Holy Conversation: Talking About God in Everyday Life, By Richard Peace
Holy Conversation
paperback
  • Length: 127 pages
  • Dimensions: 7 × 10 in
  • Number of Studies: 12
  • Published: May 22, 2006
  • Imprint: IVP Bible Studies
  • Item Code: 1119
  • ISBN: 9780830811199

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Chicago Book Clinic Award of Excellence

God is back on the agenda.

Today people are fascinated by spirituality, and they have lots of questions. Who better to talk with them than Christians? Trouble is, many of us don't know how to talk about our faith or are uneasy about religious salesmanship and canned evangelistic formulas. We are afraid of button-holing others, being offensive or saying something wrong. We simply don't know how to express our faith naturally--in everyday language.

In Holy Conversation Richard Peace teaches us how to engage in easy and comfortable conversation about the good news of Jesus--the pressure is off. Using small, easy steps, he explains the gospel in plain language and encourages us in practical ways to share our faith with friends, neighbors and colleagues.

Written as a guide for small groups, Holy Conversation is designed to be completed in twelve weekly sessions (other options are provided). Not only do group members read about holy conversation, they actually engage one another in spiritual conversation. This is the ideal resource for helping laypeople to become competent and confident Christian conversationalists!

"Richard Peace has understood that spiritual interest in our culture is exploding, and every day Christians have an unprecedented opportunity to engage in authentic and deeply meaningful spiritual conversation with friends. Not only does he understand the culture and help us recover genuine spiritual conversation, but he does so in intensely practical ways."

Rick Richardson, author of Evangelism Outside the Box, and Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies, Wheaton College

"A generation ago, Peter Berger's Social Construction of Reality observed that everyone is socialized into some specific worldview, and that in a pluralistic society--with many views of the world--the one intervention that most opens people out of their worldview and toward another is conversation with someone who lives by a contrasting worldview. At last, we have a book for Christians that is immersed in this reality and teaches Christians how to cooperate with it."

George G. Hunter, Distinguished Professor of Evangelization, School of World Mission and Evangelism, Asbury Theological Seminary

"Richard Peace has done enormous service for the church by putting together his vast experience and storehouse of knowledge about how we can communicate Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century. As a pastor I am deeply appreciative. This will be a well-used resource by many small groups for many years to come."

Pete Scazzero, author of The Emotionally Healthy Church

"Holy Conversation is fresh encouragement for the lost practice of 'talking about God in everyday life.' Richard Peace is an engaging academic thinker whose gift is to translate even this 'scary' topic into a language and experience that can be understood by all. Our churches are waiting for a book like this and the world is waiting for 'holy conversation.'"

David Schoen, Evangelism Minister and Team Leader, Local Church Ministries

"Kudos to Richard Peace for his latest book. Dr. Peace has used his extensive experience as a teacher of evangelism and practical theologian, his expertise in small group dynamics, and his commitment to the art of interpersonal communication to provide a useful study guide to help Christians and secular people talk about the gospel in ways that are comfortable, easy, and mutually beneficial and enriching."

Richard Stoll Armstrong, Ashenfelter Professor of Ministry and Evangelism Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary

"More and more Christians are realizing that what people outside the faith need is not (a) a sales pitch, (b) an argument, (c) a sermon or (d) an information dump. Instead, they need caring, thoughtful conversation partners. If you want to become one, then there's no better starting place than Holy Conversation."

Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian
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CONTENTS

The Study Guide at a Glance
Preface
Introduction

GETTING A FIX ON THE PROBLEM
1. People on a Spiritual Pilgrimage
2. Stories of the Presence of God
3. Really Good News

TALKING ABOUT
4. Talking About Jesus
5. Talking About Need
6. Talking About Sin
7. Talking About Repentance
8. Talking About Confession
9. Talking About Believing
10. Talking About Believing in Jesus
11. Talking About Commitment

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
12. Holy Conversation

A Summary of Key Concepts
Notes for Small Group Leaders
Holy Conversation: The Original Article

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Richard Peace (M.Div., Fuller Theological Seminary; Ph.D., University of Natal, South Africa) is Robert Boyd Munger Professor of Evangelism and Spiritual Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he has taught since 1994. His books include Conversion in the New Testament: Paul and the Twelve (1999), the Spiritual Formation small group series from NavPress (three books, 1995-1996), the Learning to Love series from NavPress (three small group guides, 1994), and Small Group Evangelism (1985).