Jack Reacher Evangelism!

There may well have been a raised eyebrow or two when reading the Wantage notice sheet last week and finding "Tuesday 25th April13:30 Tuesday Fellowship : Keith will talk to us on The Jack Reacher method of Evangelism"!

Hopefully this explanation will help to answer any questions that those who were not able to be there might have. A while ago, I decided to use the title "The Jack Reacher Model of Evangelism", when encouraging others to share their faith!

If that name rings no bells for you, then you need to know that Jack Reacher is a fictional character, created by the writer Lee Child. The number of page turning thrillers featuring this larger than life, ex-military police officer, now number some twenty-one in total, with another installment due out this November.

I started reading them when we got back from our summer holiday a couple of years ago because Liz constantly nagged me to read them whilst we were away as she so enjoyed them. She in turn had started to read them because she was told in her school staff room how good they were by another teacher.

I mentioned this in my letter for the 6th September church notice sheet – not who the author was though, nor the series – just the fact that I was now hooked on this book that I had been incessantly badgered to read.

The Sunday afterwards, someone from the congregation asked me what the books were as they were intrigued by what I had written. I told them the name of the author and the title of the book.

Some time later that very same person told me that they had been so captivated by the book that they were now up to number six in the series, and counting. Other members of their family were also reading them, because they were able to see the impact they had made.

On setting out to the library to return the most recently devoured Jack Reacher novel, a neighbour spotted the book in their hand and asked if it was any good? Another opportunity to share with someone the writings of Lee Child had just presented itself.

As we continue to celebrate Easter, we recall how the news of Christ's resurrection was spread in exactly the same way! Those who had met him, wanted to tell others, to share what they had discovered and what they had experienced.

"The Jack Reacher Model of Evangelism" is not about big rallies and events, but about one person telling another person something they need to know, sharing something that has changed them and made a difference in their lives.

With love and God Bless,

Keith