www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Bishop For A Day

First, I am not trying to say that I know more than the hierarchy or that I could even do their job. As I see it whatever the current �plan� is isn�t working. We continue to have double digit declines. With this in mind I would like to present a few ideas that others may comment on. Who knows perhaps I might have a good idea.

If I were Bishop for a day I would do the following:

1. I would issue an official letter to all Churches stating the most important goal of every Church is to grow the Church. Everything else is secondary. Many Churches do fund raising, like cooking pierogi. These activities should be stopped if they interfere with the primary goal of evangelization. I would remind each Church that we are open to everyone and no one regardless of Race, Nationality, Religion, etc� should feel they are excluded from our Church.

2. I would spell out ideas for evangelization that each Church should take into account and decide how best to implement. I would spell out a few ideas:
a. Have priest encourage each Church to start a new vocation of greeters. Greeters should be present at the beginning of each Liturgy to ensure anyone new to the Church is properly greeted and any help, etc� is given to the person so that they may feel as welcome as possible.
b. If a new person does enter the Church they should be given an information booklet about the Church. If the person is not a BC then the greeter should assign someone to sit by that new person the help them follow the liturgy and feel welcome.
c. A DVD should be produced explaining Christ and His Church. This low cost DVD should be mass produced and each parishioner is expected to hand out these DVDs to whom they feel is appropriate. The Church should raise funds to support this multi-media effort.
d. If cost prohibited the local Church(s) should raise funds to support a weekly radio program (if possible). In many cases cost can be as little as $200.00 a week. The Eparchy will work with the local Church to provide the programming (recorded) for the radio station.
e. Churches are to ask parishioners for technical support in developing new forms of Evangelical media. Those parishioners are encouraged to develop dynamic web pages with rich in content aimed at evangelization. The Eparchy will assist Churches in this area if local resources are not available.
f. Priests shall, at least weekly, train parishioners in apologetics and are to provide parishioners with apologetic resources.
g. Local Churches are encouraged to form groups which will help preserve the local community. These groups may contain the following:
i. Pray group to pray for the needs of the Church. This group should meet on a regular basis to pray for the special intentions of the Parishioners and the Church.
ii. Every Church should have a Pro-Life group.
iii. Here are some additional ideas: (http://www.calvarymelbourne.org/ministry_list.aspx?mcat=Adults).
h. The Eparchy will provide Priest with resources for training parishioners to become missionaries. The Eparchy will target specific growth areas for missionary activity. Each church will ask for volunteers to support these targeted missionary activities (ex. http://www.newyorkgo.org/tv.html or http://www.ccmtp.com/mtpaudiovideo.html).
i. Public singing is encouraged.
j. With the support of the Eparcy priest shall provide classes for missionaries:
i. Evangelism/Discipleship: The purpose of this class is to learn in practice how to share your faith. It is our goal to equip the student with the necessary tools to share the gospel with those who
���� a) are unbelieving
���� b) of a different culture than their own
���� c) share differing religious views than their own.
ii. Women�s Ministry/Men�s Ministry: In this class the student will learn some of the particulars of ministry. It is our goal to teach the Biblical principles which underline men�s and women�s ministry. There is so much confusion concerning the role of the man and the role of the woman, thus we believe that a proper understanding of the Word will remove the confusion that exists today.
iii. Practical Missions: The purpose of this class is to teach the student many of the practical issues involved in being a missionary and/or in mission�s work. This class is to prepare students for immediate mission�s work or to help them in serving as senders for other missionaries.
iv. The Life of the Early Church (Acts): The early Church was one of great growth and power before God and men. It is our desire in this class to teach through the book of Acts and look at how the early Church functioned. We will look for the principles that made this church what it was.

I'd elect you, Ray.

God bless,

Karen

Hmmmm�..

If Ray were bishop for a day maybe we could start a resistance movement. And then withhold our tithe.

Ray,

You have some good ideas, and I thank you for sharing them !

But, I don't think leadership for evangelization can only or mostly come from the bishops.

Instead, I think leadership for evangelization must primarily come from the parishes and their individual members. Parishes must decide if they want to live or die. If they decide to live, then they must figure out how to grow themselves in their own local situations and with their own particular needs and resources. When/If they do that successfully, the Church will grow.

Also, I think evangelization can only be successful if it is a natural outgrowth of theosis. People can't give what they do not have. But if they have the love of God and neighbor within their hearts, then they will naturally reach out to those who do not love God and neighbor.

In short, I think that parishes shouldn't wait for a call or a program of evangelization from the Church leadership. We already have that call and program for evangelization, given to us by Jesus Christ Himself in the Gospel. All we have to do is carry it out: by His grace, through the Holy Spirit, and in whatever ways that the local situations of local parishes require.

-- John

John,

That is nice and all but God didn't tell us to lock ourselves in a Church and pray for the conversion of non-believers. HE specifically said, "Go therefore, to all nations..." In other words, get off your rear and spread the Gospel.

The honest truth is that we have become LAZY. That is the bottom line. It is a pure case of laziness which almost everyone is responsible for!

If we all did something like the ADMIN on this website has done we would not be talking about double digit declines but double digit growth.

If you want an example of what to do RIGHT then look at this website.

Ray,

Don't be discouraged. I like your ideas and it doesn't bother me if they come from the bishop or they are initiated by the local people in congregations. Just do it.

I've done things like those depicted in the NY Go video. We've taken young people out both day and night. One experience lasted for two days day and night in Dayton, Ohio. It's one phase of Evangelism. We have many visitors each Sunday at Annunciation and because of the authentic temple God has given us many people who come because of its beauty and intrigue.

I teach Theology at a Catholic University and make a visit to my church a mandatory part of the course. I teach Comparative Religions at a Junior College and offer a trip to my Church for extra credit. Many people in our Church invite their family and friends. It is not at all unusual to have visitors who come by way of that kind of invitation. Our people are very welcoming. People would have to really try to sneak away from Church to avoid being greeted.

Karl has challenged me to come up with a script for door to door visitation. I haven't done it yet. But I will.

CDL

When you do please share it. One thing we need is a central repository of ideas that work. Perhaps we can post those ideas on this website so everyone can access what has worked in the past.

Will do.

A couple of years ago we had a regular Piroghi sale on Saturdays. We would combine this with a tour of the Church. In the narthex Father or Deacon Father Tim would give a brief introduction to our history then we would go into the Church. Father or Deacon would share lessons on our liturgy and icons and then I'd give my conversion testimony.

I liked doing that. I don't know how many came to DL because of it but we did introduce ourselves. We should do it some more.

CDL

Yep, that is a great idea! We too had that but for various reasons we had to close our kitchen. I believe we will soon have a new kitchen and perhaps we will have a chance to do that as well.

I think it would be a better idea if you gave people a DVD on their way out after they have gotten their pierogi.

On the package of the pierogi you could stamp or have sticker that says,
"Made with love from servants of Christ. http://www.ourevangelismwebsite.com"

Ray,

If you think that theosis is to "lock ourselves in a Church and pray for the conversion of non-believers," then I respectfully suggest that your understanding of theosis is badly limited.

Theosis --which is holiness-- is living by grace in a closer life of union with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was not a quietest; He was not an activist either; He was --and is-- both contemplative and active. There is no contradiction or dichotomy between the active exterior life and the contemplative interior life: as proven by Jesus Christ and many of His saints, such as Mother Teresa.

My main point, which I apparently badly communicated, is that without being deeply united to Jesus Christ, the Church will fail in any of its efforts to promote itself. I'm not saying this to you in particular; I'm saying it in general. So often, I read or hear that we should "do something" to evangelize --which is true-- but I hear precious little about becoming holier. Yet, without becoming holier, our efforts at evangelization will remain mostly human efforts -- and not increasingly God's efforts in us and through us.

I will give a small but telling example. Catholics (eastern or western) rarely say the holy Name of "Jesus" -- except as a curse word. When Catholics do refer to the Divine, they usually say "God," sometimes they say "Lord," and occasionally they say "Christ." This is very odd for a religion which calls itself Christianity -- a religion based upon a individual man: Jesus Christ. I have to wonder if Catholics have gotten into the habit of thinking of God as more of an abstraction than the Ultimate Person who has come to be with us and save us in Christ Jesus. Meanwhile, our Evangelical and Fundamentalist brothers and sisters often say the most holy Name of Jesus: lovingly, faithfully and reverently. For them, Jesus is a real, living Person who has personally saved them from their sins and has personally reunited them to God the Father through the Holy Spirit. And they love Jesus so much that they feel impelled by their love to tell people about Him: in their example and in their words. I suspect --and I submit-- that their success is not so much based upon their marketing efforts (although those are impressive); but, instead, their success at gaining converts is because of their genuine love of Jesus which they share and communicate with others.

Theosis isn't just for monks, sitting in their cells and chanting the Jesus prayer. Theosis is holiness: growing in the life of Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, and unto the Father. Theosis / Holiness is as ordinary and mundane as taking care of children, performing one's work, doing the chores, and enjoying relaxation: all for the praise and glory of Jesus Christ. Theosis is living fully the life in Christ in the fullness of ordinary life. And, my main point is that unless we deepen and purify our relationship with Jesus Christ, we will not have much success at evangelizing others.

-- John

John,

There was this Saint once (I can't remember his name) whom when people asked, "why do you continue to preach?" His reply was, "so I will not become one of you." The meaning is that through evangelization we are partaking in the mysteries of Our Lord's mission for us. To truly follow ones Theosis is to partake in evangelization. If we all wait until we become Saints before we preach the Gospel, well I am afraid we will be waiting for a long time.

Ray,

That reminds me of what St. Francis of Assisi reportedly said: "Preach the Gospel always. Use words when necessary."

Sanctity and evangelization are not two different things. They are hand in hand activities in the life of Christ.

I salute and applaud your evangelical ideas and efforts. I would only add that people must also (not instead of) live ever deeper in the life of the Trinity, in order to share the life of the Trinity with others.

with sincere best wishes,

-- John

great idea greeters for people !

Dear Ray,

I don't know if we need to be bishops in order to implement what you've said here.

As a matter of fact, as good as what you've written is, my father-in-law has been doing all that and more for ten years now.

The entire neighbourhood, Ukrainians, Poles, Scots and all kinds of "ethnic mixtures" come by his parish during the coffee hour, go on tours of the Church, receive pamphlets etc.

If they don't sign up as parishioners, he goes to them to try and convince them to become members. They often say, "Well, why the hell not. . . ."

At feast-days, the Church is filled to overflowing now.

I think that people like my father-in-law should be appointed as a kind of "parish manager" and he is the head of the parish committee. They do greet people at the doors, and, more importantly, they chat them up at the koffee klatch afterwards, getting them to sign up, getting them to attend Liturgies et al.

This vocation needs sturdy, outgoing people who like the limelight and the thrill of involvement.

You should tell your bishop about my father-in-law.

You don't have to mention he's Ukrainian, though - but I'm sure he'll get the picture!

Alex