The Big 5: Books on Personal Evangelism

Which 5 books would you recommend on the topic of personal evangelism?  Please stick to evangelism, not apologetics or missional church.  They can be books on theology and theory or practice.  I'm going to choose less obvious ones (mostly) and leave those for you all.

The Heart of Evangelism by Jerram Barrs (can't not mention this one)
Words to Winners of Souls by Horatius Bonar
Promoting the Gospel by John Dickson
The Pastor-Evangelist by Roger Greenway
The Art of Manfishing by Thomas Boston

Comments

[Todd Pruitt]

Tell The Truth by Will Metzger

Evangelism & Sovereignty of God by Packer

The Heart of Evangelism by Barrs

Promoting the Gospel by Dickson (good stuff)

Telling The Truth edited by D.A. Carson

[Joe Thorn]

I would have included "Art of Manfishing," "Words to Winners of Souls" by Horatius Bonar and "Heart of Evangelism" as well, so I will only add two.

"A Guide to Christ" by Solomon Stoddard (VERY important)

"The Gospel and Personal Evangelism" by Dever

[terry b]

I second "The Gospel and Personal Evangelism" by Mark Dever.

It was great to read with my son...

[Steve McCoy]

I left Metzger, Dever, and Packer off my list, but they would be right up there. Joe, Stoddard is an inspired choice. Completely forgot that one.

[Richard A. Bailey]

Though not going to sound terribly original, I'll play again (just waiting for the topics that I haven't a clue on suggestions).

1. Words to Winners of Souls, Horatius Bonar (classic indeed)
2. A Guide to Christ, Solomon Stoddard (like Bonar, a timeless classic that is too little known)
3. Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer (I wonder if Packer could be on every single list?)
4. To Tell the Truth, Will Metzger
5. , Michael Green (the historian in me needs such a work)

[matthewsmith]

Ditto on the Metzger book. Helped re-shape my view of evangelism.

[Lisa]

So pleased you liked Promoting the Gospel and are recommending it. The Reason for God has touched down in Aus and should do well, especially when the paperback comes out. My daughter Hayley ran a discussion group on it at her uni and I've recommended it to our senior pastor and my book club.

[Timmy Brister]

I echo what has been said. The only one I would add is A Pastor's Sketches (two volumes in one) by Ichabod Spencer because it is so practical and pastoral.

[Keith Plummer]

Questioning Evangelism - Randy Newman

Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God - J. I. Packer

Tell the Truth - Will Metzger

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism - Mark Dever

God-Centered Evangelism - R. B. Kuiper

[terry]

"I would say for many of my reformed friends there's a struggle in the area of evangelism. Now right now there's a rash of resources out there now in the reformed tradition on evangelism....That's kind of like me writing a book on weight loss..."

(Interesting comment by Ed Stetzer in a Whiteboard interview last week...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MxaAo5HgZKY)

In light of that, "Pop Goes the Culture" by Tim Stevens is cool in it's heart to reach the lost.

[Jonathan Dodson]

Andrew Walls, The Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission of Faith

“Converts or Proselytes?: The Crisis Over Conversion in the Early Church,” Andrew Walls IBMR 28

Timothy Tennent, Christianity at the Religions Round Table

Randy Newman, Questioning Evangelism

[Blake White]

No one has mentioned Harvie Conn's little book "Evangelism: Doing Justice & Preaching Grace."

[Todd Pruitt]

Simply Christianity & Christianity Explained are both great for engaging a lost person with the Gospel in either a small group or individual study.

[Jason Elliott]

1. Questioning Evangelism - Randy Newman
2. The Gospel and Personal Evangelism - Mark Dever
3. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God - J.I. Packer
4. The Master Plan of Evangelism - Robert Coleman
5. Tell the Truth - Will Metzger

[Richard A. Bailey]

That would be Evangelism in the Early Church, Michael Green

[Jason Allen]

The Art of Manfishing...

That's an interesting title.

[Steve McCoy]

Man, I love these "top 5" comment threads. Full of good stuff.

I left off Questioning Evangelism because I knew it would come up. Very nice. Anyone have any love for the follow up, Corner Conversations? I have it but haven't read it yet.

Richard, I knew which one you meant. I return to Green's book regularly.

Keith, I read Kuiper some time ago but don't remember it well.

[Charles]

C. John ("Jack") Miller's books are well worth reading such as

Outgrowing the Ingrown Church
Powerful Evangelism for the Powerless

Reformed too...

[Dana Olson]

My fav's are already listed: reading Dever now, Packer, Will Metzger especially. But here are "three strands" which have really paved the way over my ministry:
1. What a debt we all owe Dr. Kennedy and Archie Parrish for Evangelism Explosion. Many talk (including me); they did it. Still in wide use around the world, tho it has waned here in U.S. Reformed people who evangelize! Really?
2. Joe Aldrich's books sparked a whole generation on the need to build friendships with people who need Jesus. A couple paragraphs in Gentle Persuasion are still with me, 25 years later.
3. Sjogren's Servant Evangelism set the stage for today's emphasis on serving others as we share the gospel.
Thanks, Steve, for these top 5 posts...

[David Cooke]

1. The missionary movement in Christian history by Andrew Walls

2. Out of the saltshaker by Rebecca Manely Pippert

3. I believe in evangelism by David Watson

4. Christianity rediscovered by Vincent Donovan

5 The gospel in a pluralist society by Leslie Newbiggen

[Michael]

Spurgeon's little essay, "Conversion is Our Aim" in *Lectures to My Students* is well worth the read.