It is now four years (the last thirteen months in a full-time capacity) that I have had the enormous privilege and joy of serving our Lord Jesus Christ in evangelism outreach in the streets of Cape Town. Incredibly, yet perfectly consistent with the dynamic character of God, it seems that our gracious Heavenly Father has opened the door for an added dimension to the work: what I have simply called ‘discipling through literature’. The ongoing development of this ministry and its potential for bearing fruit are exciting to consider!
As with the evangelism outreach, the development of the new vision was gradual and the result of circumstantial guidance and prayer. For the past year, each Ultimate Questions handed out has had a sticker in it giving my name and postal address. These details are supplied at the relevant place on page 31 of the booklet, where it states: ‘If you need further help please contact the following person’. Although recipients of Ultimate Questions are encouraged (whenever practically possible) to seek fellowship within a local evangelical church, some readers write directly to me requesting further information or literature. It is when these letters are received that the ‘discipling through literature’ very often becomes suitable and appropriate, even essential!
Each letter is carefully assessed and taken on its own merit; and, at times it is possible to encourage the letter-writer to begin a journey of Bible study and personal growth. The adventure through God’s Word needs to be systematic and progressive, starting with simple daily studies and moving on to more in-depth studies. Gratefully, and providentially, John Blanchard (author of Ultimate Questions) has written a number of books that serve this purpose well. At this stage, my process of discipling runs something along these lines and in this order, with each follow-on book being sent one at a time and only as requested: Read Mark Learn (45 guidelines for personal Bible study based on Mark’s Gospel), Luke Comes Alive! (62 guidelines through the Gospel of Luke), How to enjoy your Bible and, if at all possible, Truth for Life (a devotional commentary on the Epistle of James).
This ministry is complementary to the evangelism outreach and provides a means by which those responding to Ultimate Questions can be further directed and carefully discipled through sound Christian literature. To be given opportunities for guiding new converts, and even ungrounded Christians, into a meaningful and rewarding walk with the Lord is an immense honour for any Christian worker, as well as a huge responsibility!
There is no doubt in my mind that ‘discipling through literature’ is as needed and relevant as ‘evangelism through literature’! Consequently, as our blessed Lord and Saviour enables, both evangelism and discipling through God-honouring booklets and books can now be combined and form a larger and more holistic outreach.
As though what has been shared above were not enough, our loving Heavenly Father has brought in a further strand to the evangelism side of the outreach: prayerfully giving selected individuals more substantial evangelistic books. These books can be given after Ultimate Questions has been read (to reinforce the gospel message in the mind and heart of an unconverted reader), or as the initial presentation of the Good News. Again, John Blanchard has written a number of outstanding books which may be used for this purpose: Why Y2K? (recently revised and soon to be released under the title of The Man who made the Millennium) and Invitation to Live (which is based on Richard Baxter’s A Call to the Unconverted [written in 1658] and which has had the most profound affect on my own life), to mention only two!
It is also tremendously valuable to realise that many of the books mentioned can be used for both evangelism and discipling! As I work through more titles, it becomes enthralling to discover the place and potential for each book within the expanded outreach … to say nothing of the personal blessing, edification and direction gained through the reading process!
How grateful I am to our loving God for the kind, gentle and faithful manner in which he is leading, most commonly only one step at a time. May he be pleased to allow the evangelism/discipling outreach to continue week by week, for years to come, according to his divine purposes. Thank you for all your prayers. I cherish them more than ever!
Doug Crutchley — May 2000