Catholics: Do you know how to share your faith or "witness" to others?

[Church_Militant]

Aside from the very obvious: living it day to day…

How do you share your Catholic faith?

Do you know what “a testimony” is and if you had to could you give a clear, concise, and effective “witness” of what God has done in your life and why Catholicism is the way to go?

I set it up to allow multiple choices!

Feel free to give it here, or get ideas from what you find.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

 

[Luz_Maria]

I looked and said, “Wow! 100%!” Then . . . I’m the only one who answered!!

Yes. I do witness quite a bit to individuals at the place I happen to be. Simple testimony of His work in my life and the role of my Faith/Religion.

Luz Maria

 

[pianistclare]

You need another category for those of us who teach the faith in parishes.

 

[Church_Militant]

You need another category for those of us who teach the faith in parishes.

Not really, because you are essentially teaching these skills in your classes, whether anyone realizes it or not.

Yours is certainly an effective form of evangelism as well as one that ultimately can bear a great deal of fruit. :clapping:

Meanwhile, to answer my own poll.

1. 
   *]My Testimony
   *]Top Ten Questions Catholics are Asked, God’s Love for You, Grotto Press Tracts,
   *]Lighthouse Catholic Media, The Mary Foundation
   *]Catholic Answers: Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth, A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, San Juan Catholic Seminars,
   The Bible Christian Society

 

[Joie_de_Vivre]

I share my faith through probably most neglected path, living a moral life and loving people.

 

[PJM]

=Church Militant;11638040]Aside from the very obvious: living it day to day…

How do you share your Catholic faith?

Do you know what “a testimony” is and if you had to could you give a clear, concise, and effective “witness” of what God has done in your life and why Catholicism is the way to go?

I set it up to allow multiple choices!

Feel free to give it here, or get ideas from what you find.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.

As a trained, TESTED, certified and very experienced Marian Catechist I offer a Totally FREE of ALL cost course by e-mailed lessons. It’s takes up where RCIA leaves off *

I cover more topics [no time restraints]

ALL in FAR greater detail and depth

ALL of this to prepare OTHERS to ALSO be able to Teach our Faith well.

AND I provide the PROOF of what we do, believe and practice.

So that is my now 4 year old retirement Ministry.

God Bless you,
Patrick*

 

[Church_Militant]

I share my faith through probably most neglected path, living a moral life and loving people.

Beautiful! Because without that, what we say means very little.

As a trained, TESTED, certified and very experienced Marian Catechist I offer a Totally FREE of ALL cost course by e-mailed lessons. It’s takes up where RCIA leaves off *

I cover more topics [no time restraints]

ALL in FAR greater detail and depth

ALL of this to prepare OTHERS to ALSO be able to Teach our Faith well.

AND I provide the PROOF of what we do, believe and practice.

So that is my now 4 year old retirement Ministry.

God Bless you,
Patrick*This is very cool! Could you please PM me with the details because I may have a number of potential and very needy students for you.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

I have not voted because I am not sure where my experience fits. I know the faith and I can discuss it. But I never really get a chance to go deep because people simply are not interested. I maybe get an opportunity to clarify a misconception, but that is it.

The best I have managed is to ask people questions that make them think. So you think that the truth is somewhere in the middle? How do you decide where this middle is? That kind of thing.

 

[Caladrius]

I take a very easy path for sharing the faith.

If someone asks me: “How are you?” and I have time, I try to say “However God’s mercy finds me”. If someone asks where I come from: “Wherefrom God’s mercy has brought me”. If someone asks whether I need anything: “Whatever God’s mercy brings me”.

Ours is an atheistic society, so many people are likely to react strongly to this. Having been an atheist for the first 20 years of my life, I know that this sort of speech gets non-believers going in a rage: “If God is merciful, why did my wife get cancer?” - “If God is merciful, why did my son die in a car crash?”, etc., and it is an opportunity to speak. This can go in man directions: “but with Jesus of Nazareth, death has been destroyed”, or “Where was God’s mercy, and what was God doing when those things happened? Have you ever thought that God was preparing a place for them in His love?”

We can’t just start out by saying “well I’m Catholic and by the way why don’t you get baptized, be obedient to the Pope, pray to Mary, and worship our bread and wine?” We evangelize by warmth, love, kindness, simplicity, and patience.

 

[Church_Militant]

I have not voted because I am not sure where my experience fits. I know the faith and I can discuss it. But I never really get a chance to go deep because people simply are not interested. I maybe get an opportunity to clarify a misconception, but that is it.

The best I have managed is to ask people questions that make them think. So you think that the truth is somewhere in the middle? How do you decide where this middle is?

That kind of thing.Actually that’s pretty close to what Our Lord Himself did, so you can’t be too far off, can you?

We shouldn’t be too surprised that few people are interested. Our souls don’t cause us too much distress when they’re out of whack or in danger so many people just blow it off. All you can do is pray for open hearts to share with and stay ready to explain the hope that’s in you. (See 1st Peter 3)

A couple of years ago we were down island in the Bahamas and learned a couple of Bahamian responses to the question, “How are you?”

My personal favorite was “Oh, I’m right up there between O Lord and t’ank God!” I find myself using that a lot since then.

 

[Avila123]

Not sure where I am in the poll. I am very much a beginner on this learning curve. In the last 13 1/2 years I have had to develop spiritually and morally, begin learning the faith and more recently, defend it. In all areas, I am very much the beginner as I am a plodder who keeps having to be pushed or pulled by the Holy Spirit and sent back to revise the simplest of things.

I have a couple of word documents where I am putting useful references and articles (secure in the knowledge that once I know the answer, the subject is unlikely to crop up again). The odd time I have gently defended the faith, my words fell on deaf ears, so I rely on sign language i.e. trying to be an example of a person seriously and joyously trying to live the faith.

This is on hold due to wobbly foundations which hopefully will be firmed up through the 90 day Great Adventure Online Bible Study and the Great Adventure Salvation History course at our diocese. Only an idiot like me takes on two courses at the same time, which results in reading 4 Bible chapters per night, except Sunday when I have 11 (luckily 7 are almost revision).

 

[kkollwitz]

I’ve lived in the Bible Belt for almost 50 years. I’m ready to discuss my faith with anyone at any time. It’s good to live where most folks take God seriously.

 

[Church_Militant]

Not sure where I am in the poll. I am very much a beginner on this learning curve. In the last 13 1/2 years I have had to develop spiritually and morally, begin learning the faith and more recently, defend it. In all areas, I am very much the beginner as I am a plodder who keeps having to be pushed or pulled by the Holy Spirit and sent back to revise the simplest of things.

I have a couple of word documents where I am putting useful references and articles (secure in the knowledge that once I know the answer, the subject is unlikely to crop up again). The odd time I have gently defended the faith, my words fell on deaf ears, so I rely on sign language i.e. trying to be an example of a person seriously and joyously trying to live the faith.

This is on hold due to wobbly foundations which hopefully will be firmed up through the 90 day Great Adventure Online Bible Study and the Great Adventure Salvation History course at our diocese. Only an idiot like me takes on two courses at the same time, which results in reading 4 Bible chapters per night, except Sunday when I have 11 (luckily 7 are almost revision).

That excellent. It’s always good to know one’s deficiencies and the work to correct them.

When it comes to sharing the faith & apologetics, (which are really related but not the same thing.) there are a number of things I can suggest for you from personal experience.

The Catholic Home Study Service free courses are excellent.

If nothing else, I recommend Beginning Apologetics Volume 1: How to Explain and Defend the Catholic Faith
$5.95

Sign up for John Martignoni’s Bible Christian Society e-newsletter. It’s free.

God’s Love For You is a Catholic Answers tract that is one of the best I have ever seen, not to mention a good bargain.

Grotto Press Catholic Tracts are also some of the best I’ve found.

And OSV also puts out some really fine tracts like:
Top Ten Questions Catholics are Asked
Questions Catholics Are Asked: Are You Saved?

There are, (Thanks Be To God!) a host of very good Catholic apologetics and evangelistic materials in addition to this, but this will get ya rolling along.

 

[Church_Militant]

I’ve lived in the Bible Belt for almost 50 years. I’m ready to discuss my faith with anyone at any time. It’s good to live where most folks take God seriously.

Me too, and you are quite right. lots of challenges…but with them I find lots of opportunities.

One thing that I do recommend, is for each of us to take a few minutes and write out our conversion story, or whatever event drew us deeper into the faith. Be concrete and concise (Like an essay for school ) Remember, it can always be revised over time.

 

[GAHere]

Primarily I try to model my faith, at work, at play. Naturally, I fail at times, but keep at it anyway.

I use vacation time from work to attend Catholic workshops, service activities, pilgrimages; a day here and there, or a half-day, or just leaving a bit early to be ready for the evening event. Since I’m a prominent member of the work office, when I’m absent, people notice and are curious.

Otherwise I don’t speak about the faith unless the topic arises and I’m asked, or I hear a misrepresentation of Catholic beliefs or practices. Then, I refer to books, links, and CAF to offer more insight to what I say, should they be interested.

As for testimony, that is reserved for those who ask why I am Catholic. Doesn’t come up often, but when it does, then I discern how much of my faith journey to share with that person. Thing is, when it gets to that level, it really is no longer me speaking, but the spirit, as inevitably I will tear up as I profess my faith.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

For those of you who have had opportunities to share your testimonies, I was wondering if you could explain a bit more. What do you focus on? (What God has done for you. Why you believe Christianity/ the CC is true. This kind of thing?)

I really wouldn’t know where to start and how much to say. I have so many examples of how God helped me in need and answered my prayers in ways that can’t be dismissed as coincidences, but I wonder if such stories would convince anyone.

Also, it is always atheists and lapsed Catholics I am surrounded with, so that is quite a different thing than dealing with Protestants and their objections to our supposed beliefs.

 

[Church_Militant]

This is how I do it. My Testimony

 

[PJM]

=Contra Mundum;11667730]For those of you who have had opportunities to share your testimonies, I was wondering if you could explain a bit more. What do you focus on? (What God has done for you. Why you believe Christianity/ the CC is true. This kind of thing?)

I really wouldn’t know where to start and how much to say. I have so many examples of how God helped me in need and answered my prayers in ways that can’t be dismissed as coincidences, but I wonder if such stories would convince anyone.

Also, it is always atheists and lapsed Catholics I am surrounded with, so that is quite a different thing than dealing with Protestants and their objections to our supposed beliefs.

Perhaps my friend, this advice may be useful to you. Please take it as sincere and friendly advice.

1. Rely far less on self and far more on the Holy Spirit
2. Reply on a powerful prayer and sacramental life and asking God for help
3. It is critically important to know WELL what we believe and WHY we believe it and HOW to both explain and prove it with charity and clarity

4.** Then ALLOW God to direct you**. To make the possibilities available to you according to what God’s needs and wants are.

Our task is never [or darn near never] “conversions”. THAT IS GOD"S ROLE.

Our role is to be sufficiently informed to enable God to water the seeds we plant for Him. We are the seed planters, he is the Sun and Rain. This kind of understanding will aid us it reining in our expectations. We have to be DOING GODS WORK; not only working for God. Amen:thumbsup:

The 1st rule is to KISS “keep it simple S…” Don’t try to overwhelm them with 2,000 years of truth and traditions**. Find out where they are**. What do they know and believe right now. What questions do THEY have. Address all of thes first and completely; one at a time.

Take ONE topic; or ONE issue at a time to its truthful conclusion. Before going on to the next. Never argue; debate with a smile and never try to force our truth which IS Gods truth on anyone. Wisdom is a GRACE from God. If they cannot accept what your sharing with stop or change topics.

This is NOT about us so much as what God can and will do through us.

I’ll pray for you too.

God Bless,
Patrick

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

PJM,

thank you for your reply. Very helpful.

I used to be very afraid of witnessing and would avoid conversations about my faith at all cost. No wonder God never sent people my way, I obviously wasn’t ready and couldn’t handle it. Now I feel differently about it, much more secure in what I know and believe and more relaxed when it comes to talking about it. I’ve also started praying for opportunities to witness and evangelise.

OP,

thank you for this thread and for sharing your story. Very interesting. God bless you for your efforts to spread the News.

 

[PJM]

=Contra Mundum;11671009]PJM,

thank you for your reply. Very helpful.

I used to be very afraid of witnessing and would avoid conversations about my faith at all cost. No wonder God never sent people my way, I obviously wasn’t ready and couldn’t handle it. Now I feel differently about it, much more secure in what I know and believe and more relaxed when it comes to talking about it. I’ve also started praying for opportunities to witness and evangelise.

OP,

thank you for this thread and for sharing your story. Very interesting. God bless you for your efforts to spread the News.

You CONTINUE in my prayers:thumbsup: