One word comes into mind as I review this book - excellent! My advice: order a copy, read it, enjoy it, use it.

Why is this book so different to many others on the same topic? Well, the title for a start: at last someone acknowledges that sharing our faith with non-believers is tough and will always remain tough. Still, there are ways to make it slightly less difficult.

Nick Pollard really understands what he is talking about. As director of the Solent Christian Trust he spends a lot of his time speaking at university missions. He doesn't talk only from the front but gets involved in debates, dialogue supper parties and one-to-one conversations. He understands just how hard it is to share our faith in a world that isn't so much antagonistic as apathetic.

One of the worst aspects of evangelism is the pressure we put on ourselves and the guilt we feel when we miss or mess up opportunities. The book starts with a study of Colossians 4:2-6 to teach us what is our part in evangelism and what is God's. As you read it you can feel a weight fall from your shoulders.

Then Nick gets right to the heart of an issue that so many of us struggle with: how to help people who don't seem interested. Let's face it, this includes the majority of our friends and colleagues. It's here that we are introduced to the idea of 'positive deconstruction'. It involves understanding the world view that the other person is coming from, affirming the truth but also gently pointing out the error. Is their view coherent? Does it correspond with reality? Does it work?

In the following sections Nick talks about helping people who want to learn about Jesus, those with difficult questions and others who want to become Christians. Full of examples and stories from his own experiences in dialogue, it contains lots of good advice in an easy to read format.

All in all, this is a very helpful book. Nick's thoughtful and loving approach to evangelism is the best aspect of it. There are no pat answers, no cliched responses or cringe-inducing 'spiritual laws' - just common sense and sound advice born from experience and a love for lost people. Evangelism will never be easy but it can be slightly less difficult.

Reviewed by:
Jim Paul
CMF Student Staffworker