From the Editor’s Desk—Dave Benson “Evangelism: What’s Our Message?” That’s the theme of this month’s SIGN. Having last month looked at the basics of evangelism, this month we’re trying to make sense of what exactly it is we’re trying to share. What is the gospel? And what’s our goal? If the “gospel” is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16), then evangelism must at least start with us knowing and sharing this powerful message faithfully, planting the right seeds. So, what is this message? What are natural points of contact in our culture to bridge from in sharing the gospel? How do you go about sharing the message? And what are some of the key sticking points to people accepting the gospel? Before we re-enter my addiction to alliteration—the eight “S’s”—two thank you’s are in order. First, thanks to those who took the time to share thoughts in response to last month’s SIGN, or crafted an article for this edition. The success of SIGN rests on getting beyond my limited experience to bring all our best thoughts and stories to the table. Your contributions are always welcome. And second, a huge thank you to Bec Edmonds who has stepped up as desktop editor for SIGN … from next edition on it’ll be looking schmick! Onto the gospel message …
SIGN INSIDE
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S H AP E
getting our story straight Page 2
_____ ______ ______ __ SOCIETY signs of transcendence on the silver screen Page 5
_____ ______ ______ __ S T R AT E G Y
sharing your story (testimony 101) Page 6
_____ ______ ______ __ STORY the difference jesus makes Page 7
_____ ______ ______ __ STUCK the sting in our story’s end Page 8
_____ ______ ______ __ S T UD Y
epic // finding god in the movies Page 10
_____ ______ ______ __ S E A R CH
epic reality // “four circles” evangelism Page 11
_____ ______ ______ __ SERVE
surveying brisvegas—how’s our image? Page 12
_____ ______ ______ __
SIGN, JULY 2009