What If Evangelism Was Simply Part of How Your Church Lives?
Every few years, a new evangelism programme arrives. Leaders rally the troops, members go through the training, and for a season there is renewed energy and activity. Then, quietly, it fades. The programme ends. Life returns to normal. And the lost neighbours, colleagues, and family members remain unreached.
What if there were a better way?
In Evangelism, J. Mack Stiles offers something more lasting and more transformative than the latest evangelistic initiative. He paints a picture of a church where evangelism is not a programme to be administered but a culture to be cultivated — where leaders share their faith consistently and openly, where members follow their example, and where encouraging one another to share the gospel is simply part of how the community lives together week after week.
This is a brief, compelling, and genuinely refreshing book. No complicated methodology. No step-by-step programme to implement. Just a winsome, biblical vision of what it looks like when a local church makes gospel sharing a way of life — and an honest, practical account of how to get there.
What This Book Covers
J. Mack Stiles works through the key convictions and practices that give rise to a genuine culture of evangelism in the local church:
- Why programmes fail — An honest assessment of why the latest evangelistic fad rarely produces lasting fruit, and what is missing from a programme-driven approach
- What evangelism actually is — A clear, biblical definition of evangelism that cuts through confusion and sets the right foundation
- The role of church leaders — How pastors and elders who share their faith openly and consistently set the tone for the whole congregation
- The role of church members — How ordinary members, encouraged and equipped by their leaders, make evangelism an ongoing way of life rather than an occasional event
- Cultivating a culture of evangelism — Practical, actionable insight into what it takes to shift a church from programme-dependence to gospel-saturated culture
- The gospel at the centre — Why a church's evangelistic vitality is always rooted in its grasp of and delight in the gospel itself
What Readers Will Learn
- Why evangelistic programmes so often produce short-term activity but long-term disappointment — and what to do instead
- What a genuine culture of evangelism looks like in a real local church
- How church leaders can model and cultivate gospel sharing in a way that shapes the whole congregation
- Why evangelism flows naturally from a community that is genuinely gripped by the gospel
- How to encourage and equip ordinary church members to share their faith as a natural part of everyday life
- What the difference is between going on an evangelistic raid and living an evangelistic life
- How your church can become a place where sharing the gospel together is simply part of who you are
How to Use This Book
Evangelism is short, accessible, and immediately practical:
- Personal reading — Ideal for any Christian wanting to grow in confidence and consistency in sharing the gospel
- Leadership reading — Essential for pastors and elders wanting to think carefully about how to cultivate a culture of evangelism in their congregation
- New members classes — A compelling vision of what gospel-sharing looks like as a way of congregational life
- Small group discussion — Short enough to read together, rich enough to prompt honest reflection on how your church approaches evangelism
- Pastoral gift — A book leaders can confidently give to members who want to share their faith more naturally and consistently
Who Should Read This Book
This book is for you if you are:
- A pastor or church leader wanting to move your congregation beyond programme-driven evangelism toward a genuine, sustainable culture of gospel sharing
- A church member who longs to share their faith more naturally but finds evangelism programmes artificial or intimidating
- A small group leader wanting to help your group think about how to make evangelism part of your shared life together
- A church planter wanting to establish a culture of evangelism from the very beginning of your new congregation
- Anyone who has ever sat through an evangelism training programme and thought: There must be a better way than this
About the Author
J. Mack Stiles is a pastor, author, and long-time gospel worker with extensive experience in cross-cultural ministry and evangelism. He has served in ministry contexts across the United States and the Middle East, including many years as General Secretary of IFES Iraq. Mack is the author of several books on evangelism and discipleship and is known for his warm, direct, and deeply practical approach to helping churches and individuals share the gospel well. He brings to Evangelism both the theological clarity of a careful Bible teacher and the hard-won wisdom of someone who has spent decades watching what actually produces lasting gospel fruitfulness in real churches and real communities.
About the Building Healthy Churches Series
Evangelism is part of the Building Healthy Churches series published by 9Marks and Crossway — a library of short, focused books designed to help churches recover and embody the marks of a healthy, gospel-centred congregation. Each volume tackles one essential aspect of church health with biblical clarity, pastoral warmth, and practical application.
The series is ideal for pastors, church leaders, and members who want to think carefully and act faithfully in building churches that display the glory of God and make disciples of all nations.
