Evangelization

Evangel = Good News (Greek) (same word as Gospel in English) Evangelization = Sharing Good News

Analogy All humans are like beggars, in need of God in their lives, just as a beggar needs food. Christians are like beggars who have found “spiritual food” in Jesus. Evangelization is simply one beggar sharing his/her food with other beggars who do not yet have the food.

Our Lady of Soledad, Coachella, California PROSELYTIZE: To try to convert people to another religion through force by exercising pressure on them or by manipulating them. EVANGELIZE: (TO GIVE TESTIMONY): To share and make known something we have seen, felt and lived. As Christians, we are first of all witnesses to what we believe. To be a disciple, in fact, is precisely to give testimony to the faith.

Question Should Christians Evangelize?

Our Lady of Soleda d, Coach ella, Califor nia Statistics: George Gallup estimates that 88 percent of Christians that go to Church in the U.S. are only “Christians in name.” This is to say that their faith has no impact on their lives. He maintains that only 12 percent consider themselves “very committed to their faith” to the point that their faith is reflected in the way they live. Between percent of Catholics in the United States attend Mass regularly, with “regularly” meaning more than only on major feasts, weddings and funerals. In the last 10 years, about 30% of U.S. Catholics have “dropped out” of the Catholic Church. About half no longer attend any church. The other half now attend a non-Catholic church.

Fundamental Bible Verse: The Great Commission of Jesus: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and Lo, I am with you always until the end of time.” -- Matthew 28:19-20

Evangelization: The Work of All “The whole Church is apostolic, in that she remains, through the successor of St. Peter and the other apostles, in communion of faith and life with her origin: and in that she is ‘sent out’ into the whole world. All members of the Church share in this mission, though in various ways.” -- Catechism of the Catholic Church 863 “The duty of Christians to take part in the life of the Church impels them to act as witnesses of the Gospel and of the obligations that flow from it. The witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds.” -- Catechism of the Catholic Church 2472

Our La dy of Sol ed ad, Co ac hel la, Cal ifor nia “Aggressive” or “Preaching” Style Six Styles of Evangelization Saint Monica Mother Angelica Billy Graham

Our Lady of Soleda d, Coach ella, Califor nia Intellectual Style (Apologetics) Six Styles of Evangelization Saint Thomas Aquinas

O u r L a d y of S ol e d a d, C o a c h el la, C al if o r ni a Testimonial Style Six Styles of Evangelization Saint Augustine Saint Paul

Our Lad y of Sole dad, Coa chel la, Cali forn ia Interpersonal Style Six Styles of Evangelization Jesus … through friendships and relationships

Our Lady of Sole dad, Coac hella, Calif ornia Service Style Six Styles of Evangelization Blessed Mother Teresa Blessed Brother André (Member of Holy Cross)

Ou r La dy of So le da d, Co ac he lla, Ca lif or ni a Action Style Six Styles of Evangelization Cesar Chavez Martin Luther King Jr.

Our Lady of Soledad, Coachella, California TWO TYPES OF TESTIMONY: 1. Our Deeds: Testimony of Life 2. Our Words: Testimony of Proclamation