Introductory Story
One of our first street evangelization team leaders worked for a rural Catholic parish in Michigan. When he found out about Saint Paul Street Evangelization, he decided to start a team at his parish and invited a few of his catechists to come out and evangelize with him. He told us at the SPEI main office that while he was excited and couldn’t wait to go out, he was also really afraid of what might happen. He imagined a frightening scenario: he’s out in public holding a conspicuous sign, awkwardly and pointedly asking people if they knew Jesus Christ, and getting rejected. He wondered, “Will people think I’m crazy? Will I get into debates? Will people yell at me?” We told him that conflict on the streets wasn’t likely, but that he should be sure to pray, to be welcoming, and to remember that it is the Holy Spirit who truly does the evangelizing.
Our evangelist took his team out. He reported back and told us that as he pulled up to the street corner and parked his car, his fingers were tightly gripping the armrests of his seat: “You can’t make me go out! I won’t do it!” His friends protested, “You took us out here! What do you mean you won’t do it?” At that point, they prayed together, calling upon the Holy Spirit to calm their nerves and help them evangelize. Then they got out of the car to set up.
After being out only a short period of time, locals told them that they were shocked to see Catholics evangelizing. A lot of people came up and talked to the team; and despite the small size of the city, some said that they didn’t know that there was a Catholic Church in town. This startled the team because the local park was named after a former priest, and the church was just one block away from the small city center.
It goes to show: we can’t assume that people know that our Catholic parishes exist, much less that they are being invited to consider joining the Catholic Church. The team continues to be active today, inviting thousands of people to faith, serving as a bridge from the street to the parish, and seeing good fruits.
The Call to Evangelize and Overcome Fear
In the face of new experiences, some degree of fear is natural, normal, and healthy. Most of our street evangelists will admit that they experience at least some fear when they go out and evangelize, but they keep evangelizing anyway. In facing their fears and walking outside of their comfort zones, they grow in one of the most important virtues for an evangelist: courage.
But courage is also a gift of God. Our evangelists know that they can sustain and grow their courage by constant reliance upon God and a spirit of prayer. In fact, the most essential “basic evangelization strategy” is to start every effort with intentional, focused prayer, calling upon the Holy Spirit for help. Pope Saint Paul VI wrote,
Evangelization will never be possible without the action of the Holy Spirit. … It is the Holy Spirit who, today just as at the beginning of the Church, acts in every evangelizer who allows himself to be possessed and led by Him. The Holy Spirit places on his lips the words which he could not find by himself, and at the same time the Holy Spirit predisposes the soul of the hearer to be open and receptive to the Good News and to the kingdom being proclaimed.[1]
Let us not be afraid, then, for if God calls us to evangelize, then He will bless our efforts to actually do it! The Lord usually surprises us when we first start evangelizing by sending us lots of spiritual fruits right away. The best way to overcome the fear of evangelizing is by praying a prayer for spiritual protection, and asking the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and lead our efforts. It is the Holy Spirit who will provide all the graces and gifts for evangelizing. We need only ask and eagerly expect the goodness He has in store for us.
Another important way to help us overcome fear in evangelizing is by embracing tried and true methods and strategies. In the last lesson we considered one of the more important of these, the personal testimony. In this lesson we will explore some others — basic evangelization strategies — that have proven to be effective time and time again. These strategies center around the conversation of faith. Specifically, we will help you begin to put into practice Saint Paul Street Evangelization’s four-part method: (1) listen, (2) befriend, (3) proclaim, (4) pray & invite. Most fruitful evangelical conversations follow this model in some way, even if not always in this exact order.
As you make your way through this lesson, don’t forget that methods, techniques, and strategies are not enough! We cannot help but emphasize again that the Spirit of God is the true evangelizer — rely upon Him constantly! In the same place as the above quote, Pope Saint Paul VI said,
Techniques of evangelization are good, but even the most advanced ones could not replace the gentle action of the Spirit. The most perfect preparation of the evangelizer has no effect without the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit the most convincing dialectic has no power over the heart of man. Without Him the most highly developed schemas resting on a sociological or psychological basis are quickly seen to be quite valueless.
“The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom; his tongue speaks what is right. God’s teaching is in his heart; his steps do not falter” (Ps 37:30-31).
Topic Outline
- What are some good conversation starters?
- How do we move the conversation forward?
- How do we transition to proclaiming the gospel?
- How do we make an invitation?
- How do we pray with people?
- How do we use tracts and other resources to overcome obstacles?
[1] Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi [Apostolic exhortation on evangelization in the modern world], 8 December, 1975, sec. 75.