Faces in the Crowd by Donna S. Thomas

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: NewHope Publishers
Release Date: September 1, 2008
ISBN-10: 1596692057
ISBN-13: 978-1596692053
Retail: $12.97
America continues to remain a melting pot for various internationals to call home. For hundreds of years we have opened our arms to a population of multicultural religions and spiritual preferences. In spite of our welcoming borders, our churches have struggled to effectively reach many of these multicultural groups for Christ.

Donna Thomas, a veteran missionary, writes a practical how-to book on the subject, seasoning the book with anecdotes of personal conversations she has enjoyed with different faces in the crowd. Along with the heartwarming stories, each chapter includes things to consider and action steps to help apply each lesson. Donna tackles the tough subject of finding, reaching and effectively sharing Christ's love with international neighbors. These easy-to-implement personal evangelism tools equip readers with the basic know-how and stirs up the desire to share the gospel of Jesus with others. Donna teaches by example how to start a conversation, build a meaningful relationship, share gospel truths in a cross-cultural context, and incorporate the Lord into ongoing conversations. More than that, she stimulates Christians to develop an all-inclusive love and passion for faces of all colors and people of all cultures.

"Did you ever find yourself at a loss on how to reach out to the people of other cultures and religions in your neighborhood or workplace? If so, Donna Thomas's Faces in the Crowd is the resource you need. With colorful stories of average people making a cross-cultural connection, supplemented with action ideas you can use, Donna guides the reader on how to have an impact on the global village--from where you live right now."

~Paul Borthwick, senior consultant, author: Stop Witnessing...and Start Loving, Six Dangerous Questions, Development Associates International

Donna Thomas has the unusual experience of speaking and training leaders in countries as far aways as China, Egypt, and India. In addisiton, she now has four books published and in the hands of Christian families and leaders. Pulling stories out of her, you will find that she has earned the label of: teacher, co-founder of a church, cof-ounder of a missions agency, co-founder of short-term missions (then an unknown opportunity) taking over 6,000 participants, pilot and manager of a 40-passenger plane, partner with twelve key international Christian leaders, funded the first church built in China in 1984 after the Communitst Revolution, and has helped Christians in seventy-six countries. You can visit her website at http://www.cvministries.org/ .

I don't live in an area that has a lot of cross-culture. Living in Central Minnesota with a population under 3000, there is very little in the way of different nationalities. There are several African-American families in the school district, but it's only a handful. We do have a Chinese restaurant, but that's about it. We are in farm country. It's disappointing to me that my children don't have the opportunity to have multi-cultural experiences, but I'm hoping as they head off to college, they are given new opportunities to meet many new cultures!

Donna's book was so spot on! If I could summarize how Donna lives the gospel, it'd be on page 36 where it says, "She [sic] was just at the right place at the right time and was available to be used by God." Donna is always available; in every restaurant she walks into, grocery store, library, doctor's office, you name it, she's looking for who God has for her at that moment. She encourages the reader to seek out people of different ethnic groups in ways we probably never would have considered.

At the end of each chapter she gives you something to ponder either about yourself, the Bible, or God. She also gives simple "doing" activities. One example is to look through a phone book and check out all the different names. As I said before, we're in a small town so it's very easy to find many of the same names within a 15 mile radius.

Donna gives concrete statistics and information regarding the lives and faiths of other nationalities. It's right there, on the page for us to see. Depending on where you live, there may be more opportunities to share Christ with others than you may have realized. Everywhere she goes, Donna seems to be looking for someone God has for her to meet. It's as if she's always prepared for the next person. She sees the people many of us don't. I honestly believe she has a gift, and she is trying to share that gift with the rest of us.

One very important aspect of this book is about us as the reader. Donna doesn't just focus on evangelism. She wants us to look at our own lives, our testimony for Christ. What is our walk with the Lord like? Donna wants us to look into our own hearts to see what's there.

If evangelism scares the daylights out of you, especially to those of different nationalities and faiths, then this is the perfect book for you. She shares how she starts up conversations and the flow into faith. She is a wonderful example. Donna encourages you to lay aside your fears and allow you to let Christ lead you.

If you'd like to win this book, I want you to leave me a post telling an interesting name you can find in your phonebook or how many different ethnic restaurants are in your specific town. I will have the drawing the first week of October. Did I just type "October"? How can that be?! Drawing open to US residents only. Thank you.