Evangelism as Exiles: Life on Mission as Strangers in our Own Land

by Elliot Clark

The days of cultural Christianity are fading. It's time to rethink normal. Suffering and exclusion are normal in a believer's life. At least they should be. This was certainly Jesus's experience. And it's the experience of countless Christians around the world today. No matter your social location or set of experiences, the biblical letter of 1 Peter wants to redefine your expectations and reinvigorate your hope. Drawing on years of ministry in a Muslim-majority nation, Elliot Clark guides us through Peter's letter with striking insights for today. Whether we're in positions of power or weakness, influence or marginalization, all of us are called to live and witness as exiles in a world that's not our home. This is our job description. This is our mission. This is our opportunity. A church in exile doesn't have to be a church in retreat.

Genres: Evangelism, Christian, Theology, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Christianity, Faith

176 pages, Paperback

First published April 2, 2019

About the author

Elliot Clark served in Central Asia as a cross-cultural church planter along with his wife and children. He now travels around the world to equip church leaders and support residential missionaries. He is the author of Evangelism as Exiles: Life on Mission as Strangers in Our Own Land and Mission Affirmed: Recovering the Missionary Motivation of Paul.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is marvelous. I can’t remember the last time I felt this convicted, and inspired, to hold forth the beauty of gospel grace. Read it soon.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring, convicting, and likely prophetic.

Here’s one the passages I found convicting:

“But when we suffer, if our collective Christian tone is complaint, if we consistently lament our loss of cultural influence or social standing, if we weep and mourn as if Jerusalem has fallen when our chosen political agenda is overlooked, then we expose our true values. Those troubling circumstances have a way of unmasking our highest hopes. Sadly, far too often they reveal our hopes have actually been in this present age and not in the one to come.”

[Tyler Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is 6 stars possible?

[Kaitlyn Pindak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has pierced me with conviction in a way that I have needed. Highly recommend.

A full 5/5 🌟

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

As biblical values crumble in our surrounding society, how should Christians respond? The natural reaction is fear, but Elliot Clark writes, "Instead of whining and feeling sorry for ourselves because the culture is becoming unrecognizable, Christians should align their vision with that of first-century Christians. If opposition mounts to the place where it can be rightly called persecution, we are called to follow the apostles, who left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering for the disgrace of the name." (Acts 5:41)

Clark walks the reader through the book of 1 Peter which teaches "that suffering and social exclusion is actually the most normal thing in the world…. The Christian in exile is called to embrace the shame and social humiliation that come as a package deal with the cross. We’re to be first and foremost God-pleasers and not man-pleasers."

Clark offers a lot of food for thought in these pages. Most books about evangelism tend to say, “Do it this way and you’ll have success.” I appreciated Clark’s approach because his own experiences as a missionary in a Muslim country taught him there is no “one-size-fits-all” method. My only quibble is that he emphasizes witnessing out of fear (awe) of God and fear of the other’s eternal damnation. I prefer LOVE as motivation because it overcomes the worldly fears that Clark so eloquently describes in this book.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book, both challenging and encouraging. This book uses 1 Peter to encourage Christians in their personal evangelism as culture is increasingly secularised and Christianity marginalised. It encourages readers to live in hope, fear God and for others’ souls more than fearing shame or embarrassment, to present the gospel with both humility but authority, to care more about peoples’ salvation than our “rights” and finally a plea to true gospel hospitality, especially to the oppressed and marginalised.

After reading this book I’m more determined to be hospitable and to be bold in sharing the glorious gospel with disregard for shame and with humility and authority.

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A missionary helps us view 1 Peter afresh for discipleship in our American context. Rich insights, moving examples, and stirring reminder. This is how we ought to have always lived: exiles on mission for Jesus’s sake.

[Joost Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clark's book is short, biblical (based on 1 Peter), and convicting. But his method is not to guilt us into evangelism. Quite the contrary. Rather, I found myself encouraged in evangelism, and chastised in those things that accompany evangelism: my attitude, my orientation towards others (man and God), my self-conception. It was needed.

And because Clark is expositing Scripture, and not recommending some new technique, angle, or fad, I think this book is likely to have a really long shelf life.

Worth reading again, and could be a great book to distribute in churches.

[Frank Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. It recognises that not everyone is an extreme extrovert and discusses evangelism in a practical way that even the most extreme introvert will be able to embrace. The book ably does this in the context of an environment that may be hostile to Christianity and likely does not understand it. The book is therefore a welcome change from the many books that believe everyone should continue to act like Billy Graham.

[James Brixey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly excellent book, well worth reading

[josie march · Rating 4 out of 5]

a convicting and practical look at 1 Peter

[Patrick Poteet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing I have not read or heard before but for some this would be a good read to be more serious and intentional about evangelism. The best chapter of the book, in my opinion, is chapter 6, Declaring His Praises, a thoughtful chapter on being unable to stop speaking of the things we have seen and heard about our great God.

[Gradon Schaub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clark's use of 1 Peter to discuss evangelism is illuminating. If you struggle with evangelism or how to evangelize when the culture around you is changing, this is the book for you. The chapters of hospitality and fear of man vs. fear of God were the most helpful.

[Keith Gandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

GET THIS BOOK! As a follower of Jesus, we are exiles - this is not our permanent home. How to have and communicate the hope of the gospel in a hostile environment and cultural setting - Elliot Clark does an outstanding job of fleshing out the Apostle Peter's admonition and encouragement, while also making it a how-to in a practical manner of sharing the gospel. I loved this book. Thank you, Elliot.

[Dr. David Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid and encouraging book and a refreshing approach to evangelism.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this one. So challenging, convicting, and exciting. One part I’m not sure I agree with… will have to examine the Word and see how he came to the conclusion he did.

[Sam Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

“One of the greatest hindrances to everyday evangelism is our desire to fit in and be normal….We should keep Christianity weird. And in so doing, we might just reach our neighbors” (156).

[millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

a quick, but convicting read. each chapter’s theme is based off a passage from 1 peter, which is helpful and relevant in our post-christian 21st century world. i also enjoyed the many vignettes from the author’s time living as a missionary in central asia.

main takeaway: the source and motivation of our evangelism is fear of God!

[John Deissler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for anyone looking to grow in evangelism. I was a little skeptical with Clark being in the Gospel Coalition, but he seems pretty sound in his theology from what I read

[Anna Boatwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great little read! It’s super short and very readable, and the author uses so many examples from his own life on the mission field and from scripture to keep the reader’s interest. I read this the week after spending eight weeks on mission, so it was an excellent recap of a lot of what i experienced in person, but relating it all back to specific scriptural passages and principles! definitely recommend!

[Noah McMillen · Rating 3 out of 5]

“We increasingly define “evangelistic opportunities” as those rare instances where we perceive others to be open to the gospel. When we think we have a willing audience. When we surmise that those around us are sympathetic to our perspective and will listen without rebuttal […] If we continue the pattern of waiting for perfect opportunities, they may never come. And our fate will be that of the wary farmer who observes the wind and doesn’t sow, who considers the clouds and never reaps (Eccles. 11:4). Such farmers have empty barns in winter. We too, if we’re too busy trying to discern the times, raising a moistened finger to the wind to see if someone is ready to respond to the gospel, will likely never see a harvest of souls. We’ll never open our mouths to speak, because we’ll be waiting for a better day. But better days don’t seem to be on the horizon.” (90,92).

“God isn’t just concerned with our evangelism, as if that's the most important aspect of the Christian life. One of my concerns in writing a book on evangelism is that you could come away with the sense that our lives should totally revolve around reaching others—that witnessing is our singular purpose. But it’s not” (128).

“Still today, many churches seek to do outreach primarily by bringing people in. They practice an attractional model of mission. As a result, our greatest aspirations in evangelism have often been that our neighbors would come with us to church, send their kids to VBS, or attend a Christian camp or concert. But we need to recognize that the greatest hope for our unbelieving neighbors isn’t them coming to us, but God sending us to them. It’s us living on mission in their neighborhoods, and our home becoming a place where they can meet the Savior.
I’m not necessarily advocating for a moratorium on invitations—I just think the venue needs to change. We need to start inviting people to our own tables” (137).

[Jay Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. Clark has a unique perspective as a missionary in central Asia, where Christianity is ridiculed and minimized and Islam is the dominant religion. He recognizes that these attitudes are increasing here in the States, but that we, as Christians, need to embrace being exiles like many (most, really) in the Bible and reprioritize what we’re willing to be ostracized for. It’s not politics or sports, but Jesus and His infinite glory.

The author uses 1 Peter as our guide, stating that, “with the help of God’s Spirit, believers will be simultaneously (1) hope-filled yet (2) fearful. They will be (3) humble and respectful, yet speak the gospel with (4) authority. They will live (5) a holy life, separate from the world, yet be incredibly (6) welcoming and loving in it.” Each of these qualities are broken down in the subsequent chapters.

I found this book to be very encouraging, challenging, and motivating. The use of personal experiences is timely and appropriate, keeping the book humming along without getting redundant or boring. I’ll enjoy attempting to keep these qualities in mind and drawing upon their wisdom as I interact with non-believers in the future.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy learning from people with very different perspectives from my own. Elliott Clark's writing bears the mark of the years he and his family spent as Christian missionaries in a majority Muslim country in Central Asia. The book is published by the Gospel Coalition, a fellowship of evangelical churches. As an Episcopal priest, I am not exactly to the target demographic for this book. The author and I clearly each fit in our own places within the Body of Christ, while holding much in common. I found his argument well made, his real life experiences illuminating, and his perspective challenging in helpful ways as he teaches about proclaiming the Good News by examining the text of the First Letter of Peter.

[Charlene Hios · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speaks Truth

Yes, yes, and yes, I recommend you read this book. As a missionary to the third largest mission field in the world, the San Francisco bay area, I connected with most all of the author's trains of thought.

[Wesley Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having seen recommendations to read this book online from various pastors, I picked it up right away. I have been reading and studying evangelism more and more. Mr. Clark has provided a great tool to use and reflect on for those in ministry in the years ahead, as Christians will face, and actually are facing, a post-Christian West here in America, in exile. I appreciated the author's examples of his ministry overseas in a Muslim-majority nation, which enriched the text and his teaching with 1 Peter as his focus. I found myself learning much about evangelism and that it will look different in the 21st century than the 20th (and previous to that too).

A couple key passages that stood out:
* In humility and respect, we show genuine concern for our opponents, even those responsible for our exile. We do so because we week their good more than we seek our rights. We live with respect for all because we all desire to be saved (p. 84)

* But depending entirely on others to express interest in our gospel is less tenable as society becomes increasingly disillusioned by our faith, and we become an excluded minority.

IF we continue the pattern of waiting for the perfect opportunities [to tell others about Jesus], they may never come. And our fate will be that the wary farmer who observes the wind and doesn't so, who considers the clouds and never reaps (Ecc 11:4). Such farmers have empty barns in winter. We too, if wee're too busy trying to discern the times, raising a moistened finger to the wind to see if someone is ready to to respond to the gospel, we ill likely never see a harvest of souls. (p. 91)

*Jesus said that the coming of the Son of Man would be like the days of Noah (Matt. 24:36-40). Just as people in Noah's day were eating, drinking, and going about their normal lives until they were suddenly swept away by the flood, so it will be at the coming of Christ. Judgement will come swiftly, when least expected. This coming judgment, Peter emphasized, is why the gospel must be proclaimed (Peter 4:6). It's way we must announce it with urgency, even to those who deride our message and mock our faith. Even when it evolves risk. (p 99).

I would highly recommend this book to all believers, to those seeking to tell others about Jesus. It will help you view evangelism a bit differently and more urgent.

[Elizabeth Bridcut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is written for an American audience but is equally applicable to the UK. Christianity (nominal or otherwise) is no longer the cultural centre of our society but is increasingly on the margins, how does this impact how we reach people with the Gospel? This book isn't a 'how to evangelise' manual which is one reason I like it. It's more about how we should live as Christians and what evangelism might look like in our cultural moment The author uses 1 Peter to inform the book, pointing out that at the time of 1 Peter the Christians he was writing to were the subject of relatively soft persecution - you weren't so much in danger of getting thrown to the lions if you became a Christian as you were in danger of reputational damage so not a million miles from our culture. He also shares his experience of life in a cross-cultural context where Christianity is very much on the margins. There are 6 chapters which work as 3 balancing pairs, the first pair is Hope and Fear. We need to pin our hope not on regaining the perceived glory days of the past but on our glorious future. The chapter on fear was helpful - a right fear of God is the best antidote to fear of other people or fear of shame. The second pair is Respect for all and Declaring his praise. I found the link between worship and evangelism helpful. We naturally praise what we love to other people without needing to be asked (anyone who's been in contact with me since my latest boots purchase knows this for a fact!). The third pair is Visibly Different and Hospitable - "holiness was never meant to be the enemy of hospitality".

[James Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book “Evangelism as Exiles: Life on Mission as Strangers in Our Own Land” by Elliot Clark was read as a small group study for our church. The purpose for the book seemed to be to prepare those of us in the Western world to have a greater understanding, be better prepared, make appropriate adjustments, and/or implement necessary changes in our manner of mission. It may not be that these are “new” ways to evangelize, but we are called to think in better and more God-honoring ways about proclaiming the truths of the Lord Jesus Christ in our everyday lives.

Elliot Clark describes his book as follows in the opening chapter when he states, “…this book will primarily address how we live on mission when we’re strangers and sojourners in our own land. It’s about how we present the gospel and represent Christ when we lose our positions of cultural power and influence, when the world has pushed us to the margins, when those around us oppose the message we’re called to proclaim. It’s about how we live on mission when we’re exiles in our own land: in our workplace, our neighborhood, and even in our own homes.”

I found the book to be a good book to read either as an individual or in a group study. The content was easily understandable with some good examples given as related to the author’s own experiences. He draws from his times living and serving in another country in which the truth that he brought was the minority view. These examples were helpful, but not overwhelming. Additionally, his use of 1 Peter throughout the book was appreciated and helpful. It is a book with some helpful and practical reminders that should be a part of our daily lives as we strive to share the truth.

As it says on the back cover of the book – “The days of cultural Christianity are fading. It’s time to rethink normal.”

[Starla Gooch · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book commissioned by The Gospel Coalition and presents a Missiology from a conservative Calvinist perspective. While the author does not directly discuss reformed theology, it informs the way he engages the material. For American Christians in that tradition, I think he helps counter some of the concerning elements of American Christianity such as Christian nationalism.

As a Christian in the Pentecostal tradition functioning amidst urban pluralistic contexts, I didn’t find this book particularly poignant or helpful. Clark does not address the kinds of questions I encounter in evangelism and his Missiology feels a bit overly simplistic. I don’t have anyone I would recommend this work to since I find other books addressing the topic much more interesting, compelling, and helpful.

So overall, I give Evangelism as Exiles two out of five stars. It’s not a bad book, and I’m sure many readers who are Clark’s intended audience will enjoy it (as you can see from its relatively high rating and reviews across general readership), but nothing stood out to me as particularly memorable or additive to the existing literature on evangelism or to conversations occurring in my contexts.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am by no means "well read" on books about evangelism, but for what it's worth, this is the best book I have ever read (and for that matter, sermon I have ever heard) on practical, everyday evangelism. It certainly doesn't hurt that this book was published in 2019, making it very up-to-date on current fears and pitfalls of the Christian church in the United States. Not that these details will make it irrelevant in a few years (like jokes in a Dreamworks movie), but that the rebukes and exhortations Clark includes were particularly poised to hit me right where it was most needed. I haven't felt this convicted in a book for a long time. On the other hand, this was exactly the sort of "godly grief" I needed, because it resulted in a fire in my heart and enthusiasm for the Gospel in a way I've never had before. This book will give you more courage than guilt and more enthusiasm than apathy. And the best part, in my opinion, is that it will give you the tools to be a missionary right from your own home, in your own native country. Highly recommended!

[Brad Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clark has spent much of his life ministering in a Muslim nation somewhere in Central Asia and his experience as an exiled minority informs this short and convicting read.

Using his lived experience and the opinion that the United States is inexorably moving in the same direction as many anti-Christian countries, where following Christ will make one an outlaw, Clark offers some accessible advice for how to live on mission as a stranger in once "Christian" America.

It's a sobering but convicting call to live out the Gospel in a winsome and counterculture way, even if that "counter" is to practicing Christianity very differently than how it was done when being "Christian" was the norm.

Americans have been blessed (and cursed) for a couple of centuries to have had the pleasure (and temptations) of living in a Christianized culture. If those days are coming to an end, which may be apparent and arguably inevitable, then Clark's work may be a helpful guide to navigate a new America going forward.