Teenagers today are struggling. They are wounded. Some have big wounds caused by abuse, both physical and emotional. They have big, challenging issues with sexual abuse, physical abuse, drugs, and alcohol. So many of them–even the popular kids–feel like outcasts. They feel unwelcome and not accepted for who they are. This isn’t a Catholic problem…
Evangelizing Ministry
Why did Jesus speak in parables?
This post is a part of an ongoing series of discoveries about the new evangelization. (Find out more here.) Today, I spent some time looking at the first occurrence of a parable in the Gospels: What was it about? What message did Jesus have for the kingdom? Instead, I got very interested in the question…
Good Apologetics, Bad Apologetics
Apologetics can either remove the obstacles that stand in the way of truth or they can create them. We can either push people away or invite them in. Apologetics can be a fearful form of self-preservation or an artful presentation of the beauty of our faith. When we share our faith, we must do it…
The Friendship Evangelization Strategy: How to Share Your Faith Without Feeling Bad About It
As Christians, we’re supposed to share our faith; we’re supposed to be evangelizers. The problem is, it is so hard to be a Christian evangelizer and not feel uncomfortable about how we will be received. Despite working in evangelizing ministry at many different levels and settings, I’ve always found the idea of “evangelization” makes my…
Developing a Grassroots Approach to Ministry
“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.” Blessed Teresa of Calcutta We all want to have ministries that attract big numbers of highly engaged people, right? We spend days, weeks, and even months planning big events or designing curriculum and programs to get people…
