Sharing Faith - two booklets
I recently read two short booklets (each is fewer than 40 pages) which I found really helpful in helping my understanding of how to share faith in a loving and appropriate way with people who are vulnerable or hurting.
Rebecca Winfrey's booklet "The Cross and Shame: Speaking of Atonement to a Shame-filled Society" was revolutionary to me in understanding both humanity and God better. It talks about the fact that we have moved from being a culture which is guilt-ridden (i.e. burdened by regret for past actions) to being a culture which is shame-ridden (i.e. burdened by a lack of worth and regret about who we are). Rebecca's suggestion is that the Bible has good news which addresses both guilt and shame, but that Christians tend to be stuck on tackling the topic of guilt. This misses the fact that most people today are much more deeply troubled by shame, and need to hear first of all that they are loved unconditionally by a God in whose image they are created, and who can relate to their shame through Jesus.
Andy Frost's book "Connecting Social Action + Faith Sharing" is a very practical guide through some of the issues which crop up when Christians engage in integral mission (i.e. when addressing injustice and sharing faith are seen as inseparable). It tackles topics such as the care needed when deciding if / how to talk about faith issues with someone who is vulnerable, what happens if some of your volunteers aren't Christians, honest and effective use of funding etc. It is also full of lots of useful examples which bring the issues to life and help to explore how some of these complex issues can be navigated.
If you are interested in reading either of these booklets, I am very happy to lend my copies. Or you can buy Winfrey's book from Grove Books Ltd and Frost's from Share Jesus International.