Stories Of The New Evangelization

To be Christians means to be missionaries, to be apostles. It is not enough to discover Christ you must bring him to others! John Paul II, Fourth World Youth Day. Pope John Paul II urged the church repeatedly and persistently to proclaim the gospel to all humanity. This summons to a new evangelization characterized his papacy. But what does the new evangelization mean? And who is supposed to evangelize? What is the role of the parish? Of married couples? How do we evangelize teens? And what are the ecumenical dimensions of evangelism? In this book twenty-two authors address these and many other issues. Cardinal Avery Dulles describes the evangelical shift in the church since Vatican II; those involved in day-to-day evangelism provide practical tips for evangelizing the poor (Sr. Linda Koontz), street evangelism (Leonard Sullivan), using spiritual gifts (Peter Herbeck) and much more.

"One of Pope John Paul II's most important legacies is his repeated call to a "new evangelization," the need to reevangelize traditionally Christian societies that are hurtling toward secularization. This book brings together the best scholarship on this topic."--BOOK JACKET.

Offers a realistic report on the strategies and techniques used by activists to deliver the Catholic message. Reporting on both the failures and successes across a vast array of evangelist organizations--including schools, parishes, pro-life groups, and home schools.

"No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples."-- Blessed John Paul II With the encouragement of Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, discover a renewed urgency and growing enthusiasm for sharing the Gospel with those in your life, both non-believers and those who are no longer practicing their faith. In The Urgency of the New Evangelization: Answering the Call, Ralph Martin explains: It's not just a churchy buzzword It's not just for priests and missionaries to carry out YOU and every individual Catholic play a role It is literally a matter of life or death for everyone in your life And... it's not as hard as you think

The thrust for a so-called new evangelization has been one of the most important actions of the Pontificate of Benedict XVI. This expression is rooted in the Second Vatican Council and was used for the first time by John Paul II in 1979, to signify the desire to announce the Christian message with greater impact and freshness. In this era of ideological and cultural crisis within Western society, the Church has the delicate task of guiding man and society towards salvation, towards a life closer to the word of Christ. To this end, Benedict XVI has created a new Vatican department, dedicated specifically to the evangelization of the Western world, under the guidance of Archbishop Fisichella. In this important book, which is a cultural and religious manifesto for the Year of Faith, Archbishop Fisichella explains what constitutes the great task in which he, and the Church, are called upon to propose the centrality of the family, promoting the ethics of finance, redeveloping the presence of Catholics in politics and especially urging people not to get trapped in isolation and indifference. The fact that you call it "new" is not intended to qualify the content of evangelization, but the condition and the way in which it is made. Benedict XVI's Apostolic Letter Ubicumque et semper rightly emphasizes that it is considered appropriate "to provide adequate answers because the whole Church is present in the contemporary world and with a missionary zeal can promote a new evangelization."

Saint Paul and the New Evangelization is your guide to participating in one of the most important renewal movements in the history of the church. Several popes have spoken of the urgent need to reenergize those who have either grown lukewarm in their faith or abandoned it altogether. You know people like this. You probably have friends and family members you pray for every day. Ronald D. Witherup, SS, analyzes the techniques of one of the churchs best evangelistsPaul of Tarsusto show how we can help reinvigorate the faith of friends and loved ones. You dont need to know a lot about the Bible or theology. Just follow St. Pauls inspiring example, and discover how to talk about your faith in ways that change hearts.

"This is a new moment in the life of the Church, a new Pentecost. It's our turn now, to share the great gift we have been given, the gift of our Catholic faith, and renew the face of the earth." - Cardinal Donald Wuerl For the first time since the term "New Evangelization" was coined by Blessed John Paul II, 250 bishops from all over the world were called to Rome by Pope Benedict XVI to discuss it, define it, and determine what it really means to Catholics today. In an exclusive first-hand summary of the three-week Synod, a leader of the gathering, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, provides a succinct, specific and tactical roadmap for where Catholics and parishes and dioceses go from here, including: What's the point? The three most important priorities of the New Evangelization What am I up against? The three "isms" that get in the way of sharing and growing the Faith What do I do? How to galvanize people around one simple truth of the Gospel message Where it all began: The four theological foundations of the New Evangelization Learning from the best: The four characteristics of great evangelizers In addition to personal and group reflection questions at the end of every chapter, Cardinal Wuerl also shares his own personal faith sharing experiences with non-Catholics and Catholics alike and how the insight he gained shaped his own view of the New Evangelization. A must-read for all parish communities