This fall, Sound City gave away free copies of Elliot Clark’s book, Evangelism as Exiles: Life on Mission as Strangers in Our Own Land. Grounded in 1 Peter, Clark writes as an experienced cross-cultural church planter in a Muslim-majority country, as he builds the case that today in America, we are sojourners and exiles. No longer can we share our faith from a majority position, but instead, we experience fellowship and unity with believers in Jesus world-wide and across time, who have approached evangelism from a position of humility and “strangeness” in their own neighborhoods.
At Sound City Bible Church, our mission is to glorify God by proclaiming Jesus, receiving grace, being disciples, and making disciples. We are passionate about equipping our covenant members to do this and believe that every member is called to be a missionary.
“Not all of us are called to cross international borders, but all of us are called to cross the street.”
At the church offices, fifteen people from Sound City joined Pastor Kyle for a book discussion and time of prayer on the afternoon of Sunday, November 17th. It was a joyful time of encouragement and equipping, as people shared how excited they were about what they learned in the book, from 1 Peter, and felt relieved to know that they were not alone in struggling to share their faith.
Pastor Kyle reflected that there was a sense of freedom, “from the pressure to evangelize in a specific way, like knocking on doors, or some other ‘technique’ they may have learned in the past. People seemed to leave excited to take next steps in personal evangelism, living differently than the world around us, and growing in boldly proclaiming the gospel to a lost world that desperately needs Jesus.”
One participant shared, “I loved being a part of this event. I was very convicted as I read the book and thoroughly enjoyed knowing I was reading it with the church body.”
We rejoice for the gift of this time: Reading together, gathering to pray, and encouraging one another in faithfulness. Will you join me in praying that all of us at Sound City would be built up in the hope of glory as we invite others into relationship with Jesus?
“May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”
