"come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men"

Jesus used that phrase when engaging the would be disciples. And even now, Ray VanderLaan will often say, "come, follow me" as he walks his small group of people through the environments and places we read about in the Bible.

In Chapter 2 of "the great giveaway", I came to appreciate David's words alot more. He explains how the methods of modernity and evanglicals sharing "truth" are essentially no good, or not as good, in this post modern world. Evidentiary apologetics and hashing things out intellectually and seeker services for annonymity's sake are no longer the methods to reach a world seeking community and being connected and seeing faith lived out.
We as the postmodern evangelical have to "take on the character of witness as opposed to coervice evangelism." yea, didn't really have to read that in a book to know. For the past few years, my friends and I have been discussing how relational ministry seems to be working and being more effective.

Sure, I got into learning apologetics, got "the case for (everything)" books, "the new evidence that demands a verdict", even listened in on some apologetics classes at the church.
Mr. Fitch shares that this phase we went through was the methods evangelicals used in a modernist society and are simply not going to reach this postmodern world, and shares with good reason why he believes they won't. I agree with what he said.
I am challenged by his statements that the non believers are wanting to see a faith lived out, not just verbally explained. It makes my faith energized, like me living out my faith is going to mean something to more than just myself. Breaks down that anonymity wall he keeps talking about, where faith is individualized.

What I don't get in chapter 2 is, again, seeing how what we did in the modernist days was a problem? Just the impression i was left with in his writings. maybe its just his style. In the intro/chapter 1, he goes on talking about how the church needs to be the church. As if to say, let's get back to the way things should be. But in this chapter, he presents evangelism in a way that is catered towards post modernists.

I mean, the method of reaching post modernists is really good. I think its very Biblical to live out our faith as a means of showing the world who God is and giving hope to the hopeless. He does mention "retrieving" and "reinvigorating" things like baptism, so maybe his point is living the ways of the early church are the ways to reach post modernists, along with things like church planting. Interesting to read about church planting being a of evangelism these days.

good chapter. still not completely sold. I agree with alot of it. Don't have enough education or knowledge to write about alot of more. and still, some of his other claims I simply dislike.

on to chapter 3!