Ed Begley, Jr.: Outreach Coach

Since becoming a member of our church Evangelism Committee, I have been on the lookout for edifying reading about outreach. And -- by golly -- here's some good advice by Ed Begley, Jr., in the latest issue of Body + Soul magazine. He's talking about environmentalism, mind you, not Christian evangelism, but still.

B & S: What's the secret to spreading the word without sounding preachy?

Begley: Easy. Don't preach. I've never taken an evangelical approach to this lifestyle. I don't call press conferences or tell people what to do. I model the behavior. And I'm happy to explain why I do what I do to anyone who asks -- and lately, I've been getting lots of questions. I'm definitely not about saving sinners here. I just like to share what I've learned from trying things myself.

I think there's a lesson here.