September 20, 2007

MINNEAPOLIS – In the newly released Christian Education as Evangelism, Norma Cook Everist and an illustrious group of contributors share insight about education and evangelism and how they have too often been pitted against one another in budgets, time, and energy.

Christian Education as Evangelism reasons that if congregations, however, are to be active in their evangelical outreach, solid teaching is necessary. Likewise learning ministries that are well grounded and alive will spring forth into vital sharing of the good news of Jesus Christ. Christian education leads to evangelism and evangelism leads to Christian education.

Christian Education as Evangelism describes the broad range of educational ministry and provides skills and tools for evangelical outreach to people with the gospel in a pluralistic world. Each chapter also includes stories, questions for reflection, and practical congregational strategies. Congregations will find the book ideal for individual or group use, while colleges and seminaries will see it as a primary textbook for the classroom.

." . . This collection will help to promote holistic Christian education. Insofar as people embrace and implement its proposals, they will have the key to evangelism." – From the foreword by Thomas H. Groome, Professor of Theology and Religious Education at Boston College and Director of Boston College's Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry.

Contents

PART ONE: Embracing the Questions
1. Education and Evangelism: What is the connection? (Diane J. Hymans, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio)
2. What are the theological foundations of education and evangelism? (Margaret A. Krych, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, PA)
3. How do we make the gospel alive through education and evangelism? (Carol R. Jacobson, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, CA)
4. How do we move from apathy to transformation? (Donald R. Just, The Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest, Austin, TX)

PART TWO: Exploring the Possibilities
5. Congregations that take both education and evangelism seriously (Mary E. Hughes, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, OH)
6. Christian education as evangelism in a multicultural setting (Eddie K. Kwok, The Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
7. Reaching out through Lutheran schools (Nelson T. Strobert, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, PA)
8. Abiding in the word for the sake of the world (Phyllis N. Kersten, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, IL)

PART THREE: Claiming the Challenge
9. Go and make learners! Supporting transformation in education and evangelism (Mary E. Hess, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN)
10. Go and listen: Reaching out to those who seek-especially young adults (Kristine A. Lund, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Waterloo, Ontario)
11. Learn to share Christ in the many languages of daily life (Norma Cook Everist, Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, IA)
12. Rededicate ourselves to our calling in education: A social statement (Susan Wilds McArver, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC)

Norma Cook Everist, editor, is Professor of Educational Ministry and Church Administration at Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. Her most recent books are Transforming Leadership (with Craig Nessan), and Open the Doors and See All the People: Stories of Congregation Identity and Vocation.

Christian Education as Evangelism, Edited by Norma Cook Everist, Item Number: 978-0-8066-6213-4, Price: $25.00, Specs: Paperback, 176 pages, 6" x 9.25".

To order Christian Education as Evangelism call Augsburg Fortress at 1-800-328-4648 or visit the Web site at http://www.augsburgfortress.org/.

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