why evangelization & discipleship?
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meet Jesus here.and come to life. -
because Jesus is everything.Why evangelization and discipleship?
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every person is called to sainthood: to a life of intimacy, abundant life, and holiness.
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everyone deserves to know jesus + experience the transformation that we can only find in him.
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every person can be equipped to follow jesus: to discover their unique vocation + mission.
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what we're building
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culture of prayer
We commit to inviting God into every decision we make. God is the architect of our parish. We invoke His presence in every conversation. We build our lives by saying "yes" to His invitations. We ask our Blessed Mother and the saints for help in listening and following God.
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culture of discipleship
We commit to accompanying one another in our walk with Jesus. It is normal for us to talk often about our relationship with Him. We invite others into a new relationship with Jesus. We use our charisms to build each other up. We are fearless in spreading the Gospel, not just in our comfort zones, but to the whole world.
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culture of healthy teamwork
We commit to being a healthy team, and even more, a family. We trust each other. We do not run away from each other's messes. We offer and receive forgiveness. We reconcile. We ask for help when we need it. We do not pretend to have it all together. We give each other (and ourselves) permission to be real and vulnerable.
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let's define our terms here.
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evangelization
Evangelization is, very simply, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus to those around us.
The term “new evangelization" means that the Church in our time exists in a vastly changed situation. It is not that the Gospel has changed, but that we are called to a renewed effort that is new in ardor, method + expression.
Evangelization is not only for those in distant lands who have never heard the Gospel, but to those around us in our post-Christian society. The new “mission territory” is our own neighborhoods, workplaces, schools + even our own homes.
The invitation to believe in the Gospel is always personal: it is not a moral program but the offer of communion with a person, Jesus.
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the gospel/kerygma
The “kerygma” is the New Testament word for the simple, radical, countercultural and joyful message of the Gospel — that “initial ardent proclamation by which a person is one day overwhelmed and brought to the decision to entrust himself to Jesus Christ by faith."
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mission
Jesus did not tell his disciples to stay inside + just welcome who shows up at the Church’s door, but to go out: “Go make disciples of all nations". Mission cannot be accomplished from within the walls of our church. Jesus didn't remain in the synagogue with the devout people; he went out to the tax collectors, prostitutes, the poor, the sick and sinners.
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discipleship
Disciple means "student". We are called to be students of Jesus Christ: to follow, listen, and learn from Jesus (Jn. 1:38-39, Lk. 10:38-42, Mt. 11:29). Being a disciple of Christ is never static; it is always dynamic, always a process of growth and of “following Him on the way” (Mk 10:52). Because we adopt the "mind of Christ", disciples of Jesus don't just see some things differently, they see everything differently.
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apostleAn apostle is a disciple of Jesus who has both repented and converted his or her heart to Jesus, but has also had a conversion to Christ's mission. An apostle has been commissioned.
Disciples will make any sacrifice to grow in relationship with Jesus. Apostles will make any sacrifice to help another grow in their relationship with Jesus.
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evangelizationthe "little way" of
We are all called to evangelize, and that can look many different ways. But we're all called to evangelize by "the little way". We want to imitate Christ in the way He evangelized. How did He do that? See how here.
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"The New Evangelization is not a membership drive, nor is it an effort to shore up a code of conduct. Rather, it is a love affair. All are invited to encounter Jesus and let their hearts be captured by Him."
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"Sharing the Gospel is only the beginning of evangelization. Those who are being evangelized need time to assimilate the Gospel and bring their lives into conformity with it. We are all in need of constant evangelization, because we are in need of deeper conversion."
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"To live fully as a disciple is to make disciples."
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Build with us!
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fatherjuliuslittleflowerchurch.orgPastor -
abbylittleflowerchurch.orgDirector of Evangelization -
brendalittleflowerchurch.orgDirector of Discipleship
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unleash the gospel
"Many Catholics tend to think our goal is essentially to be good and make it to heaven. In fact, our goal is to extend the Kingdom of God on earth by making this world a place
where Christ is known and loved, so that as many people as possible are brought with us to eternal life."
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