Saint Mary Mokena Parish will host a crash course on street evangelization on Saturday, February 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the church hall. The workshop will be held by St. Paul Street Evangelization (SPSE), a nationwide, nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing the Catholic faith with others in a polite, non-confrontational way.
The full-day workshop will include a morning snack and lunch, as well as educational materials for a cost of $25 per person. Topics will include evangelization in modern culture, basic etiquette of the evangelist, evangelical apologetics and more.
“The Gospels call us to spread Christ’s message throughout the world,” says Melissa Novak, Faith Formation Director at Saint Mary Mokena. “It’s not always easy to know when or how to evangelize, though, which is why our upcoming workshop is dedicated to giving Catholics a blueprint to help guide them in this vital ministry. Our hope is that after this training session you will discover how to have a conversation about your faith without coming across as preachy or pushy and that you will gain confidence in answering questions without getting into a debate or heated argument!”
Founded in May 2012, St. Paul Street Evangelization provides the tools and resources for Catholics to engage the culture in a simple, non-confrontational method of evangelization which involves making themselves available to the public to answer questions about the faith and to pray with those who request it.
SPSE evangelists take to the streets, going wherever people are gathered – on a street corner, at a festival, or even at a football game. Unlike some forms of street evangelism which seek to forcibly proselytize those passing by (for example, by yelling, displaying confrontational signs, or preaching loudly), SPSE employs a non-confrontational method, maintaining a peaceful presence and allowing people to approach if they choose. Initial contact is limited to a friendly greeting and an offer of a free Rosary, but the evangelist never tries to force anyone to stop and talk.
For more information, or to register, please contact Melissa Novak at 708-326-9313. Space is limited to 200 people.
Check out the SPSE website for more at http://streetevangelization.com/
