If You Can Eat . . . You Can Make Disciples: Sharing Faith in a Multi-Faith World
Peter Roennfeldt
In a recent interview, Christian cultural commentator Jonathan Merritt suggested that “most people today aren’t anti-Christian, they’re anti-jerk.” Yet too many of the louder Christian voices that many in our communities hear are those that sound jerk-like. In response, many of the rest of us have gone quiet, not wanting to be one more jerk nor to identify with them—at the same time as we feel more than a little guilty about our silence.
If You Can Eat . . . You Can Make Disciples offers a real and refreshing alternative. Dr Peter Roennfeldt’s new little book begins in his own experience of sharing faith with his multicultural and multi-faith neighbours in the western suburbs of Melbourne. But it also firmly directs us back to the method and example of Jesus, and what He taught His disciples in Luke 10:1–24. Jesus urged that there are more people ready to hear about Him—and the healing and hope He brings—than we might assume (see Luke 10:2). And the reality is that many people are curious about Jesus when He is shared by someone they are getting to know.
As well as its strong biblical foundation, If You Can Eat includes real-life stories and examples of what this can look like in a community like yours. The closing chapter suggests ways our churches can adapt to minister to and include our friends who are wanting to follow Jesus and an appendix gives a brief introduction to the other faiths we are likely to encounter in our communities. The short chapters have questions for reflection, which could work well to prompt discussion in a small group or among a group of local church leaders.
If You Can Eat . . . You Can Make Disciples is both challenging and inspiring, biblical and personal, simple and profound. Reminding us of the method and ministry of Jesus, it is an invitation to each of us to continue learning to be disciples together with our multi-faith and no-faith family, friends and colleagues.
If You Can Eat . . . You Can Make Disciples is available from Adventist bookstores in Australia and New Zealand.
