Evangelisation - spreading the Good News of salvation and new
life in Jesus Christ - seems such an official "Church phrase"
sometimes. It conjures up soapbox preaching on street corners, or
being directly associated with a formal diocesan organisation or course.
Most of us, however, are not involved in anything of that sort. We
merely get on with our ordinary lives, and try to be "salt and
light" where we live and work. I've been asked to share some
of these experiences to encourage those of you who, like me, are not
"official evangelists", but rather, run-of-the-mill disciples
of Jesus Christ in our everyday lives.
My husband, Paul, and I moved to Lancashire five years ago. It took
a year or so to begin acquainting ourselves with the people, the place,
and the parish. Eventually, we asked the parish priest if we could
show Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa's talks on video (Drink From the Wells
of the Church) in our parish hall one evening a week during Advent
and Lent. I prepared an outline of each talk with questions for discussion.
About 6-10 people turned up each week - the "stalwarts"
of the parish. Nothing came of it afterwards.
With the permission of our parish priest, I started a morning Bible
Study for ladies in our home, advertising with posters and sending
personal invitations to people I had come to know and whom I thought
might be interested. I purchased a large coffee machine which made
up to eighty cups of coffee, and lined up a lending library of good
Christian books and videos. Two women came (one a neighbour who took
pity on me, I think!) for a few Wednesdays, but it fizzled out.
We have a large, comfortable home which can accommodate lots of people,
so a few months later Paul and I decided to host four "Discipleship
Dinners" on consecutive Friday nights from 7.30-9.30pm (busy
people need to know when things start and finish!) We offered a buffet
supper with a glass of wine, thirty minutes catechesis (I'm a religion
teacher) followed by thirty minutes discussion. We put up posters
and sent out invitations once again, not knowing who would come. Thirteen
people, ranging from the 'un-churched' to committed Catholics, turned
up (some we knew, some we did not!) They all seemed to thoroughly
enjoy it, not least the food and fellowship, in our delightful old
farmhouse. But nothing came of that, either (at least, not that we
know of!)
At the same time, I offered four Wednesday mornings (to start) called
"Christian Coffees" for women, from 9.30-11.30am, to explain
the basic teachings of Christianity from Scripture and Church teaching
(we used a booklet called Do We All Worship the Same God? from Proclaim!
Publications; but many of the videos from Catholic Evangelisation
Services would do, or a Scott Hahn Bible Study found on the internet).
This, surprisingly, was well-attended, and lo and behold, the ladies
wanted to continue after the four sessions. Since many of them had
babies or small children, they brought them as well (one Mum a week
offered to look after them in the conservatory while we had our Bible
Study in the living room.) This Bible Study has grown (they are inviting
their friends!) so there are more than a dozen mothers now. One woman
says it's her "anchor"; others say that it's a godsend since
they are unable to attend Church events other than Sunday Mass because
they are usually offered in the evenings or on weekends - an impossibility
with a young family.
These mothers fellowship with one another and of course we pray together.
They are passing around the Christian books and audio cassettes I
lend them (audios being very practical for young mothers who can listen
in the car or whilst ironing, or nursing their babies!) The have decided
they want to begin the Life in the Spirit Seminar (on video) next
- in the comfort of my living room!
Our latest initiative is a once-a-month Sunday lunch in our home
for up to six girls from nearby Stonyhurst College, some of whom we
know, others we don't (last week we took them walking with our dogs
up on the Fell after lunch: they loved it!) Who knows what the Lord
will do through that?
It is needless to mention to Goodnews readers that
neither my husband nor I would have ever dreamt of doing any of these
evangelistic outreaches before we were baptised in the Holy Spirit:
the key to "lifestyle evangelism". (note: read The Holy
Spirit, the Missing Person, by Peter Kreeft!)
