‘Evangelisation finds its fulfilment when the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the Kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God are proclaimed by our actions and our words.’ (Understanding Evangelisation p.12)
Through our Baptism we are called into the mission of the Church to promote the reign of God, continuing the mission of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. ‘This mission centres not on the Church but on the transformation of the world according to the person and vision of Jesus Christ, especially his Kingdom values of peace, justice, forgiveness and love.” (Let Your Light Shine booklet p.13)
Catholics need to recognise and value the impact of their everyday witness as faith-filled disciples of Jesus by seeking to establish loving relationships with others and working to build a better world.
This witness takes two basic forms:
- Proclamation: proclaiming the good news of Jesus through celebration of the liturgy, by word of mouth to others and through the example of lives faithful to the Gospel
- Dialogue: engaging in dialogue that leads to collaboration and action in working for social justice and social welfare to improve our world and alleviate the sufferings of others.
Both forms of evangelisation can be undertaken as individuals or as a community (eg parish or archdiocese) effort.
Examples of some individual evangelisation initiatives include:
- Speaking about the importance of your faith to family and friends
- Offering to pray and intercede for the needs of others
- Standing up for what you believe in at your workplace
- Supporting campaigns that respect the rights and needs of others
- Being active in pursuing justice, peace and environmental issues
Examples of some community evangelisation initiatives include:
- Parish team running outreach programs that seek to promote a better understanding of the person and vision of Jesus (eg Alpha)
- Collaborating with other Christian churches , community groups or networks to address a public issue with a Christian viewpoint (eg Euthanasia debate)
- Parish involvement in local community projects to help the poor (eg roster for local meals on wheels, St Vincent de Paul Christmas hampers etc)
- Archdiocesan media campaigns inviting others to come and learn about Jesus