A searchable, downloadable PDF of the original review appears below. Terry Hibbert is pastor of Coquitlam Presbyterian Church, Coquitlam, B.C.
Lifestyle Evangelism, Joseph C. Aldrich, Portland: Multnomah Press. 1981.
Dr. Aldrich’s book seeks to revive a style of evangelism rather than introduce a new method. The subtitle to his book, “Crossing Traditional Boundaries to Reach the Unbelieving World” sets forth his purpose for writing in a field that already has many “how to” offerings – but this is not that kind of approach. Rather, he takes a look at evangelism, what it is, what it is not, and zeroes in on the reasons why evangelism is more often than not ineffective. He expresses a concern about our exposure to unhealthy evangelism models and that frequently church members view the unsaved as “enemies rather than victims of the Enemy,” and that we need to bridge the credibility gap between the Christian and non-Christian communities.
The book is divided into three sections: Evangelism As It Should Be: Evangelism and the Local Church: and Evangelism and You. In the first section the author reviews the Biblical purpose of evangelism, seeing it in terms of a pilgrimage. Then he states that the greatest barriers to evangelism are not theological but cultural. An interesting questionnaire is included for the reader to assess three dozen issues as Biblical or cultural – some are obvious but others are not, and this is a challenge which is explored throughout the book. Also at issue here is the concept of Christian liberty and that helps or hinders relating to non-Christians. Three types of evangelism are discussed in this section: proclamational, confrontational, and relational – each begin legitimate in the proper context, but the focus of this book is on the relational.
In the second section, evangelism in the local church is dealt with as it relates to the individual, the church body, the leadership, and the pastor. Each relation is dealt with in light of the Scriptural calling. In terms of the church leadership, for example, Dr. Aldrich asserts that “the quality of relationships between board (read “Session” for us) members may be one of the most critical factors in the church’s impact” towards evangelism. There must be quality spiritual leadership for evangelism to be successful, and he discusses briefly the I Timothy and Titus passages. The pastor’s role in the church is also considered, and again another little questionnaire is given on the role of the pastor: raising the question of whether expectations placed on a pastor are always Biblical or not. Maybe some pastors would delight in having their congregations read this chapter. Dr. Aldrich does assert that pastors are behavioural models for the congregation, as Paul was, but they are not a “jack-of-all-trades,” rather they are “builders of men” whose “major job description is to help others minister – not to do the work of ministry” themselves.
The last section, Evangelism and You, brings matters to the personal level for whoever the reader might be. Home evangelistic Bible studies are discussed, but in the context of emphasizing the creation of an atmosphere where the non-Christian feels at home. This kind of Bible study is not geared for the initiated or mature Christian who would overwhelm the non-Christian with Biblical knowledge. Really, the emphasis is to have as few Christians as possible in the group – someone, of course, must lead it, and the host and hostess are a critical key to the success of such a group. Although this may not be a new idea, it certainly is challenging and refreshing and non-threatening.
The emphasis of lifestyle evangelism is on the relationships a Christian has with his non-Christian friends and neighbours. It does not mean the Christian has to share his faith immediately in the verbal sense, but rather to let the other person experience the Christian life through us, then, maybe even a year or two later, there will come the appropriate time to share the “words” of the Gospel. Dr. Aldrich provides his readers with many examples on how he intentionally lives his life, seeking to make friends with non-Christians, joining neighbourhood parties and barbecues, helping fix a neighbour’s sink and the like. He also describes how he handles maintaining his own Christian standards when at variance with a neighbour’s value system, and in the process not shirking from that or disassociating himself from the relationship.
This book was written as much for seminary students as anyone, but the benefits to be derived by the lay person far outweigh any technical point or discussion that may arise. Dr. Aldrich has his Th.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary – which may encourage some and discourage others – but the book is well worth reading on its own merits and presents a challenging style of evangelizing to the church – a style which is as nonthreatening to the local church member as it is to the non-Christian, and yet maintains the integrity of the Gospel and the true aim of evangelization.