Evangelism is something which does not come easy for most people. It certainly has not come easy for me. It conjures up images of going door to door, Bible in one hand and tracts in the other. Oh yeah, been there and done that and it wasn’t overly successful. {{and that was many, many years ago before I truly knew better}}. Promise.

Evangelism, as defined by dictionary.com is “the practice of spreading the Christian gospel; the preaching of the gospel.”

Maybe that’s the problem – I am not a preacher.

But I do love a good conversation.

In her book, How to Love Your Neighbor Without Being Weird, Amy Lively shares about effectively talking {{ie – having a good conversation}} about your faith with those around you. She admits, “I wanted to love my neighbor, but I didn’t know how.”

In this book, Amy shares her faith, her failures, her struggles, and her process of sharing her faith. In fact, she makes it seem easy. Her book is full of practical, everyday suggestions on opening our homes and our hearts to those living around us.

One of the things I loved about this book is that Amy suggests conversing with your neighbor about neighborly things – find out about their kids, how they keep their grass so beautiful, where they buy their flowers, vacations, etc. She encourages each of us to stop making excuses and get out there. Sure, evangelism can be intimidating but less so, if you start a relationship with your neighbor first.

“God’s kindness in sending Jesus Christ as my Savior – and His kindness revealed through the people He placed around me – turned me from my sin.” (page 24)

Plain and simple – Love will win them over every time. Natural relationships can change the destiny of those living around us.

“God has carefully placed us in our neighborhoods. He planted you on your street, on your block, in your house for a specific reason, which is explained in this verse: “God did this so that people would seek him.” (Acts 17:27)

God has placed each of us where we need to be because there is someone, in our neighborhood, who needs Him. And we may be the one who needs to introduce them to His Son. Sure it can be intimidating. But we can overcome our fears and make a difference right where we live.

This book was a delightful read as Amy wrote openly of her excuses, her fears, failures and her successes. It is a book which will challenge every reader to “love your neighbor”.

**** Thanks to Bethany House, I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Today I am joining … The Book Nook and Literacy Musing Mondays and Booknificent Thursdays .