Discerning fruitful practises in Evangelism: carrying out research with fruitful missiological findings
By Donald B. Allen
What does it mean to be ‘fruitful’, especially in areas such as evangelism, church planting, discipleship, and leadership development? Are there principles that we can learn from one another that will enhance our ministry, at least by helping us to remove stumbling blocks?
A global ministry partnership began about four years ago to explore these questions. Researchers began working within their own agencies. The process led to a wider research project involving several hundred workers with significant ministry experience.
In this, the first of three papers in a series entitled ‘Discerning fruitful practises in Evangelism,’ Dr. Don Allen will propose ‘fruitful practices’ as an emerging method of missiological research and its potential for helping workers keep “the end in mind” as they share God’s love with peoples of other faiths. This paper includes a historical overview of the concept as well as its foundational assumptions and cautions as an interdisciplinary method of research.
Discerning fruitful practises in Evangelism: carrying out research with fruitful missiological findings