The Evangelical Catholic Transforms Vision of Evangelization
During Lent and Beyond
Game-changing movement activates lay missionaries at parishes and universities nationwide
For pastors and campus ministers who dream of bringing light to the darkness in a world full of fear, The Evangelical Catholic offers a powerful partnership. The Evangelical Catholic is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming lay people into zealous leaders who are excited and equipped to go out and evangelize their communities. With hundreds of small groups already in existence and over 1000 new individuals currently in training through The Evangelical Catholic, this Lent will see the greatest number yet of newly trained leaders carrying out their missional calling.
The Evangelical Catholic’s unique training approach takes three months. During this time, a Point Person is selected by the pastor to lead formation and training. One of The Evangelical Catholic’s consultants accompanies the Point Person, coaching them to lead the three-month Reach More(™) formation and training process in their parish or campus ministry. The pastor and Point Person prayerfully invite a group of lay people to the weekly Reach More training. Here they develop their own unique gifts for evangelization. They also establish daily prayer lives, receive the sacraments regularly, and learn how to share their testimonies and spread the Gospel through small groups and one-on-one outreach.
When the time comes for their outreach to begin, these newly trained lay missionaries prayerfully engage the mission in the world according to their sense of the Holy Spirit’s leading. For some, this will mean starting an evangelization small group, whereas others will focus on reaching out to a specific person in their life; a coworker, relative, neighbor, or friend.
One of the core beliefs of The Evangelical Catholic is that all Catholics have the ability to bring the light of Jesus to people and help them experience love and hope.
Jason Simon, President of The Evangelical Catholic, describes, “We’ve all seen priests be agents of God’s power, but lay people often don’t realize that they have been confirmed as agents to bring the power of God into their daily life. When lay people experience their power to bring love and hope, given to them in the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, that’s when their eyes light up, and there is such joy,” continues Simon. “They can see the impact they have on others, the tears in someone’s eyes when they are told they are loved, that God knows the number of hairs on their head.”
In previous years, this model has produced amazing results in the communities served by The Evangelical Catholic. This year is predicted to be the best one yet. The Evangelical Catholic is currently serving 163 Catholic ministries including parishes, campuses, and military bases. Within those communities, it is projected that by June of this year, 2,100 lay Catholics will launch personal apostolates, leading to the evangelization of an estimated 6,670 people.
While it’s impossible to put numbers on the interior conversions of these individuals, the personal testimonies of people who have been through the program demonstrate its transformative power. Josh Finnigan, a small group leader at Sacred Heart parish in El Reno, OK, describes his experience:
“The content was just fantastic. It’s extremely educational, it’s heartwarming, it allows you to grow spiritually. If you had told me I’d be leading a group of people in prayer, I’d have laughed at you…. Now I see there’s a chance that a life has been saved in our group, and that a marriage has been saved.”
The overarching ambition of The Evangelical Catholic is to help Catholics be Christ Himself in their communities.
Peter Andrastek, one of The Evangelical Catholic team’s longest-serving consultants says, “To evangelize is to be an instrument of Jesus’ presence and action in the world. Each of us are called personally to this mission in a unique way, as a contemplative right in the middle of the world.”
For more information about The Evangelical Catholic and a complete press kit, visit here.
Jason Simon and The Evangelical Catholic consultants Peter Andrastek and Mari Pablo (Spanish language) are available for comment. To request an interview, contact Carrie Kline.
