Are fear and anxiety holding you back from sharing your faith? Does the thought of evangelism make you uneasy or leave you concerned about making others uncomfortable? The biggest barrier to evangelism, Mark Teasdale argues, is not lack of training or information—it’s fear.Dr Mark Teasdale's WebsiteBook: Socially Awkward EvangelismWHAT YOU'LL LEARN:How Well Are We Sharing Jesus in a Dark World?Why Feeling Anxious or Awkward in Sharing Jesus with OthersResponding to AnxietyABOUT THE GUEST: Mark R. Teasdale (PhD, SMU 2010) is the President of United Theological Seminary and the former E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and an adjunct professor of evangelism at Emory University and the Methodist Theological Institute in Yangon, Myanmar. He is ordained in the United Methodist Church and served for 12 years in local churches. He is the author of several books and articles on evangelism, missiology, and Methodist studies, including Evangelism for Non-Evangelists, Participating in Abundant Life, and most recently Socially Awkward Evangelism.RELATED LINKS:Dr Mark Teasdale's WebsiteBook: Socially Awkward EvangelismTIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:00:32 - Introducing Dr Mark Teasdale02:28 - How Well Are We Sharing Jesus in a Dark World?04:08 - ..."WE" is inconsistent across the global church04:40 - ...recognize that the gospel is the supremely Good News05:10 - ...inconsistent formation of Christians05:23 - ...Book, Socially Awkward Evangelism, is focused on the western context06:26 - ...struggling with formation and our claiming of just how good the gospel is06:50 - ...follow-up question 1: evangelism outside of the western hemisphere07:07 - ......much high priority and conviction07:54 - ......even with freedom of religion in the west, it is socially uncomfortable10:20 - ...follow-up question 2: what is the best global practice?12:00 - ......there is not a single best practice because of distinct contexts14:57 - ......relational engagements17:10 - ...Organic Non-Western vs Planned Western Church Planting18:01 - Why Feeling Anxious or Awkward in Sharing Jesus with Others18:56 - ...seminarians are anxious in sharing their faith publicly19:42 - ...wired to feel anxious21:13 - ...allows us to act22:21 - ...problem of anxiety23:15 - ...cancel culture23:56 - ...what is life about and what to believe25:26 - Responding to Anxiety28:13 - ...intellectual: understand the gospel better to articulate it29:05 - ...emotional, social, physical: tools from behavioral psychology therapy31:34 - ...build a new example of what evangelism looks likeDID YOU APPRECIATE THIS PODCAST? Checkout previous episodes, leave a review, drop us a note or support the mission here: oururbanvoices.com