#44: Rethinking Evangelism (with Curtis Hinds)
“Could it be that it is just as important for us to smile at someone in line, help an old lady with her shopping cart, and invite our neighbour over for a beer, as it is to boldly speak truth into someone’s life? Yes, I believe it is.”
Curtis Hinds is an evangelist who dislikes the word evangelism and wants to help Christians be normal human beings again. Currently serving as the Pastor of Evangelism & Outreach at Catch The Fire Church in Toronto, Curtis joined me to discuss how to stop assaulting people with the truth, and instead build genuine, vulnerable relationships that naturally display the power of God in our lives. If you’ve ever felt ashamed for not doing enough work to spread the gospel then listen to this today.
Resources mentioned:
How to run a multi-generational family church service
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Two years ago, my friend Steve Austin, an author, mental health advocate and former pastor, died by suicide. Ever since then, I’ve intended to dedicate an episode to his memory and his work, and this is that episode. Including a powerful interview with Lindsey Austin, Steve’s wife, along with a selection of readings from Steve’s book, Hiding In The Pews: Shining Light on Mental Illness in the Church, this is a vulnerable and sacred discussion that filled me with more hope and joy than I expected. I’ve lost count of the number of people who have reached out to me this Spring while hitting really dark patches in their mental health. Pastors, it is our job to help, but not always in the ways we expect or assume. This episode is for all of us, so we can learn to create suicide-safe spaces.