Featured Books

About a year ago, I asked several friends for recommendations of books they enjoyed. Dr. Dennis Proctor recommended this book to me, and just as enthusiastically, I recommend it to others.

The church is concerned, as many other organizations are, about growth. One way for us to measure growth is by increasing numbers. Naturally, those of us who are concerned about how to add numbers to the church roll would be attracted by the idea that the title presents. When you read this book, however, you are in for a surprise. It is an easy read, very brief, but holds a powerful message.

Selling Swimsuits in the Arctic weaves us into its concepts by telling us a story, the story of Bob, a man who is heading to Barrow, Alaska, to sell swimsuits there. He was optimistic about his opportunities, even if they seemed a little far-fetched. His wife, dutiful and faithful, accompanied him on this new journey, ready to use her skills, having earned a doctorate in linguistics which she believed would assist them as they made their home among the Inupiat people.

The author makes the case that everything we do involves sales, from a job interview to our political elections, and evangelism is no different. We do not have to look disparagingly at this idea, but rather understand it. How can we "sell" the gospel, particularly when the people to whom we are selling it are about as interested in the product as the Inupiat people would be in buying swimsuits in Alaska? The question frames the main idea of this very good book.

As you can imagine, Bob tries everything that he can to increase his sales. After all, he wants his reputation as a good salesman to remain in tact, and certainly he wants to validate the confidence his company has in him by sending him to this challenging assignment. He is passionate and excited about his product (one of the keys Hamilton cites to sales), but the sales of swimsuits are going nowhere. But in what has to be the turning point of the story, Bob's sales increase when the people to whom he is selling swimsuits discover through an act of self-sacrifice that Bob actually sees them as more than just a potential market, and that in fact, he actually cares about them.

Selling Swimsuits in the Arctic is a book that will not take you a long time to read (just 59 pages), but its message will remain with you long after you finish it. For anyone interested in reaching those in your community or neighborhood, or for that matter your family, with the gospel of Jesus Christ in a fresh, effective way, this is the book for you.

Dr. Kenneth Q. James is pastor of Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church in Rochester, New York.