- Description
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It all started when Jesus called a few men to follow him and share God's message with their neighbors. We are called to do the same. But evangelism can be difficult - even intimidating. With all the evangelism resources available, where should you turn to find advice on how to share the Good News with others? Robert E. Coleman says the answers aren't found in TV evangelism, easy-evangelism guidebooks, or the latest marketing techniques. Rather, he looks to the Bible, to the ultimate example found in Jesus Christ.
For more than forty years this classic, biblical look at evangelism has challenged and instructed over three million readers. Now repackaged for a new generation, The Master Plan of Evangelism is as fresh and relevant as ever. Join the movement and discover how you can minister to the people God brings into your life.
Customer Reviews
- Amazing book
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Amazing book. I like to re-listen to it on audiobook every year to refresh my evengelism
Overall - Awesome
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Great book when preparations for evangelistic work
Overall - A Classic Worth Reading
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For as far back as I can remember as a Christian, Robert Coleman’s The Master Plan of Evangelism has been considered a classic on disciple-making. Over years of teaching and ministry, Dr. Coleman has continually sounded the same call for believers to devote themselves, not to the masses, but to making a few disciples who will in turn make disciples.
This book has multiple strengths. One strength, strangely enough, is its reputation. Christians who understand that this book has been well-received for over fifty years will be more willing to read it and hear from it. This is a strength that we ought not write off too quickly.
Coleman also does a fine job of showing his readers time and time again that Jesus made his ministry primarily about investing in his twelve disciples even as he ministered to the people at large. Coleman shows us how Jesus made his ministry about this small group of followers, how he allowed them to observe his life, how he trained them and sent them out, how he evaluated their ministry, and how he commissioned them to make other disciples like themselves. If we see Jesus do these things, we should do likewise.
Coleman’s understanding of the impact of disciple-making disciples is of great worth to the modern church. Coleman argues that a person who works on making only 1 disciple like himself will have doubled his kingdom impact. Assuming that the original Christian and the disciple then both make one disciple each, the impact is now four-fold. If this pattern is continued, Jesus’ goal of making disciples from all nations is in reach far quicker than we might imagine. This is exponential growth that looks realistic, is not gimmick-driven, and that resembles Jesus’ pattern.
If the book has a weakness, it is in the lack of description of discipleship content. Yes, Coleman shows that Jesus demonstrated his prayer life, his devotion to Scripture, his obedience to God’s commands, and his evangelism to the disciples, teaching them these things along the way. However, it is also true that some who read this work will still find themselves wanting a more clearly-defined and followable strategy for step-by-step discipleship growth. Coleman assumes a maturity on the part of his readers which may not be present in the lives of some modern believers who pick up his book.
I would heartily recommend The Master Plan of Evangelism to any believer. This book would be an especially positive read for small group leaders, pastors, and church planters. Truly, any mature believer will be strengthened by being challenged to take even one younger believer under his or her wing, train them up, and send them out to become disciple-making disciples.
Overall - Show ALL Reviews
- What was Jesus' strategy for reaching the world with the Gospel?
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If you have a passion for evangelism and seeing the world come to know Christ, this should be your first stop. Robert E. Coleman studies the Gospels and answers the question, "What was Jesus' plan for reaching the world?" The answer is simple; multiplication, not addition. But it's Coleman's practical insight into the stages of the training process that is the most helpful.
Jesus had a very public ministry. But as we see in Scripture, His plan was not massive crusades or building a seeker-friendly church building. It was a small group of men. His disciples.
Coleman's thesis is that we ought to follow this same model (summarized in 2 Timothy 2:2) if we are going to complete the Great Commission. From selecting your disciples to teaching them to reproduce disciples of their own, you will learn how to have an effective ministry even as a lay person.
I highly recommend this book. Give it a listen!Overall