"Tips for Evangelizing" by Melanie Jean Juneau (CatholicMom.com) By AlejandroLinaresGarcia - Own work, GFDL, Link

When I speak with someone who is curious about the faith who is unchurched, I realize my revelations about the spiritual life in the Mystical Body of Christ are like speaking about a foreign country. They have no experience of spiritual reality. Exposing the unchurched to spirituality helps God make new electrical connections in their brains. This renewal of the mind does not happen quickly. Since atheists have existed only on the surface, seeing only physical reality, the life in Christ that I share with them is completely alien. They have no reference point for my experiences with God.

Psychologically speaking, anyone who hears something new does not process that information the first time. New information must be presented at least three times before it even begins to register in a human brain. This means an atheist needs to hear about the concept of a deeper life in Christ more than once. Never overwhelm people with too much detail at first and avoid using unfamiliar church jargon when you explain your inner, spiritual life.

Tips For Evangelizing

Learn about your faith by studying the Catechism and reading Holy Scripture as well as the homilies/encyclicals of the popes.

  • Pray and discover how to be sensitive and obedient to the gentle lead of the Holy Spirit.
  • Don’t take yourself too seriously but keep a sense of humour.
  • Trust God to use you and redeem your mistakes.
  • Really listen to people; let them talk and answer the core of their questions. It is not all about you but the seeker.
  • Try not to slip into insider church talk; use normal vocabulary to explain spiritual realities.

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To ensure we do not get in the way of the Holy Spirit, it is essential that we simply pray, listen and obey our Lord Jesus Christ in a spirit of humility and let Him take control of every encounter we have with those who have yet to meet their Lord.

Copyright 2017 Melanie Jean Juneau