I'm delighted to have this opportunity to review Nancy Ward's Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story: Tools, Tips & Testimonies. This unique guidebook is a much-needed work for our time. As most know, decades of disastrously poor formation programs have led the Church to a worldwide crisis of faith. Catholics at all stages of life are walking away at an alarming rate. To make matters worse, we Catholics have never been much on evangelization. As the old saying goes, "It's not our thing." Thankfully, things are changing.
For one thing, many parish faith formation programs, including RCIA, now hold classes centered on mission and Christian discipleship. This focus on the new evangelization makes Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story perfect for parish studies and for the individual seeking opportunities for one-on-one sharing. Divided into two distinct parts, this book is very well organized and highly accessible. The tools and tips presented in Part I are both sound and inspirational. For example, Ward encourages readers to take up spiritual journaling, which, she explains, "elevates your confidence in God's plan for your life and your ability to cooperate with his grace" (p.4). Part II is composed of thirty testimonials. Readers who may hesitate to answer the call to evangelize, out of fear or shyness, will find encouraging takeaways in every story.
In short, Nancy Ward's Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story: Tools, Tips & Testimonies is a uniquely effective and timely guidebook for the New Evangelization — a five-star read, from beginning to end.
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Copyright 2020 Julie Vickery
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