ACTS II EVANGELIZATION LEADERSHIP TRAINING GUIDES AVAILABLE HERE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Schedule
Evangelii Nuntiandi Weekend
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Session 1
Introduction, and From Christ the Evangelizer to the Evangelizing Church
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1
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Session 2
What is Evangelization?
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10
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Session 3
The Content of Evangelization
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21
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Session 4
The Methods of Evangelization
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25
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Session 5
The Beneficiaries of Evangelization
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32
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Session 6
The Workers for Evangelization
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52
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Session 7
The Spirit of Evangelization
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64
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APPENDIX
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Evangelii Nuntiandi Weekend Evaluation
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(SAMPLE)
EVANGELII NUNTIANDI WEEKEND
EVANGELIZATION IN THE MODERN WORLD WEEKEND
LEADER'S
EVANGELIZATION TRAINING GUIDE
SESSION ONE
INTRODUCTION; AND
FROM CHRIST THE EVANGELIZER TO THE EVANGELIZING
CHURCH
OBJECTIVES
To see Jesus as the first and greatest evangelizer.
To come to understand that the kernel of Jesus' proclamation is the kingdom of
God.
To realize that evangelization is the essential mission of the Church.
REQUIRED PREPARATIONS--TRAINING INSTRUCTOR
1. Plan for and implement personal prayer time.
2. Assign a small group leader and trainees to a small group.
3. Meet with small group leaders and review:
a. Format of the weekend and the evaluation form.
b. The "Principles for Sharing" for small groups.
c. Desired role modeling behaviors:
i. The small group leader begins and ends the small group with prayer.
ii. The small group leader models how to share by sharing first, being brief
and staying with the topic for each point to be shared.
iii. After the small group leader shares, each trainee shares on each point.
iv. Everyone in the small group must have their reflection written out in order
to share. Otherwise, they do not share.
d. Give small group leaders the names of those who will be in their small group.
4. Study the Introduction and Chapter One of Evangelii Nuntiandi, Pope Paul VI's
Apostolic Exhortation.
5. Review BEM, Appendix 2, which gives a summary outline of the Introduction
and Chapter One of Evangelii Nuntiandi plus the content and reflective sharing
questions for this section of the document.
6. Study instructional content on page 3.
7. The instructor needs to determine, during preparation time, which key
references/ passages (s)he needs in order to exemplify the content. UPON
arriving at a scripture reference, during instruction of content, OPEN Bible and
PROCLAIM that passage.
8. At the end of presentation, ASK if there are any questions about presented
material.
9. Pray with training team 20 minutes before session.
TRAINING INSTRUCTOR PATH
TOTAL TIME: 110 Minutes
OPENING PRAYER 15 MINS.
1. ASK group to turn to BEM, Appendix 3, Introduction, and stand.
2. SIGNAL for music and prayer leaders to begin.
3. REQUEST Blessing Prayer.
4. THANK group and ask them to be seated.
BEGIN SESSION ONE
1. ASK group to turn to BEM, Appendix Two.
2. STATE the following:
Appendix Two provides a summary outline of each chapter of Evangelii Nuntiandi.
Each chapter is followed by content and reflective sharing questions.
3. ASK trainees to turn to
Evangelii Nuntiandi, Chapter One.
4. STATE session objective:
This session will introduce us to Jesus as the first and greatest evangelizer who
proclaimed the kingdom of God as the core of His message. At the same time,
we will come to a deeper appreciation of evangelization as the essential
mission of the Church.
INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT 20 MINS.
1. LOOK OVER key points to be taught:
I. Introduction (E.N., nos. 1-5).
II. Jesus Christ is the first and the greatest evangelizer who proclaims the kingdom
of God (E.N., nos. 6-13).
III. The essential mission of the Church is the task of evangelizing all people
(E.N., nos. 14-16).
2. TEACH expanded outline of above key points:
I. Introduction (E.N., nos. 1-5).
A. Before we begin, I would like to say a few words about this weekend.
1. This weekend will be spent going through all seven chapters of
the Apostolic Exhortation, "Evangelii Nuntiandi", Evangelization in
the Modern World, by Pope Paul VI, written in 1975, the tenth
anniversary of the Second Vatican Council.
2. It is important that you understand the vital role that this apostolic
exhortation of Pope Paul VI plays in the Church's mission of
evangelization today.
3. It is the Magna Charta for carrying out the mission of evangelization
in the Church today.
4. That is why we are going through each of the chapters with you
rather than letting you work through the content on your own.
5. The content is so important for you to understand and make your
own, that we encourage you to read and reread this document.
6. We also want you to begin to grasp the spirit of this wonderful
and inspired document, so that you will be able to convey it to
others.
B. In the introduction to this document, Pope Paul VI states that the effort
to proclaim the Gospel to people today is a service given not to the
Christian community but to the whole of humanity.
1. His point of emphasis is to encourage the faithful in their mission
as evangelizers (E.N., n. 1).
2. He wants to do this especially on this tenth anniversary of the
Second Vatican Council whose objectives he sums up in this
single one:
-to make the Church of the twentieth century better able to
proclaim the Gospel to those of the twentieth century.
3. It was the wish of the Third General Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops, which was given to the topic of evangelization, that
Pope Paul VI take their findings concerning evangelization and --
-bring forth an apostolic exhortation that would usher in a
new period of evangelization (E.N., n. 2).
C. In number 3 of the Introduction, he states:
-"The conditions of the society in which we live oblige all of
us therefore to revise methods, to seek by every means
to study how we can bring the Christian message to
modern man. For it is only in the Christian message that
modern man can find the answer to his questions and the
energy for his commitment of human solidarity."
-He goes on to say that while we must preserve the heritage of faith
in its purity, at the same time, we must find ways of presenting it "in
a way as understandable and persuasive as possible".
D. Three burning questions are raised (E.N., n. 4):
1. In our day, what has happened to that hidden energy of the Good
News, which is able to have a powerful effect on man's conscience?
2. To what extent and in what way is that evangelical force capable
of really transforming the people of this century?
3. What methods should be followed in order that the power of the
Gospel may have its effect?
E. He ends number 4 by asking this fundamental question:
-Does the Church or does she not find herself better equipped
to proclaim the Gospel and to put it into people's hearts with
conviction, freedom of spirit and effectiveness?
F. His purpose is to put forth a meditation on evangelization and invites
each of us to undertake a similar meditation (E.N., n. 5).
1. Why? Because the proclamation of the Gospel is not an optional
matter for the Church.
2. It is a duty given to the Church by Jesus Christ so that people can
believe and be saved. It is a question of people's salvation.
3. The proclamation of the Gospel "brings with it a wisdom that is not
of this world. It is able to stir up by itself faith -- faith that rests on
the power of God. It is truth.
4. Because of this, you and I are called to consecrate to it, all of our
time and our energies and to sacrifice our very life for it, if necessary.
G. We move on now to chapter 1 of this Apostolic Exhortation, From
Christ the Evangelizer to the Evangelizing Church.
II. Jesus Christ is the first and the greatest evangelizer who proclaims
the kingdom of God (E.N., nos. 6-13).
A. When we look at the Gospels, what we are given is the witness that
the Lord Jesus gives of Himself. He says, "I must proclaim the
Good News of the kingdom of God. That is what I was sent to do"
(Luke 4:43).
1. The Gospels present us with Jesus Himself, the Good News of
God, as the first and greatest evangelizer proclaiming a kingdom,
the kingdom of God.
2. This is so important that everything is by comparison, "the rest"
(Matthew 6:33).
B. Everything that Jesus preaches revolves around the kingdom of God
(E.N., n. 8).
1. Only the kingdom is absolute and it makes everything else relative.
2. Jesus describes in many ways the happiness of belonging to the
kingdom.
a) In Matthew, chapter 5:3-12, we read of the happiness that
comes with belonging to the kingdom.
-But this happiness is a paradoxical happiness made up of
those things that the world rejects.
b) In Matthew, chapters 5-7, we are presented with the demands
of the kingdom.
c) In Matthew, chapter 10, we read about those who herald the
kingdom -- what they are to do and what they can expect.
d) In Matthew, chapter 13, we are told about the mysteries of the
kingdom.
e) In Matthew, chapter 18, we read about the children who belong
to it and how they are to act.
f) And finally, in Matthew, chapters 24-25, we are told of the vigilance
and fidelity that are demanded of those who await the
final coming of the kingdom.
C. The kernel and center of Jesus' Good News is salvation -- which is
liberation from all that oppresses mankind, especially liberation from
sin and the Evil One (E.N., n. 9).
D. This is what Jesus proclaimed (E.N., n. 10):
-the kingdom and salvation, which as He tells us in Matthew
chapter 11, verse 12 and Luke, chapter 16, verse 16, belong
to the violent. That is, they take it by force. They take it
through:
-toil and suffering;
-a life lived according to the Gospel;
-the cross; and through
-the spirit of the beatitudes (Cf. 1 Corinthians 9:27).
1. In other words, the kingdom and salvation are concerned with a
total interior renewal, a metanoia, a radical conversion of heart and
mind (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15).
2. "Those who accept the Good News...gather together in Jesus'
Name in order to seek together the kingdom, build it up and live
it. They make up a community which is in its turn evangelizing"
(E.N., n. 13).
III. The essential mission of the Church is the task of evangelizing all
people (E.N., nos. 14-16).
A. Pope Paul VI says that what makes this task so urgent are "the vast
and profound changes" that our society is experiencing.
1. "Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church,
her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize..." (E.N.,
n. 14).
2. And what does he mean by saying that? In other words, the
Church exists to preach and to teach, to reconcile sinners to God,
and --
-to continue to celebrate Christ's sacrifice in the Mass (the
memorial of His death and resurrection).
B. What we see in the New Testament is the Church coming into existence
through the evangelizing activity of Jesus and the Twelve (E.N.,
n. 15).
-The Church, in turn therefore, is sent, that is, you and I are sent by
Jesus to evangelize (Matthew 28:18-20).
C. The whole Church receives the mission to evangelize. And the work
of each individual member is important to the whole.
-The Church is an evangelizer but the Church begins by being evangelized
herself, and is always in need of evangelization -- of ongoing
conversion and renewal so --
-that she might evangelize the world in a way that is credible --
authentic.
D. Having been sent and evangelized, we, the Church, are sent out as
evangelizers to preach not ourselves, nor our own personal ideas,
but the Gospel, the --
-Good News of Jesus Christ, of which we are servants, and
which we must pass on with complete fidelity.
E. There is, then, a profound link between Jesus Christ, the Church and
evangelization (E.N., n. 16).
-Pope Paul VI brings out in number 16 that there can be no dichotomy
between Christ and the Church. Those who speak of such a
dichotomy are misguided (Read: E.N., n. 16).
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY 60 MINS.
1. ASK group to turn to BEM, Appendix 2, Introduction, and briefly write out the
answers to the content questions. They have 25 minutes to do this.
-Call time at the end of 25 minutes.
2. ASK trainees to turn to Chapter One of Appendix 2 and briefly write out the
answers to the content questions. They have 25 minutes for this as well.
-Call time at the end of 25 minutes.
3. ASK trainees to write out their answers to the reflective sharing questions given
for Chapter One. They have 10 minutes to do this.
-Call time at the end of 10 minutes.
COMMUNITY BREAK 15 MINS.
ACTS II EVANGELIZATION LEADERSHIP TRAINING GUIDES AVAILABLE HERE