Book Description
The participant's guide is designed to help you get the most out of the Becoming a Contagious Christian course, providing an easy-to-use, hands-on means of identifying and developing an evangelism that's effective for you.


From the Author
Bill Hybels, founder and pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, is the author of several books, including Honest to God?, Too Busy Not to Pray, and the previous titles in the Interactions series. He is also coauthor of Rediscovering Church, Becoming a Contagious Christian, and the best-selling Fit to Be Tie


From the Back Cover
The participant's guide is designed to help you get the most out of the Becoming a Contagious Christian course. It provides an easy-to-use, hands-on means of identifying and developing an evangelism style that's effective at leading unbelievers toward Christ. Becoming a Contagious Christian is a proven course designed to equip believers for effective evangelism in today's world. It avoids stereotyped approaches that feel intimidating to many Christians. Instead, it shows ordinary believers how they can share the Gospel in a natural and powerful way while being the person God made them to be. Each session's exercises, discussions, self-assessments, and video vignettes give step-by-step guidance to help participants become effective communicators for Christ to those around them. There's even a section on everyday answers that will help believers respond to difficult questions regarding Christianity. Over 800,000 people have participated in Becoming a Contagious Christian training in the last eight years.


About the Author
Bill Hybels (B.A. Trinity College) is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. Willow Creek’s innovative ministries have made it one of the most attended churches in North America. Hybels has authored over 20 books, including, Fit to Be Tied, and Rediscovering Church (with his wife Lynne), Honest to God, Too Busy Not to Pray, and Courageous Leadership.;Lee Strobel, educated at Yale Law School, was the award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and a spiritual skeptic until 1981. He wrote the Gold Medallion-winning books The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith. A former teaching pastor at two of America’s largest churches, he and his wife live in California.;Mark Mittelberg (M.A., Trinity Evangelical Theological School) is executive vice president of the Willow Creek Association in charge of evangelism. He is coauthor with Bill Hybels of the book, Becoming a Contagious Christian, and author of Building a Contagious Church.


Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
CHAPTER ONE
People Matter To God
Not long after Tom stepped onto the sailboat, it became clear that he was a first-class sailor, a fierce competitor, and someone who thrived on living at the edge of adventure.
Beyond that, this latest member of our racing crew had an infectious personality. He wanted the music turned up loud, lots of friends around, and plenty of excitement after the race. He wanted to win, but he wanted to have a good time doing it.
I hardly knew Tom when I asked him to join us. As our friendship developed, I found out that he was an all-or-nothing kind of individual. When he believed in something and was excited about it, there was no stopping him. But if he wasnt interested, there was almost no way to get him started.
And therein was the challenge. You see, Tom had little time for spiritual matters of any kind.
Then one night Tom showed up for our regatta with his arm in a sling. When I asked him what had happened, he explained that he had been out racing go-carts the night before, had imbibed too much alcohol, had gotten a bit out of control, and ended up getting into a fight.
By this time he knew I was a minister, so he half-kiddingly asked if I could help him out by praying over him.
Maybe sometime, I replied, but right now I have a Scripture verse for you.
All right, he said, what is it?
I said, The Bible says in Galatians 6:7 that a man reaps what he sows.
To my surprise, Tom seemed stunned. It doesnt really say that, does it? he asked.
It absolutely does, I told him. It says that if you want to sow the kind of seed you were sowing last night, youre going to reap the kind of sling youre wearing today.
Youre putting me on! he shot back.
Im not kidding you, I assured him, and I think maybe you ought to commit that verse to memory!
Over the next few days, Id chide him a little by asking if hed learned it yet. Before long, hed just look me in the eye and quote it.
In fact, that whole incident became somewhat of a standing joke between us that summer, and it opened up the door to some conversations about spiritual matters. The following season Tom showed a few more signs that he was willing to take it a bit further.
One night when we were having dinner in a restaurant he asked me, How does a person go about getting a Bible? Ive thought about trying to read one, but I didnt know if regular stores sell them.
Well, I could probably fix you up with one, I told him, trying to be nonchalant about the fact that finally, after two years of prayer and relationship-building, he was starting to display some genuine interest.
Later that fall, Tom actually drove a couple of hundred miles from Michigan to Chicago in order to visit our church and to spend some time hanging out at my house and talking together.
After he got back home, he called me and said, I feel different on the inside. It seems like Im starting to fit some puzzle pieces together. I dont know how its all going to turn out, but I really like whats happening to me, even if I dont completely understand it.
One evening after a two-hour talk about what it means to be a Christian, I told him, Tommy, youre going to make a great Christian someday. Youre honest to the core, flat-out dedicated to whatever you commit yourself to, and more concerned about whats true than about what other people think.
He conceded that I might be right. But he wasnt ready. He was in the process and moving in the right direction, but he wasnt about to sign on any dotted lines. Not yet.
Ill never forget those talks with Tom. They were unpredictable, they were risky, they were exhilarating, they were give-and-take, they were up-and-down. And they reminded me of something Id known for a long time: Theres nothing in life thats as exciting as befriending, loving, and leading wayward people toward faith in Christ. Nothing.

ANNOTATION

Not a book of theory or speculation, here is a proven action plan to impacting the spiritual lives of friends, family members, co-workers, and others. Powerful stories and teachings help readers to gain hope that their friends' lives can change, get free from the misconceptions of evangelism, discover a natural approach to communicating their faith, and more.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The participant's guide is designed to help you get the most out of the Becoming a Contagious Christian course. It provides an easy-to-use, hands-on means of identifying and developing an evangelism style that's effective at leading unbelievers toward Christ. Becoming a Contagious Christian is a proven course designed to equip believers for effective evangelism in today's world. It avoids stereotyped approaches that feel intimidating to many Christians. Instead, it shows ordinary believers how they can share the Gospel in a natural and powerful way while being the person God made them to be. Each session's exercises, discussions, self-assessments, and video vignettes give step-by-step guidance to help participants become effective communicators for Christ to those around them. There's even a section on everyday answers that will help believers respond to difficult questions regarding Christianity. Over 800,000 people have participated in Becoming a Contagious Christian training in the last eight years.

Author Biography: Bill Hybels serves as senior pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. Willow Creek's outreach to spiritual seekers in the Chicago area has made it one of the most attended churches in North America. Hybels has authored many books, including the award-winning Descending into Greatness, with Rob Wilkins; Fit to Be Tied and Rediscovering Church, both with his wife, Lynne; and Honest to God?Lee Strobel, educated at Yale Law School, was the award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and a spiritual skeptic until 1981. He wrote the Gold Medallion-winning books The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith, as well as the new The Casefor a Creator. A former teaching pastor at two of America's largest churches, he and his wife live in California.Mark Mittelberg (M.A., Trinity Evangelical Theological School) is executive vice president of the Willow Creek Association in charge of evangelism. He is coauthor with Bill Hybels of the book, Becoming a Contagious Christian, and author of Building a Contagious Church.

SYNOPSIS