www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization How Would YOU Evangelize The US Eastern Churches?

Be certain that a parish bookstore is open each day the Divine Liturgy is served...

Have on hand books on Eastern Catholicism,CDs of the DL, icons, incense, etc. In today's culture, people seek information through print media before they make up their minds to speak to a priest...have it available.

Also, have on hand a flyer with resources such as the ByzCath , the local eparchy website, the names, addresses, and clergy names of the closest Byzantine parishes, with their service times and websites if known, etc. Place that at the door, the bookstore, and anywhere else that is "high traffic".

Some FAQ's about the East would be welcome, I am certain.

Gaudior, thoughtfully.

What can be done to evangelize?

#1. Live the Christian Life.
#2. Payer, fasting, and worship.
#3. Become like any succesful modern corporation have a good PR representative, to advertise, hospitality committee, welcome package to the parish, a program for the total family. From the womb to the tomb. In other words take care of them and others will come.
Stephanos I

However as long as your going to proclaim the Gospel there are some you will drive away.

Bless, Father Stephanos!

I'm wondering if what is being talked about here is not really "evangelization" but a way in which to get Christians to take their faith seriously.

There are those who say that we have no problem believing in God.

The problem is with living the life of God and for God.

Alex

Marvelous topic!!!!

Lots of good ideas!!!!

Lots of excellent techniques!!!!!

Some months ago, I said to a Roman Catholic Vocations Director (a religious order brother) who had organized a 'vocations' day that it was very interesting, but techniques are only techniques.
The heart of the issue (vocations or evangelization) is encountering and experiencing the Presence of Christ. Everything else flows from that. Jesus Christ.

When new people come to our churches, do they experience Christ?

People are looking for a spiritual dimension in their lives.... and they are also looking for community.

As Eastern Catholics we have ALL the treasures of Eastern Christianity and we are under the Pope.

THANKS BE TO GOD FOR EVERYTHING!!!

Friends

Yes! Yes! Christ the fountain from whom all graces flow!!

With all the good suggestions I would I'd add:

Evangelization begins with ME/YOU. Am I participating in the Divine Liturgy, Holy Mysteries, Sacred Scripture, community with other Christians?

Another way to evangelize is to invite a friend or relative to your parish activities. Jesus' invitation: "Come and see..." (John 1:39)

Lovingly in Christ,

Paul

Neil,

I couldn't agree more... and that's why I continue to toss my two-cents in over there! Maybe it's just the fact that I'm a "stubborn Rusyn," but doggone it, it's supposed to be a Catholic website, and I'm a Catholic!

...please excuse my yelling...

Having grown up hearing over and over how I'm not a real Catholic, I guess I now look for opportunities to say, "Oh yes I am!" and, as you're no doubt aware, there are plenty of opportunities at a website as "westward-leaning" as that one. I pretty much ignore the inevitable condescending remarks, and eagerly pounce on the "Gosh... I never knew that"-type comments that many of the RCs volunteer when exposed to Eastern tradition and theology. I truly believe that many, if not most, of them appreciate our Eastern insights (...then again, I can be pretty naive, I guess!).

I do, however, sense a need to tread somewhat lightly over there. For example, I started a thread asking how the Roman Catholics would respond to the Orthodox claim that it was the Romans that decided to separate themselves from the True Church in 1054, and not the other way around. Sadly, the thread quickly dissolved into some confrontations that stopped just short of out-and-out name-calling - not unlike some we've seen around here, and certainly not my intention!

All in all, I'll probably continue to "shill for our cause" over there until they either run me outta town or hit me with the ol' "Hey pilgrim! Lighten up with the Eastern stuff already, would'ja? Sheesh!"-type comment.

Kinda reminds me of the old Russian folk tale about the shoe manufacturer who sent two of his salesmen out into the same backward countryside to sell shoes to the peasants. After some time the first one wrote back to the boss saying, "I'm coming home. It's hopeless out here. Nobody even wears shoes!" whereas the second one wrote back, "What a potential goldmine! Nobody out here even has shoes yet!"

I'm goin' back in! Send more shoes!



a pilgrim

Gotta tell you guys...

After hanging around the "Catholic Answers" Forum for about a month now, I feel the need to re-emphasize what I said earlier in this thread (see quote above). Call it wishful thinking... call me a dreamer... whatever... but I'm seeing what I perceive to be an increase in awareness and interest among our Latin brethren with regard to the Eastern Catholic Church due, I believe, in no small part to our involvement over there! Please note that when I refer to "our involvement," I'm referring to a small but vocal "core" of Easterners (you guys know who you are!) who have been joining me in regularly interjecting the Eastern perspective into the heavily "Westward-leaning" discussions that occur on that board.

Sure, not everyone over there "buys into" our theology and traditions... I've even been publically taken to task, by the forum owner no less, for calling his attention to an apparent anti-Eastern bias on his "Catholic" forum!

But here's the thing...

This bias, to me, appears to reside pretty much exclusively within the forum administration who, I believe, were not prepared to address Eastern Catholic perspectives in this heavily Latinized forum. The average "Joe Latin Rite," I believe, is truly interested in what we bring to the table - some have even expressed an interest in joining us here at this forum! We're making strides! Little ones, mind you, but strides nonetheless!

As Martha would say... "That's a good thing!" :rolleyes:

I tried the "Catholic Online" Forum as well, but they've taken the topic of "Eastern Catholic Churches" and segregated all related discussion into a separate category - sorta ghettoized us, if you will. The only folks who visit this category seem to be the ones who already have an interest in Eastern Catholicism - we need to reach those who haven't got a clue we're even out here! That's why the "Catholic Answers" Forum works! We're "allowed" to toss our views into the general discussions - and I believe we should continue to do so! In fact, I believe we're obligated to do so, per the direct mandate of our Holy Father (Orientale Lumen).

The topic of this thread is "How Would YOU Evangelize The US Eastern Churches?" Shame on us if we don't take advantage of the most effective method we have available to us today - the internet!. We have a great Forum here, but we can't sit back and hope that others find us. We gotta go where they live and grab 'em! Is that proselytizing? I dunno... I prefer to think of it as "educating"

I'm pumped about the progress we've made in only about a month! Please... let's keep it going!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step. Little steps, my brothers and sisters... little steps! We'll get there!

a pilgrim

A couple of thoughts.

[1] I think everyone is right on track about the necssity of a warm welcome. The studies I have seen indicate that this is important. In fact my own church recently surveyed factors that caused people to join. About 90 percent listed "warm welcome" as either "very important" or "important" in their decision.

I am a Protestant and we recently had a Roman Catholic visit. We invited her to lunch. This simple invitation moved her. She said that in all her years as a Catholic nobody had ever done that and she praised the loving atmosphere of our congregation.

[2] Another evangelistic idea you might consider is an evangelistic Bible study. You might get some ideas from:

Your Home a Lighthouse
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A.../sr=ka-1/ref=pd_ka_1/103-3965725-5643832

You can get it used on Amazon for less than a dollar. While it is Protestant, I think you could apply the structure without modification.

Fr. Walker, an Eastern Orthodox priest, has a tape on starting an evangelistic Bible study that you can check out from Orthodox Christian Cassettes for free:
The Forgotten Method for Evangelism: Orthodox Bible Studies
http://www.orthodoxtapes.org/catalog/index.htm

There are a number of other tapes on evangelism at that site. I have not listened to them but expect they could be adapted to a Byzantine Catholic situation.

Scott