We all know which one the most important book is. However, there are many new and powerful resources for evangelization available. Here are some of our recommended books for the new evangelization.
After Emmaus: Biblical Models for the New Evangelization
Marcel Dumais (Liturgical Press, 2014)
The New Evangelization calls Christians to return to the New Testament to understand its essential content but also to discover different ways of proclaiming the Good News. By exploring the witness and different missionary approaches of Jesus and the apostles Marcel Dumais, OMI, offers foundational models to apply to the context and circumstances of our own times. After Emmaus considers the Bible from the point of view of models of evangelization and faith. These biblical approaches include the direct proclamation proposed in the Acts of the Apostles, the enculturated discourses of St. Paul, the humanism of Jesus’ beatitudes, and the accompaniment of the risen Christ by the disciples of Emmaus.
Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples
Sherry A. Weddell, editor (Our Sunday Visitor, 2015)
In Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples, Sherry Weddell has gathered together experienced leaders and collaborators whose field-tested wisdom and enthusiasm for transforming Catholic parishes into centers of discipleship and apostolic outreach is both inspiring and practical. The authors consider the role of intercessory prayer in parish transformation; how “fireside chats” can help a pastor connect with his parishioners and call them to personal discipleship and mission; the co-responsibility of lay people and pastors in the work of making disciples; the revolutionary impact of a discipleship approach to youth ministry; and how one parish successfully fostered a culture of intentional discipleship, and much more.
Divine Renovation: Bring Your Parish from Maintenance to Mission
Fr. James Mallon (Twenty-Third Publications, 2014)
An engaging guide for parishes seeking to cultivate communities of discipleship and vibrant, dynamic faith. Fr. James Mallon shares with us the many ways for bringing our parishes to life. Through humorous and colorful stories, Mallon challenges us to rethink our models of parish life, from membership-based communities to assemblies of disciples of Jesus who proclaim and share the good news with all peoples. Accessible and engaging, Divine Renovation turns to the Church’s many writings on evangelization and mission so as to articulate practical ways for injecting new life into our parishes. Pastors and parish ministers will be inspired by this book and turn to it for many years to come.
Renewing Our Hope: Essays for the New Evangelization
In this essay collection, Bishop Robert Barron Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, draws upon Catholicism’s great theological heritage to reach out to people, and renew hope in Jesus Christ in today’s time of discouragement.
Engaging a New Generation: A Vision for Reaching Catholic Teens
Frank Mercadante (Huntington: OSV Books, 2012)
Engaging a New Generation critically examines our commonly held assumptions as well as our often-used models and methodologies initially developed to reach late Baby Boomer and Generation X teens. It then introduces you to the core characteristics of the Millennial Generation teens and the pastoral implications, where the operational and ministerial borders are expanding far beyond traditional youth ministry. Chapters include: We Don’t Have a Youth Problem, Millennials and Gen Z, The Missing Link, The Young-Engaging Parish, From Evangelizing to Immanuelizing, Rethinking Adolescent Catechesis, Preparing the Soil of Leadership, and Inspiration from Nehemiah and Matchmaking.
Catholic Update Guide to the Evangelization
Mary Carol Kendzia, series editor (Franciscan Media, 2013)
Starting with Pope John Paul II, the Church has made a renewed commitment to the process of evangelization. In the fall of 2012, the bishops gathered in Rome for a world synod to define what they called the New Evangelization, and highlight its meaning for Catholics today. Drawing on the trusted and popular Catholic Update newsletter, the Catholic Update Guide to the New Evangelization traces the history of evangelization throughout Christianity, starting with the life and ministry of Jesus. You will learn about the work done by the Second Vatican Council in igniting a spirit of evangelization in the modern Church and how this practice can and should play an active role in the life of every disciple of Christ.
A Community of Disciples: Making Your Parish All It Can Be
Des Robertson (Twenty-Third Publications, 2012)
Building a better parish isn’t about working harder. It’s about working the w ay Jesus does, and he has given us the perfect parish model: his twelve disciples. In this important and inspiring book, Des Robertson shows why that model is so important in our modern, consumer-driven society, and how parishes can indeed build modern communities of active, loving disciples who are fully engaged in the life of the Church. Learn how engaging people “right where they are” to respond to the Holy Spirit’s call to discipleship. Give your parish a more relevant role in your community as a path toward evangelization and catechesis. Gain tools for assessing and transforming the five “Pastoral Purposes of Parish Life”: worship, wisdom, welcome, welfare, and Word. Develop and sustain small family and ministry groups.
Disciples of All Nations: Your Guide to Living and Understanding the New Evangelization
Josephine Lombardi (Twenty-Third Publications, 2014)
Everyone talks about the New Evangelization, but what does it mean, really? Scholar, author, and popular workshop leader Dr. Josephine Lombardi examines Catholic teaching on evangelization and provides essential historical context, beginning with Jesus’ disciples, through Vatican II, to the present-day understanding under the dynamic leadership of Pope Francis. Dr. Lombardi’s practical examples enliven and explain how the New Evangelization influences everything from politics, culture, and social media to personal relationships and our own self-perception.
Evangelization: Experiencing & Sharing the Catholic Faith
Robert F. Morneau (Twenty-Third Publications, 2015)
Evangelization says Bishop Robert Morneau, often ends up sounding complex and difficult, but it s really very simple and part of every baptized person s life. In this clear and encouraging guide, Bishop Morneau boils this complex topic down to ten wise insights and then offers seven guidelines that can help all of us be more effective evangelists witnessing to God s love and mercy revealed in Jesus, be it in word, deed, or lifestyle.
The Evangelization Equation: The Who, What, and How
James A. Wehner (Emmaus Road, 2011)
The Evangelization Equation: The Who, What, and How by Father James A. Wehner, STD is a crash course in the “New Evangelization” to which both Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI have called all Catholics. Father Wehner explores the challenges and the opportunities in American culture for spreading the Gospel. While giving a full presentation of the cultural, historical, pastoral, and theological background of his topic, he also communicates the very practical implications of the call. The book seeks to equip leaders with the intellectual and practical tools to move forward as an effective evangelist. Chapters include means, methods, and practices for the new evangelization.
