The Unbelievable Gospel

All of us encounter not-yet Christians on a daily basis, and for one reason or another, we often fail to engage these people with the greatest story ever told: the gospel. We each come to the table with reasons for not sharing Jesus. Jonathan brilliantly gives us a soul-check and reminds us that evangelism can be winsome and fun when done with a heart transfixed by the person of Jesus and his work in the world. For those of us without the gift of evangelism, Jonathan encourages us that, yes, we can indeed share a believable gospel --- not because of who we are or what we do, but because of what our great Savior has done for us. * Laurie Fortunak Nichols, editor of the Evangelvision blog, director of communications at the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, and managing editor for Evangelical Missions Quarterly *
How did it happen that the gospel we preach has been rejected as bad news by our culture? In The Unbelievable Gospel, Jonathan Dodson opens up this puzzle. Reading it gave me confidence, liberated my imagination, and gave me a pathway to an evangelism that lives the gospel as well as tells it. It is a stunningly clarifying book. * David Fitch, Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology, Northern Seminary, and author of Prodigal Christianity *
I am so glad to see a book that addresses both why we struggle to share a gospel that actually is good news while also giving us helpful and accessible ways to share the truths about Jesus that speak to the heart and needs of real people. Jonathan has given us a tool that will greatly serve the church in this present age we live in; it is not formulaic and rigid, but a book that is both solid and fluid. * Jeff Vanderstelt, pastor at Soma Communities *
If you are passionate about the gospel but despair at the difficulty of communicating the good news of Jesus in the urban, creative contexts of the West, then The Unbelievable Gospel is for you. A compelling and empowering guide to sharing faith today. * Mark Sayers, Red Church in Melbourne, Über, and author of The Road Trip That Changed the World and Facing Leviathan *
Jonathan Dodson gives thoughtful counsel on how to communicate the gospel to our secular culture today. He is right on target. He is honest. This is evangelism for the twenty-first century --- and for all centuries, for that matter! * Robert E. Coleman, Distinguished Professor of Evangelism and Discipleship at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and author of The Master Plan of Evangelism *
Over the past decade, I’ve sifted through boatloads of books related to spreading the message of Christ’s gospel. I have poured slowly through the most popular books on the subject, but have always found myself longing for something more. The Unbelievable Gospel contains what my heart has been yearning for: an evangelistic manifesto that every Christian should read. It is the best evangelism book I’ve ever read, by far. * Matt Brown, evangelist, author of Awakening: Why the Next Great Move of God Is Right under Our Nose, founder of Think Eternity *
People who have yet to meet Christ in a life changing way through the gospel are not stupid---they can tell if we care for them, or if they are simply a project to us. In this fantastic book, Jonathan Dodson incisively slices away at our failed, broken attempts to share Christ--- without being hypercritical. He opens our eyes to the beautiful and unbelievable gospel and offers practical, biblical metaphors for sharing Christ today. We can be winsome and intentional in our witness, and Jonathan shows us how. Every believer should read this! * Alvin L. Reid, professor of evangelism and student ministry/Bailey Smith Chair of Evangelism at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary *
The gospel does not change, but we must always be attentive to how we can best communicate it afresh to each generation. Jonathan Dodson in The Unbelievable Gospel demonstrates, once again, that he is one of the church’s leading thinkers in knowing how to present the gospel effectively in an increasingly postmodern world. I highly recommend it! * Timothy C. Tennent, President, Asbury Theological Seminary, Professor of World Christianity *
There is always a need to communicate the unchanging gospel using language and forms that can be understood by emerging generations. If you have a passion to share the good news of Jesus, this book is for you. * Darrin Patrick, lead pastor of The Journey; vice president of Acts 29; chaplain to the St. Louis Cardinals; author of The Dude’s Guide to Manhood. *
There is no doubt that we need to rethink much about the way we have shared the gospel in America. So much of our evangelism bears false witness to the very gospel we seek to promote. Jonathan’s thoughtful and well-researched book provides both a great antidote and good guidance at the same time. Anyone interested in the integrity of the gospel and how it is communicated should read this book. * Alan Hirsch, Founder of Forge Missional Training Network and Future Travelers; award-winning author of numerous books, including Untamed and Right Here Right Now *
This is a wonderful book, one that I will repeatedly return to for my own edification and encouragement and will gladly urge others to read. This is a book for pastors and ministry leaders as well as for all Christians. Jonathan’s book will not make you feel guilty and ashamed that you are not a great evangelist, or that you are an inadequate one or a poor one; but this book will encourage and motivate you to think about evangelism in new and helpful ways. * Jerram Barrs, Francis Schaeffer Institute at Covenant Theological Seminary, author of Learning Evangelism from Jesus *
What is unbelievable about The Unbelievable Gospel is that its message is so needed and we haven’t had a well-written practical book on it until now. Jonathan Dodson really cares about how the church is talking to the world. He has demonstrated as much in his personal life, especially how he continued to hold his own feet to the fire in the first years of his church. He would not accept numeric church growth as success, for he had higher standards. His genuine humility comes through as he tells the church what it needs to hear and how it can talk to the world so they will listen. The contents of this work could educate and set free a congregation to communicate the gospel effectively with the people they care about. * Bill Hull, author of The Disciple-Making Pastor, Christlike, The Disciple-Making Church, and The Complete Book of Discipleship *