I am spending more of my time training parish staff and volunteers in the process of Evangelization. So little is really understood about evangelization, and we have had the bishops and cardinals calling for the “New Evangelization” since the early 1960’s. Why has it taken so long for people in the local parishes to not only hear about it, but begin to respond to it?
In my observations over the past eleven years, it has become crystal clear to me that if the Catholic Church (in the United States) is going to genuinely respond to the “New Evangelization”, it is going to do so kicking and screaming. They simply don’t want to do what is really required to accomplish it. This statement is not directed toward any given group (clergy or laity), but to the entire Church.
During the first few years of my observation, very few people (including some clergy) had no real understanding of what evangelization was, let alone the “New Evangelization”. I don’t mean this as a slap against the clergy because they were not trained in evangelization in seminary.
The laity’s view of it was simply something that the Protestants did, and “since we’re not Protestant, we don’t have to do it.” It was almost as if we collectively stuck our heads in the ground and hoped it would all turn around.
As the Church began to pay attention to the signs of the times and the great exodus occurring out of our parishes, some bishops and pastors began to take notice. Honestly, I don’t believe it became a real issue in the minds of most in leadership until the money to sustain our parishes began to dry up.
Then the leadership was looking for the magic program that would turn it all around. All the while, the inherent issues were never really being addressed. Now we find ourselves in crisis on several fronts, and the remnant faithful (clergy and laity) are searching for answers. The answer will only come from the Holy Spirit through both groups.
After years of forming volunteers within our parishes, the Church is going to need authentic disciples to right the course of the Church. Those who are close to the Holy Spirit will are already seeing that a great sacrifice is going to be required of all of us. One of the greatest sacrifices is that of time.
The volunteer has been working to build his kingdoms on earth and giving God (and his Church) the leftovers of time, talent and treasure. To return to authentic evangelization, we are going to have to do the work of relationship-building with strangers. This will take precious time that, frankly, most volunteers aren’t prepared to give, thus the “kicking and screaming” we will do as the Spirit increases the level of persecution.
Pope Francis coined the phrase “Missionary Disciples” to place an emphasis on the fact that disciples “should be missionary” in their identity and behavior. Each of us are commanded to make disciples (Matt. 28:19), and that requires the process of evangelization.
The problem is that we have volunteers who were never trained to be disciples who give everything to Jesus, and they were never trained to bring others to Him.
It is for this reason that NEM (New Evangelization Ministries) exists. We are almost ready to roll out the training. The question is, are the parishioners?
Dcn. Ralph,
Very well said, I believe as God teaches us that it is our part as Chirstens to teach each other. And his teaching can come in many forms. Evangelization should be a welcome teaching tool to learn his word and how we can apply that to our daily lives. We all need to realize that we need the word of our Lord in our lives so I think your so right let’s get back to what works. Sometimes there’s never a right time but if we never experience that time at all we’ll always wonder what we could of shared together.
Well said, Oscar! Your response rings of St. Paul’s exhortation of Timothy to do the work in good times or bad. 2 Tim. 4:1-5.
Preach it brother!
Dcn. Ralph,
I will be short on the subject. You hit many fine points about how the church response is inadequate to the call of Discipleship. Another program that teaches about small group Dynamics or such, is left lacking any long term solution to the problems ahead. This is caused by the short term fix it mentality of many leaders within the parish. The expenditure of resources of time, talent and treasure is only a short term fix at the parish level and not supported fully or understood at the diocese. We are only plugging holes in the dam that is about to burst with our fingers. We have no vision of the storm ahead and as a body, we are totally ilprepared to respond to this need. So few of us have the resources necessary to meet the needs of the many unchurched seekers who will be descending on us shortly. How we respond will truly be a challenge of true Discipleship.
Paul, I loved your insightful comments. I agree with you. There is hope! I see the Holy Spirit gathering pockets of communities of faith that will become the “pipeline of grace”, where the Spirit will flow.
We may be ill prepared for what’s coming but God is still in control.
Dcn. Ralph,
I heard your story today on 820 am radio, and I felt like your story clashed with what I been feeling in my own life. I need more and want more but don’t know what or where to turn. I am now wondering if your ministry is where God is leading me. Your article here is just another bread crumb in my life’s journey to Jesus. Thanks for saying yes to the Holy Spirit, and doing great important work.
Amen, Humble Thanks.
Hi Again,
Wondering what training you are almost ready to roll out? It truly is the question for our day how to we help people become disciples. I think we have the encounter part going very well but leading them on the next step is not clear. We have tried various things and it is falling short. I think it involves bringing people into your homes, praising the Lord, prayer with each other and for each other, sharing where God has showed up in your lives with each other…but then there is a mentoring aspect that must be included. It is really what my number one prayer is Lord how to we make disciples….So I look forward to hearing more of what you team is planning.
God Bless all you do!
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
We are working on a new kind of Small Group/Mentoring Process that can be used in conjunction with other programs as well as a follow up to our Evangelistic Mission. We are very excited about the possibilities. The goal of this process is to grow in faith.
The second item in the pipeline is a training program, for the average parishioner, in the Evangelization Process. We have been testing methodologies out for eleven years. It has become very clear that despite giving a comprehensive training on how to evangelize, most will only go as far as their fears allow them. So when we roll this out, it will be designed to deal with the knowledge and the fear.
I will send you a link to sign up for notification of upcoming announcements.
Come Holy Spirit!!!
To Christ Be The Glory!!!
Great! I am at a large parish running Alpha and really need a better road map for after Alpha. Look forward to your plan.
The only real answer to establishing a credible road map is for your leadership team to begin a period of prayer and discernment to determine what the Holy Spirit wants to accomplish there.
So many parishes are looking programs, which aren’t bad but they don’t provide a comprehensive plan. Instead, they look to programs tell them what to do.
That being said, here is a link to sign up for information about future tools for parishes.
https://goo.gl/forms/ic3CQ2paO16uTgH72
I would love to hear more abou NEM and the roll out. Thanks
Here is the link to sign up on.
https://goo.gl/forms/ic3CQ2paO16uTgH72
My conversion began with prayer from the heart, specifically the rosary. Do you think promoting prayer (making our parishes a “school of prayer”) might be the first step in preparing the hearts of the parishioners to open to evangelization and missionary discipleship?
Great Tami,
One of the biggest problems within our parishes today is that we are very “program dependent.” That is to say that the only way we know how to do ministry, evangelize or disciple is through programs. The problem is that most of the people not in the core of the parish don’t attend programs.
So, while making a church a “school of prayer” is a good thing, the people you really want to attend most often will not come.
The key, I believe, is to unleash saints (like you :o) into their parish to establish relationships with their fellow parishioner in the fringe and draw them, through a relationship, back to Christ.