Despite the internet and social media, books remain incredibly popular. Traditional bookshops may have retreated from the High Street, but the online trade is booming to the extent that in 2021 over 212 million new books were shifted in the UK. There is huge untapped potential for sharing your faith here!
One friends of ours is a nurse. Georgie always carries some Christian books with her, and looks for opportunities to give them out, or lend them to colleagues. Her handbag might contain a gospel book, an intriguing Christian biography or a work of Christian apologetics, or something devotional pointing to the peace and comfort that comes from knowing Christ in this troubled world.
Giving books is not Georgie’s whole evangelistic strategy, but it is part of it and requires some forethought and planning. As well as praying for opportunities, using questions to open and deepen conversation with the people she works with and cares about, she regularly offers people a book. If the question of suffering comes up, she might say, “I’m reading a really interesting book about that at the moment, by a man whose wife was suffering from dementia, and how his faith was tested by it, but it really helped him through it. Would you like to borrow it?” Similar conversations occur around questions of meaning, purpose, identity and relationships.
Very often people have been receptive to Georgie’s offer and have read and discussed all kinds of books with her.
Another helpful approach is to read a good book in the staff room at work. If a colleague asks, ‘What are you reading?’, you might answer: “It’s a fascinating book by a leading scientist about his Christian faith and why he thinks that science points towards there being a God. I’ve almost finished it, would you like a look when I’m done?”
The Solas book “Have You Ever Wondered?” has been written specifically as an ideal giveaway book to non-Christian people. Gently pre-evangelistic, it explores things like beauty, truth and justice and shows how they make most sense as pointers towards God. Consider getting some copies and praying for an opportunity to give them, or something similar, away.
Pray: Lord, thank you for the power of the written word. I commit to carrying a good book with me this week; please give me an opportunity to give it away.
Previously: Launch Pad #30 Invite a Well-Known Christian To Give Their Testimony
Next: Launch Pad #32 When I Survey
