Author: Jim Henderson

Are you extraordinary, or just plain old ordinary? When it comes to living out and sharing faith, Jim Henderson believes that ordinary is making a comeback. The third chapter of Evangelism Without Additives talks about the impact that ordinary people, making ordinary conversation, during ordinary life, can make in the Kingdom of God.

So much of what holds people back, be it in business, relationships, or sharing faith is perception and misunderstanding. Jim asks, "How will we win the struggle for the hearts and lives of the people Jesus misses most if ordinary christians don't find a way to get back into the game?" Based on his question, and my personal experience, one has to draw the conclusion that most Christians are out of the very game God's called them to - the Great Commission.

We think the game is a great Sunday morning service - flashy, streamlined, and exciting, but this isn't the game. The real game is being played out in backyards during conversations over BBQ with your neighbor or co-worker. The real game is paying attention to people in your community in a way that honors Jesus. But we are sick and tired of evangelism, right?!? What I am tired of, is feeling like a cheesy sales man who has to always "close the deal." There is good news if you have similar feelings - Jesus did not model "closing the deal." If that was not His primary model, then why do we continue to strive to make a process work that doesn't seem to have any biblical precedent?

Jim finishes the chapter with a story of how a mundane activity like shopping with his wife turned into a meaningful point of connection with a store clerk. Meaningful in that Jim was able to hear someones story, and in context, minister the love and relationship of Jesus while his wife tried on clothes. His real life experience reminds us ordinary folk that connecting with the people Jesus misses most does not take extraordinary giftedness, superior knowledge, or intense training. On the contrary, people with little or none of all those things can still see what God is doing around them, and play along.

Joedy Zapara - book reader