Help, I could use advice

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newbiefound

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A friend of mine keeps persuing me and appealing to my pride. He thinks I should assist in his on campus ministry (Protestant) by ministering to people. He wants me to first share my testimony before at least 70 people which is full of sins and such. Next he wants me to make friendships and share my knowledge of the scriptures and experiences with Christ. These things sound fine but I’m not sure that I’m quite ready for this sort of thing. I’m not even finished with RCIA yet and I’ve only been a Christian for a year.
 
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newbiefound:
I’m not even finished with RCIA yet and I’ve only been a Christian for a year.
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You are in the process of becoming a Catholic. Why would you want to join in a Protestant outreach activity?
 
Make a deal with him - If he attends your RCIA classes, you’ll help him with his outreach. Just think of it, an opportunity to talk to 70 people about your conversion to Catholicism!!!

NotWorthy
 
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NotWorthy:
Make a deal with him - If he attends your RCIA classes, you’ll help him with his outreach. Just think of it, an opportunity to talk to 70 people about your conversion to Catholicism!!!

NotWorthy
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Don’t make any deals.If you feel you are not ready, say so. Being humble is what God wants. God will tell you when you are ready.–nicolo
 
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nico1089:
Don’t make any deals.If you feel you are not ready, say so. Being humble is what God wants. God will tell you when you are ready.–nicolo
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Yes, but Christ was also very good at turning the Pharisee’s traps back against them (“Render to Caesar’s…”, “Let He who is without sin…”). I think the last thing newbiefound’s friend would like to hear is Newbie’s numerous reasons for becoming Catholic, and I think there are hundreds or thousands of people on these forums that would LOVE to give newbie some food for thought.

Notworthy
 
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JimG:
You are in the process of becoming a Catholic. Why would you want to join in a Protestant outreach activity?
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Pardon me for being confused with this statement… Why wouldn’t you want to join ANY christian outreach program, no matter the denomination behind it? Even though I am not catholic I so would join an outreach ministry by them if I felt they could use my talents that God has so graciously given me… Anything to bring those who are not christian to the one LIVING LOVING God who so desperately wants to hold them in His arms! It’s just a thought… 🙂
 
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NotWorthy:
Yes, but Christ was also very good at turning the Pharisee’s traps back against them (“Render to Caesar’s…”, “Let He who is without sin…”). I think the last thing newbiefound’s friend would like to hear is Newbie’s numerous reasons for becoming Catholic, and I think there are hundreds or thousands of people on these forums that would LOVE to give newbie some food for thought.

Notworthy
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All that is true, but I would still recommend that a person who isn’t Christ should wait for confirmation from God–like Moses for example.–nicolo
 
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newbiefound:
A friend of mine keeps persuing me and appealing to my pride. He thinks I should assist in his on campus ministry (Protestant) by ministering to people. He wants me to first share my testimony before at least 70 people which is full of sins and such. Next he wants me to make friendships and share my knowledge of the scriptures and experiences with Christ. These things sound fine but I’m not sure that I’m quite ready for this sort of thing. I’m not even finished with RCIA yet and I’ve only been a Christian for a year.
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Bottom line: if you are in RCIA, you’re not ready for ecumenical work. Your work at this time is to lay down a sound foundation, to get all your questions answered, to pray, to be confident in your relationship to God, and to take as much time as you need to do so.

Share your testimony before 70 protestants, eh? You mean 70 protestants are going to tear your testimony to shreds at a very vulnerable stage in your life?

Being Catholic can be a humbling experience. To give you some perspective, here is what one of John Milton’s characters said:

“Better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven.”

That character was Satan. Do you see the nature of your friend’s seduction of you?
 
Ani Ibi:
Bottom line: if you are in RCIA, you’re not ready for ecumenical work. Your work at this time is to lay down a sound foundation, to get all your questions answered, to pray, to be confident in your relationship to God, and to take as much time as you need to do so.

Share your testimony before 70 protestants, eh? You mean 70 protestants are going to tear your testimony to shreds at a very vulnerable stage in your life?

Being Catholic can be a humbling experience. To give you some perspective, here is what one of John Milton’s characters said:

“Better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven.”

That character was Satan. Do you see the nature of your friend’s seduction of you?
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Very good advice! --nicolo
 
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Singinbeauty:
Pardon me for being confused with this statement… Why wouldn’t you want to join ANY christian outreach program, no matter the denomination behind it?
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I am presuming that this protestant ministry program by its very nature will have some doctrinal differences with Catholicism. Will they expect the OP to teach things to this group which he believes not to be true? Or will they be satisfied if he shares with them that he believes that the fullness of Christian truth and faith is to be found in the Catholic Church?

In any case, he is still going through the process of becoming Catholic. It’s a little too soon to begin participating in any such ministry.
 
you will know when you are ready, and you don’t sound
ready… or you wouldn’t be questioning…

🙂
 
Ani Ibi:
“Better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven.”

That character was Satan. Do you see the nature of your friend’s seduction of you?
Click to expand...
You’re right, this really does put things into perspective. I needed this, thank you. I definitely have decided I don’t need to be doing anything like sharing my testimony before 70 people or doing anything like ministering to these people. In a few one-on-ones in the outreach I have shared my experience in learning about the truth of Catholicism. I understand being persecuted is a necessary part of being a Catholic in times like these but I don’t think I’m quite ready to be persecuted by more than 20 people at a time. This group is very open to any denomination including (but less open than others) the real Church. Still despite their acceptance I’ve lately been considering just cutting the ties with their organization.

Honestly, I’m involved with two protestant organizations that have get togethers once or twice a week. They do have doctrinal differences that I don’t agree with of which I’m very vocal about among them. I also go to daily mass and attend RCIA. I’m also beginning a bible study with St. Thomas Aquinas church across the street. In the protestant organizations I have been persecuted time and again which has challenged me and caused me to grow so much closer to Catholicism. Being in these other organizations has been a great way for me to Evangelize and has strengthened my bonds with the Church. Even though I’ve been growing I still wonder if I would have been better off just getting more involved in the Church instead and growing there. Do you guys think I should stay involved in both or only in Catholicism?
 
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newbiefound:
Do you guys think I should stay involved in both or only in Catholicism?
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Things are not as easy to step into in the Catholic Church. It is bigger, people are already in place, a lot of discernment takes place before decisions are made.

Right now you would do well to bring all your questions to the RCIA team, not to non-Catholics who don’t a clue about how to answer you. Allow the Church Herself to answer your questions. Ask the Ask The Apologist forum here at Catholic Answers.

This does not mean you are locked into becoming Catholic. You can say stop at any point. All it means is that you are investigating in a conscientious way.

I understand that this is humbling. It is what it is.

Before you step forward into some kind of ‘calling’ make sure you have done your work in RCIA. I shouldn’t think that volunteering for a Catholic soup kitchen would be too counterproductive. A Catholic prayer group seems fine. A Catholic Bible Study seems fine. This is your time to be fed. You can’t feed others when you have nothing to give them.
 
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