David Male

This is a great book for all those scared of, or unhappy with, their understanding of how to evangelise others. If you have a method that already works, then you might not need this. But that, I suspect, still leaves rather a large audience.

Particular highlights for me were Paul Weston's chapters showing how evangelism is at root *discernment* worldviews and *reimagining* them under the Christian frame of reference. (Here he follows Brueggemann and MacIntyre.) He also suggests that conversations with non-believers centred around re-telling the stories and parables that Jesus told, and asking people respond to Him, will be more powerful than anything clever we can dream up to say. And Dave Male's help and encouragement to those (many) Christian leaders who themselves feel poor at evangelism. He doesn't give us a way out of doing it, but encourages us to be honest in our personal successes and failures here, alongside envisioning and equipping congregations.

I've docked half a star in my rating as it feels like two separate books by separate authors, not one coherent whole. But this is a minor issue in a book I heartily recommend.… (more)

This is a fascinating account of his involvement in the formation of the Net, a fresh expression of church in Huddersfield. Here is a description of church with a difference, and in a way that works and engages with culture. It is an illuminating account, packed with constructive suggestions, but not ignoring the difficulties. Male identifies ten 'essentials' that need to be engaged with in this kind of challenging, but exciting, work. He also offers questions at the end of each chapter, so the book really works as a kind of manual which could well accompany a serious consideration of setting up a new form of church. As he himself concludes - p. 169 - "I hope that in some way this book will act like a handle that will enable you to open the door for the gospel to a new place, community or group. I do believe God is calling us, his church, to find ways to release the good news into our neighbourhoods, communities, networks and nations."… (more)