Liberty Theological Seminary

Radically Unchurched:
Who They Are and How to Reach Them

A Book Review
Submitted to Mr. Marcus Little
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Course
Contemporary Evangelism
EVAN 565

By
Felipe E. Perez
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Author Information

Alvin L. Reid (PhD, M.Div) is a professor of evangelism and the Bailey Smith

Chair of Evangelism at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as an

Associate Dean for Proclamation Studies. He is the author of seven books including

Light the Fire, Introduction to Evangelism, and Evangelism for a Changing World. Reid

has written over two hundred publications including books on evangelism, spiritual

awakening, and church growth.

Reid is a member of the Academy of Evangelism on Theological Education, the

American Society for Church Growth, the Evangelical Theological Society, and the

Evangelical Missiological Society. Lastly, he was a recent recipient of the Excellence in

Teaching Award at Southeastern Seminary and was selected to Who’s Who among

America’s Teachers.

Content Summary

The Radically Unchurched: Who They Are and How to Reach Them is a book

about sharing Christ to individuals who had never heard of the gospel in today’s

contemporary society. It attempts to teach and equip Christians in an effort to reach the

unchurched who lived around you.

The first part of the book focuses on the authors attempt to wake the sleeping

church and to return to her first love—passion for Jesus. Reid refers to the present society

as “make-your-own-religion” (p. 17). In the first chapter of the book, Reid lays down the

foundation and defines the radically unchurched as the “people who have no clear

personal understanding of the message of the gospel, and who had little or no with a

Bible-teaching, Christ-honoring church” (21). The author also presents facts and statistics
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on the radically unchurched as well as interesting statistics on the number of Americans

who convert to the Islam religion (p. 27).

The second chapter presents a vision for how to reach the world of the radically

unchurched. The Bible says that the believers should separate themselves from the world

(1 Peter 2:9-10). Reid explores two reasons why some churches choose to separate

themselves from the world. First, some churches are afraid that worldliness and sin will

creep into the church. Another reason is that some churches have been stagnated by

tradition and culture and they simply do not care about the world or at least what is

outside of their world (p. 38). The author also explains that the living a Christian life is

not only hard but is also impossible without God. In addition, the Reid demonstrates that

the Holy Spirit is the fuel that powers our fight against darkness and towards winning the

souls of the radically unchurched.

The third chapter explains the power of one individual. In this chapter, Reid

explains that God did not call his people to change the world. Instead, God called each

person to change the world through God’s strength. In order to do this, a person must

seek God first before anything else (p. 61). The author also emphasizes the power of one

body through the church. Unfortunately, Christians have been misled and bamboozled

that they have forgotten the essence of the church—its people. The people (not the

building) comprise the church (p. 62).

The fourth chapter outlines why the church must change. Reid defines pre-

modernism, modernism, and post-modernism. The author also points out that many

people do not have a clear understanding of basic Christian terminologies (p. 78). The

post-modernism era also “feeds the innate and sinful tendency of humanity to live apart
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from God” (p. 78). Ethnicity and urbanization are also some of the trends that are direct

result of the post-modernism era. Reid also points out that post-modernism could be an

opportunity for Christians by bridging the gap and the differences in the church.

The fifth chapter is about reaching the youth generation. Reid states that the best

way to reach any specific population of unchurched people is through saved people who

are members of that same group (p. 98). The author also lays a foundation for effective

youth ministry. The youth of today is the church of now! It is vital that older Christians

understand their responsibility in molding the young minds of the church and the

unchurched. In other words, Christians in the church need to teach the youth how to pray,

the Word of God, how to witness to others, and how to worship. They should also set the

bar high for the youth.

The second part of the book focuses on the plan on how to reach the radically

unchurched. Some elements are essential in order to penetrate the world of the

unchurched such as: a clear message, testimonies and narratives, worship that draws

unbelievers, creativity, and planting churches with a goal to reach the unchurched (p.

107).

The sixth chapter outlines the essential elements for reaching the radically

unchurched. Reid differentiates between the three types of evangelizers: compassionate

coward, courageous crusaders, and the concerned correctors (pp. 111-112). An essential

element for reaching the unchurched is the laying a sound doctrinal foundation. The

author argues that the biblical truth lays the foundation by which innovation and

contextualization can occur. Reid also emphasizes the need to find ways to connect with

postmoderns without compromising biblical truth. He also outlines some guiding

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principles for reaching the radically unchurched which includes beginning with gospel

and not the needs of the unchurched (p. 125).

The seventh chapter is about testifying to the goodness of God and the power of a

changed life. One vital truth needs emphasis—the story of salvation is about God more

than about the person’s experience. In other words, a person must magnify the Christ in

the experience and not the experience with Christ (p. 135). The eighth chapter focuses on

the evangelistic worship and the manifestation of the presence of God. The author defines

worship and the different level of worship. In the ninth chapter, Reid explores new and

creative ways to communicate the gospel of Christ such as through the dramatic arts,

mass media, and even the Internet. The last chapter is about church planting and

purposefully planting a renewed church to reach the radically unchurched. The bottom

line is that the church and its planter must have a passion for Christ and a passion for the

lost in order to reach the unchurched.

Evaluation

The Radically Unchurched: Who They Are and How to Reach Them is an

excellent book that addresses the identity of the unchurched and how to reach them in a

passionate tone that readers cannot help but be excited about. The author’s language and

voice in this book was simple and heartfelt. This book did not have a textbook feel to it.

Instead, it is a great resource and reference about the radically unchurched and about

evangelism as a whole.

Reid’s book was successful in accomplishing its goal to teach Christians on how

to mobilize the Church into effective evangelism. It is the author’s contention that the

church is unprepared to reach the coming generation with the gospel of Christ, that its
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methods and means of reaching the radically unchurched are no longer effective. He did

not shy from highlighting creative ways to reaching this generation for Christ through

worship, testimonies, church planting, and other creative approaches to evangelism.

Instead, Reid courageously deals with the ineptness of the evangelical church and the

head in the sand attitude it has concerning its declining attendance and influence on

American culture. In addition, Reid was brutally honest in presenting his thoughts and

observations on postmodernism and the coming generation. He was conversant with

postmodernism and his call for forsaking anti-culturalism is well put. Reid succinctly

describes what postmodernism is and how it affects the way we present the gospel of

Christ.

The best part of the book was the second part of the book where Reid tells his

readers how to reach the unchurched. Although the author does not add anything new to

the area of evangelism, he effectively surveyed proven methodologies and presents them

to his readers while carefully warning his readers that copying methodically without

adaptation and a heart for evangelism will result to failure.

Additionally, the author helped his readers truly understand who the radically

unchurched population is. Today, the radically unchurched do not believe in God, have

no regard for the Bible, and hold subjective value system. Reid strategically points to

Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill for insight on how we can reach the radically unchurched.

When preaching to the non-Christian Jews, Paul spoke of Jesus and fulfilled prophecy,

but when he spoke to the pagans on Mars Hill, he started with the existence of God, and

told of God as creator and judge.

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Conclusion

Overall, Reid’s book on the radically unchurched was a success and is a great

resource for anyone who desires to learn more about evangelism in today’s contemporary

society. This book will not disappoint those who are genuinely looking for a layman’s

understanding of who the radically unchurched are and how to effectively reach them.

The author of the book was sincere and genuine in outlining the flaws of today’s church

and its lack of effort to reaching those who are radically unchurched. Reid’s book offers

simple and proven strategies for evangelizing and touching those individuals who

desperately need Christ in their lives.

At the on sought of this class I have never really considered engaging in

evangelism. I basically operate in the fashion of sharing my testimony when I saw fit but

never in a way to evangelize. I have heard time and time again about the great

commission and other sermons on evangelism, but I never wanted to do the work.

During week six we discussed some barriers that keep us from sharing our

testimony and Jesus with others. Also, we are to write about our recovery testimony in

week four. Well, my barrier had a lot to do with what I wrote about in my recovery

testimony. I never engaged in evangelism was because I did want to be embrace with the

way I spoke. Now that I am more comfortable with the way to speak and I know that the

Holy Spirit will take my mouth and put the words in it I’m not worried about that any

more.

So now we have com e to the completion of this course and I have gained more

experience in evangelism and have been given more methods in which to carry it out, I

see no way I can go back to not doing what God has called me to do. Evangelism has
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Bibliography

Reid, Alvin. Radically Unchurched: Who They Are and How to Reach Them. Grand

Rapids: Kregel, 2002.