Reaching the Unreached, by Peyton Jones, book review

Reaching the Unreached: Becoming Raiders of the Lost Art

Author

Peyton Jones

Publisher Info

Zondervan, 2017. 248 pp.

Summary

Peyton Jones believes in adventure. In Reaching the Unreached: Becoming Raiders of the Lost Art, he invites us to join him in spreading the Gospel in ways that he feels many have forgotten.

The “lost art” is the art of evangelism that was used to great effect in the Book of Acts. The title’s play on words and author’s last name indicates, Jones uses several references to the Indiana Jones series of movies. He himself admits to wanting to be bookish and safe in the library and his office, but calls us to be more like Indiana Jones and less like Dr. Jones. He fills the book with references to the Book of Acts and uses examples from his own ministry and those of others to show that going back to the “lost art” of the Book of Acts is the way to approach evangelism.

One of the main points of the book is that we need to “go” out and do the work of the Gospel. As Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We do not need to go on an international mission, if that not our call, but staying at home or in our comfortable church is not the type of adventure that Mr. Jones believes he or we are called to do. We are called to listen to Holy Spirit and let Him lead the way.

Benefit for Pastoral Ministry

It is easy in pastoral ministry to stick with what works for you. If you sense the Holy Spirit tugging on you to do more and don’t know how to do it, this book can lead you down the path you should be on. If you are looking for a business manual that shows you a foolproof five-step plan on how to increase your church’s sphere of influence or increase your average Sunday attendance, this probably is not the book for you. If you are looking for a book that encourages and edifies with examples from the modern day, this is the book you’ll want to read. It will challenge you to break free of your comfort zone and go where you may not have ever imagined you would go.

Jones gives advice on waiting on, being ready for, and following the Holy Spirit. This approach is helpful as often times many in ministry are told to simply listen for the Holy Spirit and do what He says. We’re not always told that usually we won’t “feel” ready or that the timeline could be very different than what we had initially envisioned. With the push for viewing this as an adventure, Jones helps us to see that the path we take may be unpredictable, wild, and possibly dangerous. However, he always makes the point that in the end, it will have been worth it.