Evangelization is not a strong suit for many Catholics. Here are some practical steps to remedy that.
It is no secret that only one-third of baptized Catholics attend Mass on any given Sunday. I always say: if you had a business and you were losing two-thirds of your customers, you would not just wring your hands in dismay. You would act.
In truth, every pope since Paul VI has urged Catholics to become more evangelizing, more willing to share the treasure of their faith with those who are searching for something to believe in and give meaning to their lives. Pope Francis keeps telling us: the Church must move out of the sanctuary and into the streets; otherwise it will become “a sick church.”
The pope, and every conference of bishops in the world, have called the laity to be in the forefront of this ministry: first, because their Baptism calls them to it; and second, because they have the most direct and immediate connections with those whom Jesus called “the lost sheep” (Mt 10:6; Jn 10:16). Most Catholics feel incompetent to evangelize, however. They are not sure what it means, and they don’t know how to do it. The good news: many are willing to learn, and the skills can be taught. For years I have been teaching a four-hour course to lay Catholics in various parishes on how to evangelize.
What Is Evangelization?
First, we need to understand what evangelization is not. Many Catholics have stereotypical images of “in-your-face” evangelists: “Do you know the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior?” “Are you saved?” Such invasive approaches are neither necessary nor helpful. Catholic evangelization begins with living one’s faith before talking about it. We need to be prayerful people who nourish our faith by reading Scripture and participating in the Sunday Eucharist. We are devoted to our families and conscientious in our work. We treat people with dignity and respect. We share our time and resources with the less fortunate.
We don’t engage in negative speech or backstabbing. We try to create a positive and peaceful attitude in our environment. This is what Pope Paul VI called “the wordless witness of your life.”
Next, we need to consider the people we are trying to reach. One distinction I like to make is between the “unchurched” and the “de-churched.” The former have never (at least as adults) been part of a church community. They are atheists, agnostics, and secularists who feel no need for belief in God or in anything spiritual.
The de-churched once belonged to a church or synagogue but have dropped out. These include nonpracticing Catholics, Protestants, Jews, etc. Another distinction I find helpful is between “satisfied” and “seekers.” The satisfied are either unchurched or de-churched, and are content to be where they are; they want nothing to do with religion or Church. As such, they are not receptive to evangelization. Seekers, on the other hand, also may be either unchurched or de-churched; but they are not wholly satisfied.
They have some desire, some sense of loss about being “spiritual loners.” This group is most open to being evangelized. However, they almost never make the first move to connect or reconnect with a church. But, if someone extends a hand to them, they will reach for it.
We Listen
The first step in evangelizing is not talking, but listening. All kinds of scenarios can be imagined. Someone confides a worry about health problems. A parent is upset about a son or daughter’s behavior. A spouse is troubled by tensions in the marriage.
Someone is worried about rumors of downsizing in the company and possible layoffs. Someone is grieving the loss of a loved one or a broken relationship. A teen is feeling left out of the peer group.
Instead of dispensing easy advice or pious clichés, we listen carefully and respond in an empathic, nonjudgmental manner. Perhaps we ask a few questions to clarify the situation, so that the person feels understood and accepted.
We Share Our Own Story
I always tell people that they do not need to have an abundance of biblical texts handy in order to evangelize or share their faith. If they do, so much the better. Their greatest resource, however, is their own spiritual experience. All of us, if we think about it, have had experiences when we knew we were in the presence of God; were touched, helped, encouraged, or healed by God; were brought up short or deeply comforted by hearing or reading a Scripture passage or listening to a Christian song.
Often, the encouragement or help came through a person; yet we were convinced it was really God who brought it about. That is what we share with the one who has opened up to us: “You know, I’ve been through something like that in my own life. And what helped me most was my faith in God (or Jesus).” Then we share briefly what happened. Someone taught me a simple formula for this: “Once I was . . . Then God did . . . Now I am.” At one point in my life, I was discouraged. . . or afraid . . . or worried . . . or feeling guilty. . . or going through a heavy loss . . . or feeling depressed. . . . We describe the situation as briefly and honestly as we can.
Then we respond with, “God did something (often through another person/persons). I read or heard a passage from the Bible that spoke to me powerfully about God’s love and care for each of us. Someone listened to me and promised to pray for me—and I felt a new confidence.
I was at Sunday Mass and we were singing this beautiful song that spoke to me personally, and I knew God was with me. I had some serious health problems and I asked friends at church to pray for me; my doctor prescribed the right medication and now I’m feeling great.”
The beauty of this approach is its simplicity and noninvasiveness. We do not argue. We do not boast. We do not “talk theology.” We do not try to “solve the problem.” We simply share our experience. When finished, we give the other person a chance to respond. Perhaps this is as far as he or she is willing to go at this point, which is fine. That person has had a good experience of being listened to and
We Invite
If the person seems open, we can move to the third step. We invite (not pressure) the other to take a next step. “What do you think of this?” we might say. “Have you ever thought of praying about your problem?”
We might invite him or her to an activity at our parish, such as a lecture, a Bible study, a concert, a children’s play or program, the parish festival.
We might even invite the person to Sunday Mass, especially if he or she is a nonpracticing Catholic. As part of the invitation, always promise to meet the person at the church. We can’t expect people to come to a strange place on their own. It is wise to exchange phone numbers if possible.
Sometimes seekers will have questions, like “Why does the Church do or teach this or that?” If you have the answer, by all means give it. If not, promise that you will find out and will get back to them. Don’t be ashamed to say, “You know, that’s a good question. I guess I’ve never really thought about it. I’ll find out and get back to you” (another good reason to exchange phone numbers or emails).
Initiating Faith Conversations
The method I’ve described has been called relational evangelism. It takes place in the context of natural situations where people encounter one another face-to-face, often by chance. It follows a simple, three-step process: listening, sharing your faith story, inviting. It provides an easy entrée for people who are seeking a spiritual connection.
It assumes, however, that the seeker will initiate the conversation by sharing a problem or concern. Sometimes faith sharing will require a more assertive approach. I have met Catholics who do not hesitate to initiate spiritual conversations, though not in a heavy-handed way. They will say to one or several people, “We had a special program at Mass last Sunday,” then go on to describe it. Or, “Our church had an interesting speaker the other night. . . .” “Did you read that article (or watch the TV program)?” about some spiritual topic.
The purpose of these gestures is not to make converts or fill up our empty pews. It is simply to open doors, to let others know that our faith has made a positive difference in our lives, and that God’s love and saving help are available to them as well. Above all, we share our faith because it is a gift entrusted to us by the Lord Jesus. It is an act of faithful stewardship.
A Treasure to Share
We Catholics keep hearing that we need to move beyond our reticence and our habit of keeping our faith to ourselves. We are called to be more mission-driven, more willing to risk some degree of discomfort in order to further the message of Christ. But we have not been empowered, not taught that there are ordinary, simple ways to share our faith.
Perhaps we have not realized that many people, while not practicing any particular religion, are nevertheless searching for some higher purpose, for something to believe in. We need to be convinced that our Catholic faith is a treasure that we are able to share with such seekers.
Despite all the Church’s problems, Catholicism continues to have an appeal, almost a fascination, for many people. This is true even of nonpracticing Catholics, and even with the scandals and failures of the Church in our time. While some want nothing more to do with the Church, many have just lost their connection. The faith still slumbers within them and may be reawakened.
Research has found that at least one-third of de-churched Catholics would like to reconnect with the Church, but they are reluctant to make the first move. They are waiting for an invitation, or a sign that they will be welcomed. Our lay Catholic faithful, baptized into Christ, confirmed by the Holy Spirit, empowered by sharing in the Eucharist, are in a privileged position to open the doors of welcome.
In the words of St. Francis of Assisi (watch the accompanying video below): “We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.” At the end of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus calls the disciples together before his ascension into heaven. First, he “rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart” because they had not believed those who saw him risen from the dead. Yet he solemnly commissioned them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature” (16:14-15). What confidence the Lord Jesus had in these fragile men and women. He has not changed. He has the same confidence in us.
