The Master Plan of Evangelism

A Masterful Insight into Jesus' World Vision A book review of The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert E. Coleman, 1962 Reviewed by Joe Chiappetta, 2016 Get this book if you want to change the world for the better. It contains life-changing insights into how Jesus operated to prepare his disciples for world evangelism. With application of the simple yet challenging principles discussed, you will know how to invest in people and spread the good news around the world. This is totally worth your time to read and put into practice. In The Master Plan of Evangelism, the author, Robert Coleman, does an amazing job at presenting Jesus' ministry strategy from a big picture level. Yet Coleman does so in a way that makes the strategy digestible for replication. That is the brilliance of this book; it is a true and effective outline of Jesus' methods that anyone can imitate. He even makes the point that Jesus' methods are so powerful, that they work well even when non-Christians use them. Conversely, when people use Jesus' teaching in a partial, uncoordinated, independent, pick-and-choose manner, the results are less inspiring, to say the least. Coleman even emphasizes that religious groups should not assume that the average untrained member is qualified to lead things without first being trained to imitate Jesus. The key is having trained leaders who can replicate what and how Jesus did things. That is how ministry really spreads. The Master Plan of Evangelism is a very short book, yet emanating with power. In fact, Coleman exemplifies the much sought-after trait of being brief and powerful. I appreciate things being broken down in digestible chunks, and Coleman does so in his book by turning Jesus' methods into eight overarching tactics that were consistent throughout his ministry. These can be seen as guiding principles that were underlying in his ministry. They that are completely integrated, yet can also be distinctly described and replicable today. All eight fall under Jesus' statement "I am the way..." from John 14:6. In other words, there is no Christian way without wholehearted, complete imitation of Jesus' way. The eight principles are as follows: 1. Selection: Men were his method. 2. Association: He stayed with them. 3. Consecration: He required obedience. 4. Impartation: He gave himself away. 5. Demonstration: He showed them how to live. 6. Delegation: He assigned them work. 7. Supervision: He kept check on them. 8. Reproduction: He expected them to reproduce. A careful examination of these principles can be quite convicting. Since Jesus is the way, and therefore imitation of him is the way, then we all have to ask ourselves three questions: 1. Have I been sufficiently trained to do these eight principles of Jesus? 2. Am I personally doing each one of these eight principles on an ongoing basis? Note that it is not enough to merely agree with the principles of Jesus; we need to do them. That is true Christianity. 3. Am I calling and training others to do these principles of Jesus? This is a personal assessment that all of us must make and reassess on an ongoing basis. Those who answer "yes," and whom God would agree to their "yes" on all three questions will be the mighty revolutionaries that will spread the good news all around the world, as part of the master's master plan of evangelism.

great recommended book! so good to listen to it the audible app

This is an extremely well done reprint of the original classic. The quality is outstanding. The hardcover and bindings are strong, and the external graphics are excellently done. The interior seems to be a direct copy of the older text, with the exact same older font-type. I appreciate this over some of the newer fonts. While some of the characters display the older font type issues, there is good clarity and it doesn't come off as carbon copied. Overall very satisfied

Coleman's book analyzes the strategy that Jesus used to continue the work of God in the world after His departure. The author lays out eight strategic elements that can be seen from the record: 1) Jesus called a few committed individuals and focused on them; 2) He stayed with them during their development so they observed everything He was doing; 3) He required and modeled obedience to the calling; 4) He gave them the love and commitment He expected them to exhibit to others; 5) He demonstrated the spiritual disciplines required to follow; 6) He delegated specific work appropriate to their development; 7) He supervised and corrected their progress; 8) He expected them to reproduce in others what He had done with them. In this brief presentation, Coleman gets to the heart of the malaise that seems to grip organized Christianity, at least in the developed nations. We have become very passive Christians, and need to consider just what our faith is and what we must do to live it as intended. Coleman's answer is a good one. He might have been more exegetically accurate, and some of his theological understanding is rather superficial (e.g. that the disciples were sent first to the "lost sheep of Israel" because they were the most likely to respond due to a cultural susceptibility to Jesus' message). But these issues are minor because he still reaches the right conclusions about what was taught. The hard part about Coleman's challenge is seeing how to implement it in modern society. The Rabbinic method of having students live with us and follow us everywhere is not practical. In looking for modern examples of how this strategy is in any way being implemented, the small group movement and church planting seem to have become more important. But these examples do not approach the fellowship of the disciples in the first century church. Is there a modern example where committed believers agree to live in close proximity and intentionally share their lives and ministries in their neighborhoods? I hope to learn of such examples, because I am convinced that our faith must be lived in a way more in keeping with that recorded in the book of Acts. The problem is that it is easy to imagine a modern congregation viewing a call to share every aspect of their lives with one another as reminiscent of cults that have been an unfortunate regular subject in the news.

really good book, still very relevant today even though it was written a while ago

My Pastor, Jeff Little, from Milestone Church, in Keller, Texas, said “The Master Plan for Evangelism”, along with the Dr. Coleman’s other book from the same series (The Master Plan for Discipleship), informed everything he has done to build an extraordinary church (organization). I decided to get the two books and read them for myself, and am so glad I did. Dr. Coleman does an amazing job of explaining how the fundamentals of leadership work and can be applied to produce amazing results. It’s a timeless work that takes so much of the mystery out of the story of Jesus Christ, and how his initial leadership strategies changed the world forever. If you’re a Christian already, you’ll love this book, and if you’re not and approach it with an open mind, you’ll be amazed at what you learn from it. In the competitive world we live in, it gives you a formula for success that is time tested and proven.

This book was such a blessing. This book captures the essence of Jesus method of evangelism. It is a must read for those who teach the subject.

This is excellent book for new, or old, Christians. Many think that once they make a decision for Christ they HAVE to give up all their "desires". This book makes it clear that once Christ comes to live in your heart, your desires change and it's not a matter of having to give up your desires but your heart & mind is changed and you WANT to give up sinful desires.

For everyone who is serious about following the way of the Master. He bothered to come down and die and leave the rest of saving to a small smelly uneducated band? Here is why it was a success and you can be part of it!

Not read everything yet but the 1st pages show how far the Church is from the Head/Master. We better go back to the basis if we want to see results. Glory to Him!

It is a very helpful book that helps you think through evangelism and discipleship through the lens of Christ. It provides a helpful framework for those in ministry and those looking to grow in discipleship.

Jesus is not only the model for life, but also for strategy of ministry. His priority in discipling a few who would disciple others to reach the world changed my perspective!

Everyone must have it, buy and read it, no regret