Church documents about lay evangelism?

[desales09]

Any church documents about lay evangelism?

 

[Trishie]

CHRISTIFIDELES LAICI of his holiness JOHN PAUL II
ON THE VOCATION AND THE MISSION OF THE LAY FAITHFUL IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_30121988_christifideles-laici_en.html

The Pope does address the issue of evangelization in:

REDEMPTORIS MISSIO, JOHN PAUL II addresses the responsibility of the Church to evangelize

It includes such statements as
"The First Form of Evangelization Is Witness

1. People today put more trust in witnesses than in teachers,69 in experience than in teaching, and in life and action than in theories. The witness of a Christian life is the first and irreplaceable form of mission: Christ, whose mission we continue, is the “witness” par excellence (Rv 1:5; 3:14) and the model of all Christian witness. The Holy Spirit accompanies the Church along her way and associates her with the witness he gives to Christ (cf. Jn 15:26-27)."

and

All the Laity Are Missionaries by baptism

1. Recent popes have stressed the importance of the role of the laity in missionary activity.144 In the Exhortation Christifideles Laici, I spoke explicitly of the Church’s “permanent mission of bringing the Gospel to the multitudes - the millions and millions of men and women - who as yet do not know Christ the Redeemer of humanity,” 145 and of the responsibility of the lay faithful in this regard. The mission ad gentes is incumbent upon the entire People of God. Whereas the foundation of a new church requires the Eucharist and hence the priestly ministry, missionary activity, which is carried out in a wide variety of ways, is the task of all the Christian faithful.

 

[desales09]

God bless you, Trishie, and thank you.

 

[fhansen]

You can read the Vat II decree Ad Gentes, which addresses the mission activity of the Church with reference to the laity’s role here:
vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651207_ad-gentes_en.html

Here are some excerpts from the Catechism:
**900 Since, like all the faithful, lay Christians are entrusted by God with the apostolate by virtue of their Baptism and Confirmation, they have the right and duty, individually or grouped in associations, to work so that the divine message of salvation may be known and accepted by all men throughout the earth. This duty is the more pressing when it is only through them that men can hear the Gospel and know Christ. Their activity in ecclesial communities is so necessary that, for the most part, the apostolate of the pastors cannot be fully effective without it.433

904 "Christ . . . fulfills this prophetic office, not only by the hierarchy . . . but also by the laity. He accordingly both establishes them as witnesses and provides them with the sense of the faith [sensus fidei] and the grace of the word"438
To teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of each believer.439

905 Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, “that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life.” For lay people, "this evangelization . . . acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world."440
This witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers . . . or to the faithful.441

906 Lay people who are capable and trained may also collaborate in catechetical formation, in teaching the sacred sciences, and in use of the communications media.
**

 

[desales09]

Thank you Fhansen - very helpful. I will look through these. God bless, and happy Advent to both of you.

 

[PJM]

=desales09;8656672]Any church documents about lay evangelism?

PROSELYTISM EVANGELISM ECUMENISM

And General Directory for Cathehsisi

God Bless,
Pat

 

[desales09]

Thanks Pat, I appreciate it. Sorry I didn’t thank you sooner. God bless, and Merry Christmas to all of you

 

[PJM]

=desales09;8656672]Any church documents about lay evangelism?

Ask you’re question on EWTN’s web site libraries.

One that I know of is:“General Directory for Catechesis” issued by the Curia “Congregation for the Clergy”

God Bless,
Pat

 

[Bernadette173]

CHRISTIFIDELES LAICI of his holiness JOHN PAUL II
ON THE VOCATION AND THE MISSION OF THE LAY FAITHFUL IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_30121988_christifideles-laici_en.html

The Pope does address the issue of evangelization in:

REDEMPTORIS MISSIO, JOHN PAUL II addresses the responsibility of the Church to evangelize

It includes such statements as
"The First Form of Evangelization Is Witness

1. People today put more trust in witnesses than in teachers,69 in experience than in teaching, and in life and action than in theories. The witness of a Christian life is the first and irreplaceable form of mission: Christ, whose mission we continue, is the “witness” par excellence (Rv 1:5; 3:14) and the model of all Christian witness. The Holy Spirit accompanies the Church along her way and associates her with the witness he gives to Christ (cf. Jn 15:26-27)."

and

All the Laity Are Missionaries by baptism

1. Recent popes have stressed the importance of the role of the laity in missionary activity.144 In the Exhortation Christifideles Laici, I spoke explicitly of the Church’s “permanent mission of bringing the Gospel to the multitudes - the millions and millions of men and women - who as yet do not know Christ the Redeemer of humanity,” 145 and of the responsibility of the lay faithful in this regard. The mission ad gentes is incumbent upon the entire People of God. Whereas the foundation of a new church requires the Eucharist and hence the priestly ministry, missionary activity, which is carried out in a wide variety of ways, is the task of all the Christian faithful.

Trishie,
I have read some of the enclosed transcriptiones of Exhortation, Christifedeles Laici, I now understand what I am missing in performing in my life. But that I am trying to help learn how to teach others about Christ, and in turn help others understand God’s love for them.

God Bless,
Bernadette173