Christians are in the privileged position of having heard and believed the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Because of that, they have a responsibility to pass the Good News on to others, so that they too may have an opportunity to receive the unsurpassable gift of New Life in this life, and Eternal Life in the life to come.
This book is an account of my experience of proclaiming the Good News in Oxford city-centre over a period of 3&1/2 years; it includes chapters on how I got started, on how I use a table, on preaching, on tracts, on material for the table, on discussions, on prayer, and on the importance of the work of the Holy Spirit. The first two-thirds of the book is about practical aspects of street evangelism, and the last one-third is about spiritual aspects of it.
My prayer is that God will speak through this book to those in the Christian community whom He is calling to exercise a ministry of street evangelism, and to those He is calling to support it in prayer. Amen.
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By Graham Bradbury
Jun 3, 2010
In a modest, autobiographical style, Maurice Smithson tells of how he felt the call of God to personal and literature evangelism, and how he shares the gospel with Muslims, Jews, Hare Krishnas, Jehovah's Witnesses, atheists and the general public using a table of free literature, tracts, speaking one to one (and listening) with love, respect and tact. However, the book is not meant as a testimony; it is intended to encourage individual Christians and Churches to go out with the gospel, perhaps in a similar way. It begins by showing the importance of evangelism and gives reasons for giving materials free of charge. For any who are thinking of starting such a table, Maurice gives very practical advice - almost literally getting down to brass tacks - on how to set one up, bearing in mind the changeable British weather. The encouragements and difficulties of such a work are set out - drawing on the author's experience - from seeing conversions to being confronted by hostile members of the... More > public. (The present reviewer was influenced by this part of the book particularly). No work on evangelism would be complete without a word on the importance of a close relationship with God, for evangelism springs from that source. The book also shows the need of prayer and wisdom, there is a section on boldness (of the right kind) and a practical section about knowing the law of the land. There is advice on follow-up (again drawn from the author's experience) and on how to deal with Christians who approach us with their particular views, which will inevitably happen. On that last note, some Christians may disagree with one or two of Maurice's theological views. Any such reader should bear in mind that the book is not intended to be a theological treatise but a guide to open-air literature evangelism, as the title suggests. Even so, most of what he writes would probably not be disputed by any born-again believer. Maurice is well-informed about other religions and cults but there are a few inaccuracies; Ramadan is sometimes in September but it moves around the year, kosher is stricter than halal, and it is only Orthodox Jews who are waiting for the Messiah. Liberal and progressive, and even Reform Jews, only believe in a Messianic age. These small details should remind the reader that this is not put forward as an infallible book - only the Bible is that. Nevertheless there is much useful information here for those considering outreach, those starting it, and even for those who have been in the work for some time. Graham Bradbury< Less
I can recommend this excellent little book to anyone who feels called to follow Jesus' call to preach the Good News. It serves as a practical guide to street evangelism, giving invaluable guidance on just about every aspect of the undertaking, from how to interact with Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, Atheists etc. to the best way of arranging the books on a windy day. The book ends with a section on the spiritual side of proclaiming the Kingdom. Before starting to read the book I was concerned that it might prove to be heavy going; however, the style is simple and easy to read. Once I had started it I was reluctant to put it down! Mike Oliver
`You prepare a table before me' is a short book written for evangelical Christians who are considering the ministry of street-preaching. The author, Maurice Smithson, is himself a street-preacher of over three years, and so has considerable experience in using a table as an aid, talking to people of many different faiths (or lack thereof), and has had time to reflect upon the more spiritual aspects of the task. The majority of the book reads as a practical guide to street preaching, and so far as I can tell, has some valuable advice regarding the minute details pertaining to wet/windy weather, and exactly how to make A3 signs which attach to your table. Maurice then takes the reader chapter-by-chapter through the ways he has learnt to approach people of different faiths, ranging from other Christians, to Atheists, and Satanists - with a particular emphasis on Muslims, which seem to be a speciality of his. Finally the book rounds off with some spiritual background to street-preaching,... More > with chapters about prayer, humility and wisdom, and an awful lot of Biblical quotation. As a book for convinced, evangelical Christians, who are thinking about street preaching, I would think that it makes a useful read, if not as a definitive guide, certainly as the relation of another man's experience in the trade. If one is not a convinced, evangelical Christian, the book might be a little more difficult to parse. Maurice is a convinced anti-evolutionist, and suggests that atheists ought to regard evolution as `science fiction'. He also maintains, in the chapter regarding Islam, that the Bible has remained textually unchanged since its original writing. Neither of these beliefs are particularly mainstream, and so it might be difficult, even for many Christians, to take advice from the author. The way that the faiths are approached is somewhat odd too, with Satanism being discussed at some length, Buddhism & Sikhism given one-word mentions, and Hinduism (one of the most prevalent faiths worldwide), not being mentioned at all. This convinces me that the book is not really a guide to prepare the mind for debate, so much as simply relate the story of one man, Maurice, and his newfound vocation. As a piece of writing, it is clumsy at times, and a restructuring of the material would help considerably - the inclusion of incredibly minute (and unmistakably mundane) detail regarding folding of plastic sheets, for example, very early on in the text, takes away significantly from the narrative. Additionally, if the author could find a way to more elegantly quote the Bible (which he does very frequently), that might also help. A final criticism, from a reader who has an interest in typography (admittedly not a primary concern for many), the book is left-justified and set in Times New Roman, by the looks of it: this makes it somewhat awkward to look at, from the spacing between Y and o in the title, to the ragged right margin on each page, and the clumsy "fi" combinations, the whole thing could do with being re-typset. Quotation marks lack direction, increasing the parsing difficulty. Structurally, the book could do with a rework: it currently consists of 25 chapters over 52 pages, and would be better of split into chapters/sections or parts/chapters. The practical minutiae might be more appropriate in an appendix, or at least, not dropped into the prose at an early stage in the book. Despite my criticism, the book remains an interesting, and, for the correct audience, potentially useful, read - if not as a definitive guide, certainly as Maurice's personal account of his experiences. And what better way to learn how to live, than follow the personal account of one, very special man?< Less
