Where to preach the Gospel

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mathematoons

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I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where most people are ignorant of the Gospel. I want to bring people in to the Church. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can go to find people who might be interested? I can’t just walk up to people and ask them if they know Jesus, or go door-to-door like Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Does anyone here do any kind of outreach, or know of a way? I’d be very interested in anything you know about.
 
mathematoons said:
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where most people are ignorant of the Gospel. I want to bring people in to the Church. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where I can go to find people who might be interested? I can’t just walk up to people and ask them if they know Jesus, or go door-to-door like Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Does anyone here do any kind of outreach, or know of a way? I’d be very interested in anything you know about.
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First of all study intently the CCC, you can find it online at scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc.htm

The community of the body of Christ through the church can be an amazing tool when utilized. Your church may have some excellent programs that are already organized, and sanctioned by the local Bishop. Think bigger by becoming an important part of your parish family and thereby serving as an example of life within the boundaries of moral law. The Gospel is clearly spoken through example of faith, hope and love. Not just in your area is there “ignorance”, but everywhere people turn to abominations like “the universe”, “the Kabbalah”, “luck, numerology and even Scientology”. A sad state for the souls living in this age. I see it every day and it just blows my mind how far people have wandered away from acknowledging the Lord. You however, can look closely at those within your immediate circle and serve as a light not hidden or covered. Best wishes to you.
 
  1. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen.
  2. Become a Big Brother/Sister.
  3. Staff a rape crisis, domestic abuse, or suicide hotline.
  4. Buy a bus or BART ticket for someone who looks like they could use the help.
  5. Let an old or exhausted-looking person have your seat.
  6. The next time a stranger is rude, smile and walk away.
  7. Volunteer to read to kids at one of the public library’s reading programs.
  8. Volunteer at a public high school’s tutoring program.
  9. Make a cheap sack lunch: pb&j, juice box, small bottle of water, small bag of carrot sticks, and some cookies. (Addicts need the sugar, but don’t go overboard.) Give it to a homeless person.
  10. Become a conversation buddy to an ESL student. There are tons of language schools in the Bay Area.
  11. Volunteer at a refugee center or a non-profit that works with immigrants.
  12. Go to an army surplus store or a wholesale seller in Chinatown and buy a bulk of cheap blankets. Should cost less than $50. Donate them to a shelter. Leave them in a park where a lot of homeless congegrate.
  13. Get a tagging removal kit. Cities usually give them out for free or for minimal cost (like a $1). Spend a morning removing tagging in your neighborhood.
  14. Volunteer at a no-kill animal shelter.
  15. Spend some time at a non-profit that works with parolees and ex-convicts helping them find housing, get into drug/alcohol treatment, get job skills, and obtain free/low-cost tattoo removal. They would love to see you.
  16. Deliver Meals on Wheels, or help someone who does.
  17. If you have your own car, take someone who can’t drive to Mass or Confession.
  18. Buy a professional women’s outfit (blouse, skirt, cardigan/jacket), preferably in plus or super-plus sizes (above a US size 16 or so). A clerk can help you pick out something appropriately professional. Donate the outfit to a women’s homeless or domestic violence shelter that helps women find employment.
  19. Buy a boatload of colored pencils, Crayons, and markers. $20 will buy you scads of drawing/coloring materials at a Dollar Store. Donate your purchase to a pediatric wing, children’s hospital, Boys & Girls Club, or elementary school.
  20. Join a middle school’s literacy program. Read to a 14-year-old kid who can’t or won’t.
  21. The next time you’re at the supermarket pick up as much baby food or disposable diapers as you can afford and donate it to a women’s homeless or domestic abuse shelter.
  22. Donate your services to Habitat to Humanity.
  23. Join a non-profit that spays/neuters and vaccinates feral cat colonies around the Bay Area. The Hope Foundation is one such group.
  24. Learn to make rope rosaries. My 15-year-old nephew’s second attempt wasn’t half bad. Get them blessed and leave them in the narthex of churches that have high poverty or immigrant parishioners.
  25. Contact the administration of public school that serves a high poverty population. Through an administrator find out the needs of one of the school’s first-year teachers (reading books, scissors and rulers, colored paper, you’d be surprised at the need). Help that teacher teach poor kids.
“Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” 🙂
 
Maybe you can buy some of the tracts, 'What Catholics really believe", i’ve seen them on here at one point. They look like good material to give to people , especially after you’ve helped them by doing some of the good suggestions above.

How encouraging that you want to bring people to Christ and His Church. I think it’s great to talk to people about the faith rather than just be a good person. Of course it can be more uncomfortable to challenge people or explain things, but that shouldn’t deter us. People don’t just majically show up at the door requesting an RCIA program.
 
You can simply pray each morning that the Lord will put people who are most in need of outreach in your path. Then watch for opportunities to transition to the topic of God with whomever you come into contact with during the course of the day.

For example, maybe you’re at work and someone says, “I’ll have to come in Sunday morning to get all this work done.” You casually respond with something like: “Sunday morning? I take it you’re not a church-going type?..Is that because you don’t believe in God or are you just not into organized religion?”

Later in the day someone mentions: “My sister just moved in with a guy who’s an architect.” You see the opening: “Moved in with him? And she has no problem with that morally? Is she a Christian?..And what about you? Not a Christian either? …”

Then on the way home you stop at Starbucks for coffee and while chatting with an employee or another customer you hear: “I hurt my arm playing tennis the other day.” You’re ready with: “Oh, really. Have you tried praying about it? …”

In any chance meeting you can always try to bring up the topic of God, even if it’s only to say, “God bless you” or “I’ll pray for you.”
 
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