The Evangelizing Parish

Written by a highly respected cardinal and a former head of the Vatican office for worship and sacraments, this book shows how the local Catholic parish in any town has tremendous potential to evangelize its surrounding community. Francis Cardinal Arinze reveals the important roles of both priests and laity in spreading the Gospel within the parish and beyond. This work can help priests to realize the many great possibilities they have to be strong spiritual leaders and to inspire their parishioners to become committed and effective evangelists. It can awaken all the members of a parish to live and to share more zealously the saving power of Jesus Christ.

"Creating the Evangelizing Parish challenges those who realize the importance of evangelization and are eager to make an impact on Catholic Church life today. Co-authors Frank DeSiano and Kenneth Boyack clearly explain the definition of evangelization and offer for further clarification, an "encounter model" of evangelization which specifically places the ministry into the framework of personal relationships. The authors then describe actual parish dynamics and organization in terms of their universal evangelizing purposes as understood by the church." "Creating the Evangelizing Parish is key reading for church leaders who want to take charge of their parishes' direction, establish evangelization teams, and implement effective parish strategies for renewal. Every pastor, pastoral staff member, parish counselor, and other workers in evangelization will gladly welcome this book as a pastoral and practical resource for their ministry. Creating the Evangelizing Parish will richly reward those who look for new directions in their ministry and the church."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Evangelization, contrary to what many people believe, is not just a Protestant concern; in fact, writes Robert Rivers, it is Catholic to the core. In this practical, approachable work he suggests that the Catholic parish is a wonderful setting to carry out the evangelizing work of the church. He makes the case that evangelization holds they key to the future of the church because it was in fact the centerpiece of post-Vatican Council reform. Drawing from the USCCB document Go and Make Disciples, which offers a comprehensive plan and strategy for evangelization, he explores ways to challenge us to become Catholic evangelizers. And he proposes ways to move from maintenance to mission-oriented parishes. "My purpose," affirms the author, "is to try to place before the reader a compelling vision of Catholic evangelization and share some strategic thinking that might enable us to implement the great vision to which we have been called." He attains that goal convincingly, practically, and hopefully. +

The perfect gift! A specially priced, beautifully designed hardcover edition of The Joy of the Gospel with a foreword by Robert Barron and an afterword by James Martin, SJ. “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus… In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.” – Pope Francis This special edition of Pope Francis's popular message of hope explores themes that are important for believers in the 21st century. Examining the many obstacles to faith and what can be done to overcome those hurdles, he emphasizes the importance of service to God and all his creation. Advocating for “the homeless, the addicted, refugees, indigenous peoples, the elderly who are increasingly isolated and abandoned,” the Holy Father shows us how to respond to poverty and current economic challenges that affect us locally and globally. Ultimately, Pope Francis demonstrates how to develop a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ, “to recognize the traces of God’s Spirit in events great and small.” Profound in its insight, yet warm and accessible in its tone, The Joy of the Gospel is a call to action to live a life motivated by divine love and, in turn, to experience heaven on earth. Includes a foreword by Robert Barron, author of Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith and James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

Finally, a practical, step-by-step guide to the new evangelization! Father Robert J. Hater takes the New Evangelization from concept and theory to practical application, and shows pastoral leaders and ministers exactly how to implement it parish-wide. In A Parish Guide to the New Evangelization you will learn: How to overcome challenges to the new evangelization How to motivate parishioners to evangelize How to coordinate efforts at the parish level How to effectively reach inactive Catholics How to use the web and other media to promote your evangelization efforts What sets Catholic evangelization apart from Protestant evangelization How to jump start parish evangelization And much more! Father Robert J. Hater encourages all pastoral leaders to renew their commitment to the new evangelization, and subsequently take pride in developing an evangelizing parish.

The Church is calling Catholics to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to a world that desperately needs it. But what does this evangelizing mission look like for you and your parish? And how can you begin? This little book will help you imagine the answers to those questions with practical advice and creative ideas to get you started.

This statement by the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis on the New Evangelization focuses on reaching out to Catholics, practicing or not, who have lost a sense of the faith and seek to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church. This resource examines what the New Evangelization is, its focus, its importance for the Church and how dioceses and parishes can promote it.

"A resource for parish staffs and leaders." Includes index.