When we are baptized, we receive the same mission Jesus handed on to his disciples. Through word and witness, we are called to share with others the faith that we have been given. As catechists we live out the ministry of evangelization in a special way by sharing the truths of our faith with our students.

Evangelization has been the work of the Church ever since Jesus commanded his Apostles to “Go into the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Evangelization is sharing the Good News about God’s loving plan of salvation for all his children through the life, Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ.

Our first responsibility is to help children meet Jesus, not just in class sessions or in the liturgy, but also in their daily lives; that is, wherever faith is lived out. Faith in Jesus is inseparable from daily life. As we encounter Jesus in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition or prayer experiences and classroom activities, the light of faith grows within us and is reflected in what each of us says and does.

Beyond Evangelization
Pope John Paul II used the term “the new evangelization” to describe the challenges faced by the Church in the world today. For example in his encyclical, The Mission of Christ the Redeemer, Pope John Paul II uses the term frequently. Yet often there is a dissonance between what the Church teaches and what society preaches.

The goal of the new evangelization is to revitalize our commitment to Jesus Christ. For a true disciple, only faith in Christ gives meaning to life. Sometimes our faith becomes passive; we may go through the motions without being consciously aware of God’s presence in our lives. We become, at best, “cafeteria catholics.” The new evangelization challenges us to reignite the light of faith we received from the Holy Spirit and to be rekindled by the Spirit’s “fire” within us. In other words, God calls us all to live and breath with fervent desire our Catholic faith in God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Use the ideas below to invite others to rededicate themselves to knowing and loving Jesus, and living as his disciples.

1. Growing Together Lesson. Invite families to come together for a parent/child class session. Keep it simple: teach the chapter originally scheduled for that week, allowing parents and their child to work together as a pair and in small groups with other families.
2. Parents-Only Session. Plan a session geared to parents. The trick is to settle on a topic that is of interest to parents, for example, Raising Catholic Kids in Today’s World. Then book a lively speaker to briefly address the topic. Build in time for questions, discussion, and social interaction. The primary goal is to get parents involved and to help families put Christ first in their lives.
3. Family Mass. Designate one Sunday Mass a month as a “Family Mass.” Work with your liturgical committee to identify a theme, choose readers, music, and volunteers to bring up the Offertory Gifts. Ask the presider to make the homily “kid friendly” by calling forth one grade of kids to interact with as he preaches. Provide healthy finger foods following the Mass. Promote this liturgy in the bulletin, any parish or school newsletter, and through online invitation.
4. Serving Others. Helps kids and adults recognize that we are all called to continue Christ’s work in the world by providing outreach opportunities. Organize a service committee to plan age-appropriate activities throughout the year. Follow up on service events with a “debriefing” session that gives participants the opportunity to share their experiences and discuss how their faith was renewed.