John Blanchard. Ultimate Questions. Webster, NY: Evangelical Press, June 1st 1992. 32 pp.
5 out of 5
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Looking for an evangelistic booklet that is simple for unbelievers to understand but also something more than a brief track? You might consider this booklet written by British Christian preacher, teacher, apologist and author name John Blanchard.
Coming in at 32 pages this booklet devotes about two pages or more in answering each questions. These questions are arranged in an order that progresses and build upon the previous question in the author’s presentation of the Gospel and Christianity. Questions covered in the booklet include “Is God Speaking?,” “What is God Like?,” “Who am I?” and “Why the Cross?” Other topics include the discussion of sin, hell, the problem of religious self-righteous works for salvation and the right response to the saving works of Christ on the Cross.
Besides a nice cover there are night glossy pictures throughout the booklet. I actually used this booklet with my girls as our devotionals to switch things up and though my kids are very young they did find the pictures fascinating though at times they got distracted and kept on focing on what’s going on in the picture. Still the questions and anwer format in the book is helpful as a teaching tool including at times the author’s way of outlining points in answering them. For instance in addressing the question “Why the Cross?” Blanchard answer that with an alliteration of 3 S: Jesus the Substitute, Jesus the Sin-bearer and Jesus the Saviour. That’s helpful and memorable. There’s a couple more of these in the booklet.
I think there’s a place for tracts when we evangelize and usually I use them as a way to intiate conversations and also for people who can’t talk at the moment but they are willing to take a literature concerning religious matter from us. Yet I also feel there’s a need for something besides a tract with those I had a long conversation with and got to explained the Gospel to them. I found “Ultimate Questions” to be a helpful resource to give to someone after you have talked to them about the Gospel as a “follow up” for them to read later and something in writing they have in their possession about God, Christ and the Gospel. I recommend this work.
Wow! I remember this book from many years ago, it was our churches booklet of choice in outreach work. It is an excellent resource.
Wow! I think John Blanchard is from the UK; have you read or heard his teachings before?
I believe he was a friend/colleague of Ian Leitch who taught evangelism through the Herald’s Trust in Scotland.
Sounds like a good tool. How old are your girls? My daughter’s kids are going to have (public) school on line again this fall. I asked her if I could teach them a Bible class once a week or more, and she said sure. They are about-to-turn-11, just-turned-9, and about-to-turn-6.
Wow your grand kids are about my kids age, but little younger: 8, 7, 5. This wasn’t meant for kids when the author wrote it; but I think it can still be used. Plus sometimes using resources like these that are less kid entertaining in its packaging also might be a good thing in my opinion since I don’t want the kids to think Christianity is just “kids stuff.” In terms of teaching materials have you considered resources from Child Evangelism Fellowship? Or maybe I should what other resources you plan to use and I can learn from you. 🙂
Haven’t decided. I always did devotions with my kids when they were growing up. Some kids’ devotionals were better received than others. I love helping kids memorize Scripture. There are different approaches that make it more of a game, which I used when I helped a home schooling friend of mine. When the kids had a few verses “under their belt,” we would play “spiritual warfare,” using play swords. I approach one of them with an “attack” and say in a devilish voice, “You’ll never be able to learn that verse!” and the child holds out his sword and says, “IT IS WRITTEN – ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me!'” – or whatever verse (s)he knows that will defend against that attack. I would let out a scream like a wounded demon and fall to the ground. 😉
P.S. When my kids were in school they used Child Evangelism Fellowship materials. I’ll look them up. Thanks for the tip!
The cover design got a few of my brain neurons firing. I googled when the booklet was first published and I see it was 1987. Yup, I had this booklet 33 years ago.
Wow I’m guessing this is from your old IFB church days? That’s crazy they had this, I think the author is Reformed and they were ok with that?
It’s improbable that the IFB church had anything from a Reformed author on the information table. I’m guessing I picked it up at the local Christian bookstore.
Nonbelievers are more likely to read this glossy pamphlet than ordinary tracts
Thanks for this review, Jim. Sounds like a great resource.
You’re welcome, thank you for reading this review! And also much thanks fro reblogging this!
My pleasure!
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Good review.
Thank you! I appreciate you reading this review and also liking our many FB posts! It helps!
Love in Christ. 🙂
Someone gave me this book ages ago. I may still have packed away in a safe place.
Awesome! What tracts or pamphlets do you use evangelically?
Some of the ones we use are supplied by our church. I have also purchased my own from a reformed Christian Bookshop .
This is an interesting booklet, Jim!
Have you seen this booklet before In the Phillipines? I am discovering because of this post that this booklet appears in many continents and a further search reveal it’s in many languages including Tagalog!
That is how widespread it is, Jim. Not in my recollection but I’ll look for it when I go to the bookstores in the mall in the months ahead. I just saw the cover in tagalog so I think an english version is also here in the market, GOD willing. We speak tagalog as a 2nd language but reading it is…english is easier to read. My 1st language that is Bisaya/Cebuano and reading it also is still gives me the same feeling as tagalog.
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