelan Jr., President and Dean, North Park Theological Seminary )
"Weaving together personal narrative and biblical insight, this book passionately pleads for Christians not to neglect the public proclamation of the gospel in today's world. A much-needed corrective to those who think evangelistic preaching no longer works or should be relegated to the gospel ghetto. In the footsteps of St. Paul in the marketplace of Athens, Allison and Anderson want us to proclaim Jesus and the resurrection in the 'naked public square' of contemporary culture. And let the church say 'Amen!' " (Timothy George, Dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University )
"Lon Allison and Mark Anderson's combined decades of 'in the trench' experience in evangelism around the world make them uniquely qualified to challenge the global church to better utilize the gift of the evangelist, a calling so woefully underutilized in many parts of the world today. Their ability to combine passion for the subject with positive ways forward makes this book worth reading for anyone with a heart to see God's kingdom advanced in our generation." (Kevin Palau, Executive Vice President, Luis Palau Evangelistic Association )
"Are my words getting through? Are they making a difference? In a world with hundreds of competing voices and thousands of high-tech distractions vying for the attention of our hearers, we have good reason to wonder. What a shot in the arm this book is! Grounded in solid thinking and filled with real-world examples, Going Public with the Gospel is a rich reminder of God's delight in using the simple spoken word. Lon and Mark bolstered my confidence, offered many practical suggestions and reinvigorated me for the task." (David Henderson, Senior Pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church, West Lafayette, Indiana, author of Culture Shift: Communicating God's Truth to Our Changing World )
"Never buy a book on evangelism by someone who doesn't do it! That is what I advocate to emerging Christian leaders. Lon Allison and Mark Anderson are practitioners--in the language of Isaiah 52:7--they have 'beautiful feet.' Going Public with the Gospel needs to be required reading in the development of Christian leaders. "These gifted communicators have allowed their passion for proclaiming God's truth to permeate this book--to ooze out of each page. Going Public with the Gospel communicates in a way that will force you to rethink ideas that you have never questioned before about proclamation evangelism. May it serve as a great encouragement to call out many new voices to proclaim the Good News and re-ignite the pilot light of evangelistic preaching in our desperate world." (Carson N. Pue, President, Arrow Leadership Ministries, Vancouver, British Columbia )
"This book is long overdue! Anderson and Allison remind us of the tremendous power of the gospel message as they urge us not to neglect its public proclamation. Their insight on the content required to preach the gospel biblically and their challenge not to neglect communicating the whole gospel--particularly the uncomfortable parts--is desperately needed in our self-focused age. Their stories are moving; their styles of communicating Christ are creative and inspiring. This book is not just for those gifted to proclaim Christ publicly; it will help anyone who longs to communicate the gospel with passion, fire and accuracy." (Rebecca Manley Pippert, evangelist, author of Out of the Saltshaker )
"Going Public with the Gospel gives fresh legs to the Pauline question, how can people find and develop faith without evangelistic preaching? It compellingly confronts the erroneous assumption that today's sound-bite generation rejects the God-ordained means for proclaiming the good news. This is an important book by practitioners whose perspective comes from time-tested experience." (Paul D. Robbins, President, Christianity Today International )
About the Author
Lon Allison is director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He previously directed the Evangelism and Prayer Division for the Evangelical Covenant Church and planted two churches focused on reaching pre-Christian and nonchurched people. Allison also wrote John R. Mott: That the World May Believe (Billy Graham Center Publishing, 2002).
Mark Anderson works with Youth With A Mission and is the founder and international director of YWAM Campaigns, one of the world's largest evangelistic ministries, conducting significant numbers of citywide evangelistic campaigns around the world each year. He has pastored and been involved in church planting in several nations.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
This book will shake your comfortable notions of the gospel,
By
This review is from: Going Public with the Gospel: Reviving Evangelistic Proclamation (Paperback)
This book is at its best when it is challenging a secular worldview and exhorting the reader to be sold out for Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, it doesn't do that enough. It actually gives short shrift to the purported subject of the book, which is how to proclaim the gospel in large public meetings.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great job,
By A Customer
This review is from: Going Public with the Gospel: Reviving Evangelistic Proclamation (Paperback)
This book is a must read, I have found that Mark and have an insightful way of showing people that the the Gospel can be made relevant to people today. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be involved in reaching out to your friends, family or community. I would also recommend this book to anyone feels that spirituality and anthing to do with religion is a private thing. This book will really get you thinking about your worldview and should be issued to every bible college student in the world.
4.0 out of 5 stars
This book has stuck with me,
By
This review is from: Going Public with the Gospel: Reviving Evangelistic Proclamation (Paperback)
I've heard a lot of talk over the years that mass evangelism is dead, that the era of Billy Graham is over, that relational styles of evangelism are superior to public preaching. To read a book that actually encourages younger evangelists to dream of preaching to the masses was nothing short of refreshing for me. Allison's book is filled with practical insights into how to launch a ministry of public proclamation. The part that stuck with me the most is the idea that today's evangelist needs to be a combination of Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and Jimmy Carter. It's been a few years since I've read this book, and that idea is still with me today.
Aaron D. Taylor author of Alone with A Jihadist: A Biblical Response To Holy War
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Whenever we read a book or listen to a speaker or teacher, we find ourselves wondering about the communicator's life journey. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Billy Graham, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, United States, New Testament, Impact World Tour, Luis Palau, Roman Empire, Jesus Movement, Lord Jesus, Middle Ages, Old Testament, Son of God, Andhra Pradesh, Christian Fellowship, Dallas Anderson, God's Word, Native American, New England, Salvation Army, World War, Young Life New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Whenever we read a book or listen to a speaker or teacher, we find ourselves wondering about the communicator's life journey. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Billy Graham, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, United States, New Testament, Impact World Tour, Luis Palau, Roman Empire, Jesus Movement, Lord Jesus, Middle Ages, Old Testament, Son of God, Andhra Pradesh, Christian Fellowship, Dallas Anderson, God's Word, Native American, New England, Salvation Army, World War, Young Life New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 26
books:
See all 26 books this book cites
- The Evangelism Mandate by David L. Larsen in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Creating Understanding by Donald K. Smith in Back Matter
- How Now Shall We Live? by Charles W. Colson in Back Matter
- Company of the Preachers, vol 2 by David L. Larsen in Back Matter
- True and False Repentance by Charles G. Finney on page 92
See all 26 books this book cites
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