Connect to other Christian churches
Evangelization is not just for non-Christians, however, it is important to work with the various Christian denominations as well, Shea said.
“We are discovering again our lives as missionaries in the world,” he said of Catholics. “And we’ve seen this especially in the pro-life movement.”
A powerful way to spark conversation and heal divisions between Christian denominations is to focus on common goals. The pro-life movement is a prime example of this, he said.
“This is one of the profound ways that Christians are coming from all walks of life, recognizing the commonalities that we have,” Shea said. As an example, he pointed to the annual “40 Days for Life” prayer vigil in which Christians from all backgrounds pray in front of abortion clinics across the country.
Working together on common causes is a great way to begin the conversation and recognize the strengths both sides have, he said.
“Catholics tend to look across the fence, so to speak, and say wistfully, ‘I wish I knew the Bible as well as Evangelicals did,” Shea said. “Evangelicals look across the fence and wish they could be more mystical and prayerful like Catholics.”
These are great starting points for discussions. And the conversations don’t require gifted orators or skilled debaters. All that is needed is access to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and teachings of the magisterium.
Don't water it down
While it is important to share commonalities and similarities, it is also crucial not to water down the faith, Shea cautioned.
“The mission of the church is to proclaim the church and not to compromise,” he said.
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That’s especially true when it comes to young people, he noted. It is important that the message is challenging and that hard questions are tackled head on.
He pointed to Pope John Paul II as an example of a successful evangelizer who did not water down the message for young people.
“John Paul II understood that the task of youth is heroism,” Shea explained. “He gave youth the good news that God is calling us to something that is so hard, so heroic that is it worth dying for.”
And the youth responded, Shea added, pointing to the large crowds the late pontiff attracted at various World Youth Days — crowds that were among the largest youth gatherings ever seen on earth.
People are responding to the challenge and call of the Gospel. A population the size of Tallahassee, Florida enters the Catholic Church each year in the United States, Shea noted. These people came because they were invited to something that challenged and fed them spiritually. They came, he added, because others answered the call to be evangelists.
Printed with permission from Catholicanchor.org