Unbinding Your Soul: Your Experiment in Prayer & Community
by Martha Grace Reese
With 40 day personal prayer journal.
For small groups ready to invite...
Unbinding Your Soul is the “unbinding” model for actual, invitational evangelism. Typical mainline churches get ready for the Unbinding Your Soul small group study with Unbinding the Gospel/Unbinding Your Heart “pre-evangelism.” SOUL helps them invite unchurched friends or recent visitors to try an “experiment” (some churches call it a “test drive”) of Christian faith and community.
Many people who aren't connected with a church would love to try a no-obligation "experiment" of substantial spiritual discussion, prayer, and community.
Unbinding Your Soul prepares church members to invite their friends into a four-week small group experience with short study chapters, an individual prayer journal, prayer partner activities, and group exercises.
Unbinding Your Soul works for:
* Growing, healthy churches
* Churches that have done an all-church saturation study with the Unbinding the Gospel Series
* New church starts
* New members' classes
* "On fire" groups in typical churches
Note: Two copies will be needed per small group participant. Participants pray for the person to receive the extra book. Groups double.
The Unbinding the Gospel Series is in over 12,000 congregations, across the theological spectrum. The Christian Century, Alban Institute Congregations, Evangelism Connections, 8 heads of denominations, Brian McLaren, George Hunter & Richard Peace have endorsed it enthusiastically. The Series arises out of the only major national study of evangelism in mainline churches, funded by the Lilly Endowment.
Download the Best Practices for Establishing The Unbinding Series in Your Church
First Presbyterian Gainesville, FL's university students talk about Unbinding Your Soul
Click Here to View the FREE Video
New Podcast
Unbinding Your SOUL: Inviting Friends to Experience Faith
Interview of David Kling by Cathy Townley.
Hear from someone who has led Unbinding Your SOUL 5-6 times
Click Here to Listen to the FREE Podcast
Endorsements
"...the `don't ask, don't tell' evangelism program will not reverse the trend. Humor, whimsy and joy in the faith will serve us better. Reese's book is written to provoke, to tease and to charm us back into telling our story." —Christian Century
"...with clarity and sound theological grounding, we are invited into a grand adventure....could be a watershed book for mainline Protestantism."
—Alban Institute, Congregations Magazine
“This should be required reading in all of our mainline churches. Our continuing existence may depend on it.”
—Richard Peace, Professor of Evangelism & Spiritual Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary
"Don't miss this one!"
—Evangelism Connection
"This new interesting book on the "E word" (Evangelism), based on studies of 150 churches and interviews with over 1000 people, will be a breath of fresh air in thousands of congregations who have not (at least within memory) had their "apostolic act" together. As I read it, other "E" words came to mind--like engaging, encouraging, energetic, and even entrepreneurial and exhilarating. The book makes the relevant statistics interesting, while telling us the stories of people who were reached, the churches that learned relevant ways to reach them, and the principles they learned. The book even tells churches how to get started!"
—George G. Hunter, Distinguished Professor of Evangelization, Asbury Theological Seminary
"The Real Life Evangelism Series is a great resource for congregations! It is inspirational, motivational, and a great model and companion for congregations as they seek to be faithful stewards of the Gospel."
—Belva Brown Jordan, Assistant Dean, Philips Theological Seminary, formerly Harvard Divinity School
“This book combines research and hard data with warm stories of real people growing their churches in healthy ways. The anecdotal material inspires each of us as followers of Jesus to grow more comfortable in sharing our faith. But as important is the research that informs our church leaders about congregational dynamics that impact the growth or stagnation of our churches. Reese has put together an approach to sharing the gospel that works in main line denominational churches. We are using this book as the primary resource for our elders in an upcoming leadership retreat.”
—Bruce Humphrey, Senior Pastor, Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church, San Diego, California
"Martha Grace Reese had written an interactive exciting work on Evangelism....It is practical, biblical, hospitable, it answers rudimentary questions. It is convicting and filled with grace. The exercises were simple yet engaging. I found myself laughing, and having moments of profound insight as I answered questions, and engaged the exercises. This book will be a great resource for small groups, churches, pastors who are ready to be instruments of unleashing God's awesome Spirit in the world."
—Yolanda Villa, Executive Pastor of Congregational Care, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kansas
"There is nothing quite like solid research to dispel the sort of misconceptions and self-serving biases and attitudes we of mainline churches have harbored for so long. Solid research is what Martha Grace Reese gives us, along with clear, thoughtful analysis and concrete prescriptions for how we can move forward in faithful and effective evangelism. She manages to do all this in a book that is completely accessible to both clergy and lay people and fun to read! It is an amazing and timely accomplishment!"
—Richard L. Hamm, former Disciples General Minister and President, currently President of The Columbia Partnership