Now, through the wonder of scientific calculations, you can know which books on evangelism are the best to read. Ok, maybe that’s a gross overstatement, but our new rating methodology is pretty cool. We call it the “Encouragement Factor Score.”
As I read books, I’m constantly aware of small sections that I think could specifically encourage others to be share their faith. I’ve posted a bunch of these ‘Encouragement Efforts‘ so far on our site, and creating an Encouragement Factor Score (EFS) takes the idea one step further.
After finishing a book, I count the number of encouragement efforts found and divide that by the page count in the book. The higher the resulting percentage, the more encouraging the book. Though somewhat subjective (ok…totally subjective), it’s a good way for me to rank the following books I’ve read on evangelism.
The EFS Leader’s Board
- Permission Evangelism; Michael Simpson – 30.3 EFS
- One To One; Michael Green – 27.1
- Out of the Saltshaker; Rebecca Pippert – 25.1
- Becoming a Contagious Christian; Bill Hybles & Mark Mittelberg – 24.8
- The BrokenHearted Evangelist; Jeremy Walker – 23.8
- The Mission of Jesus; Howard Belben – 22.3
- Reimagining Evangelism; Rick Richardson – 20.2
- Evangelism that Works
; George Barna – 18.9
- How to Give Away Your Faith; Paul Little – 17.2
- Everyday Evangelism; Tom Eisenman – 16.4
- The Outsider Interview; Jim Henderson, Todd Hunter & Craig Spinks – 14.6
- Basic Christianity; John R.W. Stott – 14.5
- Lifestyle Evangelism; Joe Aldrich – 14.1
- Evangelism for Normal People; John Bowen – 12.5
- Evangelism in the Inventive Age; Doug Pagitt – 10.9
- How to Talk About Jesus Without Freaking Out; Jim & Karen Covell and Victorya Michaels Rogers – 9.1
- Speaking of Jesus – Carl Medearis- 6.7
- Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry & Marry; Lee Strobel – 5.6
- Irresistible Evangelism; Steve Sjogren, Dave Bing, & Doug Pollock – 5.6
- The Grand Weaver; Ravi Zacharias – 3.6
- Evangelism Outside the Box; Rick Richardson – 3.4
- That’s a Great Question; Glenn Pearson – 3.4
- The Case for Faith; Lee Strobel – 2.3
- Does God Exist; J.P. Moreland & Kai Nielsen – .4
More Suggested Reading
The books below have not yet been evaluated using our Encouragement Factor Score but are listed here because of one thing I’ve learned about the EFS. Though I have fun with it, what matters about a book is whether it can be used by God to provide readers with wisdom in the area of evangelism. I think any of the books on our Suggested Reading page can do just that!
Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah’s Witnesses; Ron Rhodes
There is no better source of truth than the Bible and this book uses it to help Christians point out the serious errors in Watchtower theology.
Mere Christianity; C S Lewis
Starting with “Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe,” Mr. Lewis, naturally and logically moves to an examination and defense of the Christian faith.
Playing With Fire: Do Nice People Really Go to Hell?; Jay Carty
You can read this book yourself and learn helpful tools to communicate the gospel or just give it to a friend. It’s challenging yet humorous.
The God You’re Looking For; Bill Hybels
Each chapter asks the basic question, “Are You Looking for a God Who..?” Some of the topics include God’s control over situations, his righteousness, guidance, and commitment to his own.
Building a Contagious Church; Mark Mittelberg
Though written as a guide to building an evangelistic church, there are many suggestions for transforming our personal evangelistic lives.
