I was interested in reading and reviewing Coffee Shop Conversations because I desire to make my conversations count for eternity. I have many unsaved relatives and want to be a light to them and share the gospel, but I didn’t know how to guide the conversation towards spiritual matters other than relative faith. The authors, Dale and Jonalyn Fincher, have a heart for conversational evangelism in which we gain a hearing to share how God is working in our lives or teaching us things through genuine care and concern for those God places in our lives as we go about our daily activities while at the same not compromising on foundational doctrines and truth. They reside in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and together speak and write nationally for the organization they founded called Soulation (www.soulation.org ).
I enjoyed this book even though having only read it once I feel as if I have simply caught a glimpse of the message which they desire to teach through this writing. And though I see value in other means of evangelism as well, I think that conversational evangelism is something that we believers are afraid to encounter as it includes building relationships that are a costly, though worthwhile, investment into the lives of others. We fear being shut out or mocked for our beliefs, and perhaps often, we aren’t really sure what it IS that we believe. So, I view this book as a tool for us believers to read, prayerfully consider, and then incorporate into our own lives – from learning to truly read and study the Bible, to rightly applying it to our life, to avoiding cliché terms and using words which portray biblical concepts and truths accurately, to learning to listen compassionately and be non-judgmental (not saying here that we have to agree or seek to discover common ground), to wisely disengaging from unprofitable rabbit-trails to the issues that really matter, etc. I found the content engaging and was interested that, according to the recommendations found in the beginning pages, the associate professor of Evangelism and Leadership at Wheaton College is planning to incorporate this book into his evangelism courses.
Learn more about the authors HERE at their website.
Coffee Shop Conversations may be found and purchased on Amazon HERE.
You'll also want to check out these other blogger reviews for this title HERE.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from Zondervan Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
TWO WINNERS WILL RECEIVE $25 GIFT CERTIFICATES TO STARBUCKS!
1) Leave a comment on the tour post* to be entered into a drawing for a $25 Starbucks Gift Certificate.
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*Please note the tour post is http://www.blogtourspot.com/2010/09/coffee-shop-conversations, not the post on this blog.
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