Download or read book Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story written by Nancy Hc Ward and published by . This book was released on 2020-03-17 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DO YOU PANIC WHEN ASKED ABOUT YOUR CATHOLIC FAITH? Every baptized Christian is called to evangelize; yet many Catholics find personal evangelism intimidating. But it doesn't have to be! In Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story, Nancy Ward shows you that evangelization can be simply a matter of letting others know how God has worked in our life. As Nancy explains the importance of being able to bear witness to God's love by sharing your faith story, she shares her own story of lifelong conversion and shows you how to recognize the ways God has been drawing you closer to him throughout your life. You'll also get ten tips on how to share your story in a way that is natural, effective, and un-intimidating. In the second part of the book, you'll read more than thirty personal faith stories by Catholics from all walks of life--converts and "reverts," clergy, religious, and layfolk who tell their own unique stories of how God has drawn them gradually closer into his loving embrace. If you've ever wished you could be a more effective witness to God's truth and love, you can learn to share YOUR Catholic faith story. You have a story only you can tell, and someone needs to hear it! Don't panic. Read Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story. Do the exercises. Learn to journal. Explore your story. Relive your God-moments of grace. Write your faith bio. Craft a 30-second elevator speech. Keep in mind the ten tips for sharing your story. Be inspired. Take the Saint John Paul II challenge to be a new witness in the new evangelization, one of those people who has "experienced an area of change in their lives because of their contact with Jesus Christ, and who are capable of passing on that experience to others." Saint Pope John Paul II. Fulfill your baptismal calling. Captivate those who inquire why you are so joyful. Live the directive of St. Peter, "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence." (1 Peter 3:15, 16)

Download or read book You Can Share the Faith written by Karen Edmisten and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This book was released on 2016-02-19 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sharing the faith doesn't have to be complicated. After all, Jesus himself just started with one person. Here are practical pointers from the author's own story and those of many others to help you share your faith joyfully, casually, confidently—and with compassion.

Download or read book Characters of the Reformation written by Hilaire Belloc and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2017-11-13 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hilaire Belloc's landmark study Characters of the Reformation argues that Western Europe's break from the Catholic Church was driven by a land-grab and looting of Church property by European noblemen. Belloc has little admiration for the so-called leaders of the time and credits the Reformation to behind-the-scenes players. Each chapter is a mini-biography and individuals covered include Anne Boleyn, Pope Clement the Seventh, Cecil, Richelieu, Laud, Oliver Cromwell, Descartes, Pascal and more.

Download or read book Talking with Catholics about the Gospel written by Christopher A. Castaldo and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2015-03-31 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Talking with Catholics about Jesus, author Chris Castaldo provides an easy-to-follow introduction to basic Catholic belief and practice, equipping evangelical Protestants for more fruitful spiritual conversations. Written in accessible, non-technical language, this short book offers readers: A more informed awareness of Catholicism Encouragement to move from a combative posture to a gracious one Clarification of erroneous caricatures of Catholics in favor of a more constructive understanding Based in part on Castaldo's experience as a Catholic and time spent working professionally in the Catholic Church, Talking with Catholics about Jesus gives readers a framework for recognizing where lines of similarity and difference fall between Catholics and evangelical Protestants, along with handy tips for engaging in spiritual discussions. Readers will gain encouragement and practical insights for gracious and worthwhile discussions of faith with Catholic believers.

Download or read book Catholic and Confident written by Henry Libersat and published by Servant Books. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Catholic and Confident is designed to help Catholics embrace their call to spread the message of salvation to everyone in their lives. Providing references from various popes and the Second Vatican Council, this book shows the need for laypeople to evangelize and affirms their unique place in the world to do so. Real-life examples of Catholics who are living their call combined with practical suggestions make this a valuable resource. Readers will find a new vitality of faith, a greater understanding of God’s presence in their lives, and the peace that comes from living and sharing confidently as God calls them to do.

Download or read book All In written by Pat Gohn and published by Ave Maria Press. This book was released on 2017-03-03 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What’s the one thing that defines your life and brings you the most good, the most love? Pat Gohn knows what her one thing is: “More than any single factor in my life, belonging to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church has had the greatest impact on me. Faith gives meaning to everything in my life.” In this passionate and unapologetic account of why her faith in Christ and the Catholic Church are the source of meaning and joy in her life, Gohn—popular speaker, retreat leader, catechist, and author of Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious—invites you to become more confident in the power of the Catholic faith to transform your life as well. Being a cradle Catholic, cancer survivor, wife, and mother are all a part of Gohn’s story. But in this appealing, personal book, she shares why her relationship with Jesus and her confidence in his Church are so much bigger than her medical diagnosis, more powerful than her family history, and more significant than her career path. Gohn ardently shares why belonging to the Church will strengthen and nurture your relationship with God. It will keep you connected with Jesus and the sacraments—conduits of grace, forgiveness, healing, wisdom, and renewal. Belonging to the Church connects you to millions of others around the world, to the saints, and to your loved ones in heaven. These relationships are at the heart of Catholicism. In this time when life and society are so fragmented, the joy of belonging to a community—as imperfect as it can be—easily outweighs the agony of separation or isolation. Gohn’s confidence in her faith emerged despite and even out of a struggle with disillusionment. Working in a parish when news of the sex abuse scandals broke in Boston, she confronted heartbreak and anger within herself and her fellow parishioners. Yet she never left the Church and relates how she found a way to dig deeper and discover reasons to stay faithful. Each of the nine chapters identifies a dimension of the Catholic faith that is a source of Gohn’s confidence, including the Incarnation, God’s plan, the Fatherhood of God, the friendship of the Holy Spirit, and the love of neighbor. Each chapter also features reflection questions to challenge you.

Download or read book Catholic Evangelization written by Steve Dawson and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2024-05-20 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book begins with the inspiring story of Steve Dawson - his dramatic conversion to Catholicism as a young man and his founding of St. Paul Street Evangelization, an international apostolate that has grown to hundreds of teams in seven countries in just a few years. Also included are other moving stories of conversion and witness. The authors are ordinary Catholics who have come to love Christ so much that they now talk about Him with total strangers in public places - street corners, parks, and shopping areas. They aren't theologians, nor are they highly trained apologists with Ambrosian rhetorical skills or Dale Carnegie slickness, yet their simple missionary efforts have yielded amazing results. The book's style is readable, accessible, and conversational. It illustrates the missionary calling of all baptized Christians, including Catholics. It reveals the joy and fulfillment that come to those who humbly yet boldly share the good news of God's mercy with others.

Download or read book Everyday Witness written by Theresa Rickard O.P. and published by Ave Maria Press. This book was released on 2019-10-11 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you want to share your faith with others but think you might not know enough? Are you worried that conflicts will arise as you openly talk about and share the love of Christ? In Everyday Witness, Sr. Theresa Rickard, O.P., president of RENEW International, offers seven simple habits to help fellow Catholics more comfortably talk about and model Christian faith in our everyday lives. Most often people come to Christ because they’ve admired the words and actions of believers they respect. But talking about God and witnessing by our actions can be very difficult. In this primer for evangelizing witness, Sr. Theresa Rickard, O.P., presents inspirational stories and biblical reflections along with spiritual coaching and practical advice for Catholics who want to get better at sharing what they believe and how they came to believe it. Rickard encourages us to adopt seven habits that will help us confidently share our faith in word and deed: choose joy be humble preach from the pulpit of life pray unceasingly listen closely practice the art of accompaniment engage in God-talk Each chapter includes Rickard’s reflection on witnessing the faith in her own life, a brief survey of what the Bible says on the topic, and the story of an ordinary person who gives witness to their faith in an extraordinary way. Each chapter also offers self-reflection questions, simple ideas about how to grow the habit, and a closing prayer that gives us not only food for thought but also practical help for becoming better witnesses to our Catholic faith.

Download or read book Bible Basics for Catholics written by John Bergsma and published by Ave Maria Press. This book was released on 2015-10-02 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Bergsma’s popular Bible Basics for Catholics, which has sold more than 60,000 copies, offers readers an accessible vision of salvation history as it unfolds in the Bible, showing readers how the Bible points us to the saving life and work of Jesus. This new edition includes an additional chapter on covenant fulfillment in the Book of Revelation. Bergsma brings to his theology a combination of academic expertise, pastoral wisdom, and unique playfulness. Bible Basics for Catholics is based on Bergsma’s popular Introduction to Theology course at Steubenville. As a teacher, Bergsma has an uncanny ability to make complex ideas understandable and faith-inspiring while staying true to both Catholic teaching and biblical scholarship. Readers will begin to see the Christian understanding of salvation by walking through the Old Testament, going through the great stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the great kings and prophets of Israel, and culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Download or read book Forming Intentional Disciples written by Sherry A. Weddell and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This book was released on 2015-11-30 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can we transmit a living, personal Catholic faith to future generations? By coming to know Jesus Christ, and following him as his disciples. These are times of immense challenge and immense opportunity for the Catholic Church. Consider these statistics for the United States. Only 30 percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are still practicing. Fully 10 percent of all adults in America are ex-Catholics. The number of marriages celebrated in the Church decreased dramatically, by nearly 60 percent, between 1972 and 2010. Only 60 percent of Catholics believe in a personal God. If the Church is to reverse these trends, the evangelizers must first be evangelized-in other words, Catholics-in-the-pew must make a conscious choice to know and follow Jesus before they can draw others to him. This work of discipleship lies at the heart of Forming Intentional Disciples, a book designed to help Church leaders, parish staff and all Catholics transform parish life from within. Drawing upon her fifteen years of experience with the Catherine of Siena Institute, Sherry Weddell leads readers through steps that will help Catholics enter more deeply into a relationship with God and the river of apostolic creativity, charisms, and vocation that flow from that relationship for the sake of the Church and the world. Learn about the five thresholds of postmodern conversion, how to open a conversation about faith and belief, how to ask thought-provoking questions and establish an atmosphere of trust, when to tell the Great Story of Jesus, how to help someone respond to God's call to intentional discipleship, and much more. And be prepared for conversion because when life at the parish level changes, the life of the whole Church will change.

Download or read book Casting Nets written by Chris Stewart and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This book was released on 2015-06-19 with total page 93 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Jesus wants evangelizers who proclaim the good news not only with words, but above all by a life transfigured by God's presence." -- Pope Francis In their travels around the country teaching individuals, parishes, and diocese to evangelize, authors Chris Stewart and Tony Brandt have discovered something amazing: when Catholics live their Faith it fills their lives so much joy so that they can't help but share their Faith - which increases their joy! In Casting Nets you'll learn to "catch" people for the Lord using THE SEVEN PILLARS OF EFFECTIVE EVANGELIZATION, Stewart and Brandt's tested and proven principles that allow for effective evangelization, all modeled in the life of Jesus. Prayerful Invitational Hospitable Inspirational Sacramental Formational Missionful Casting Nets is perfect for individuals or parishes searching for an effective program to share the Faith, and as a result, watch their own faith grow!

Download or read book Born Fundamentalist Born Again Catholic written by David Currie and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2009-09-03 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Currie was raised in a devout Christian family whose father was a fundamentalist preacher and both parents teachers at Moody Bible Institute. Currie's whole upbringing was immersed in the life of fundamentalist Protestantism - theology professors, seminary presidents and founders of evangelical mission agencies were frequent guests at his family dinner table. Currie received a degree from Trinity International University and studied in the Masters of Divinity program. This book was written as an explanation to his fundamentalist and evangelical friends and family about why he became a Roman Catholic. Currie presents a very lucid, systematic and intelligible account of the reasons for his conversion to the ancient Church that Christ founded. He gives a detailed discussion of the important theological and doctrinal beliefs Catholic and evangelicals hold in common, as well as the key doctrines that separate us, particularly the Eucharist, the Pope, and Mary.

Download or read book Keep Your Kids Catholic written by Marc Cardaronella and published by Ave Maria Press. This book was released on 2016-05-20 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many Catholic parents are tempted to leave the religious education and spiritual formation of their children up to their parish or Catholic school. Professional catechist, popular blogger, and father of two, Marc Cardaronella has a passionate plea for those parents: be your child’s primary educator in the faith by what you do and say. This practical guide gives parents what they need to be a bigger partner in handing on the faith to their children by creating a faith-nurturing environment at home. When Marc Cardaronella started his job as a catechist, he could empathize with parents who came to him to talk about how their now-grown children had left the Church because he had been there: Despite years of religious education and regular Mass attendance, Cardaronella never really practiced his faith. He fell away from the Church right after his Confirmation and stayed away for twenty years. Now it’s his mission to equip families like yours to hand on your faith. His passionate message is that the kind of faith formation children need is not taught in standard religious education classes and probably never will be. Cardaronella is on a quest to help you fill the gaps by first strengthening your own faith—opening your heart to God, practicing trust, clearing away obstacles to God’s grace, and creating regular prayer and study routines at home. He gives you the tools to pass that faith on to your kids and make it stick by teaching you how to pray with your children consistently, about adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the power of the Examen prayer, and how to motivate your kids to be engaged in parish life and Christian outreach. Keep Your Kids Catholic offers equal shares of inspiration, challenge, and practical advice. Each chapter includes Reflect, Pray, and Live sections to help you integrate Cardaronella’s message into family life.

Download or read book Mary s Way written by Judy Landrieu Klein and published by Ave Maria Press. This book was released on 2016-08-29 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do you walk with your children during times of struggle and crisis? Do you feel as if nothing you do will be enough? In Mary's Way, a heartfelt book for moms who struggle to guide children through the various stages of their lives, Catholic speaker and teacher Judy Landrieu Klein shows how her own crisis of faith helped her release her children to the care of the Blessed Mother. In doing so, Klein shows you how to find the love, joy, and peace of Our Lord as you surrender your will to him. Judy Landrieu Klein struggled with her faith as she lived through her son’s near-fatal addiction to drugs and her daughter’s painful anxiety. She discovered she couldn’t handle the relentless pressure of life not measuring up to her expectations and it was eating away at her family. Klein considered Mary’s reaction to the events in the life of Jesus. She meditated on Mary’s fiat and her prayer of total surrender to God’s will and saw how this act of obedience carried on throughout Mary’s life as she witnessed the life of her son. As Klein focused on her devotion to the Blessed Mother, her life and faith were transformed. In Mary’s Way, Klein reflects on the Annunciation and describes her own to struggle to embrace the will of God by surrendering control of her family planning. She meditates on Mary’s powerlessness during the Crucifixion, finding a place of calming surrender during her own son’s escalating battle with addiction. Klein shows how you can become a more powerful intercessor for yourself and your children. When you finish reading this book, you’ll find yourself turning to Mary and surrendering yourself and your children more fully to God.

Download or read book Catholics Come Home written by Thomas B. Peterson and published by Random House Digital, Inc.. This book was released on 2013-02-19 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a Foreword by Scott Hahn, bestselling author of The Lamb's Supper God has something extraordinary planned for your life . . . In our fast-paced, highly technological world, this statement might sound a bit lofty, but the lives of millions of souls who have come before us attest to this simple truth: God has a wonderful plan in store for you. With these words, Tom Peterson, founder and president of Catholics Come Home, a nonprofit multimedia organization dedicated to promoting Catholic evangelization, offers inspiration for believers from all walks of life, whether lapsed or practicing, to deepen their faith and draw them closer to Jesus and His Church. In a series of moving stories and personal anecdotes, Tom relates how after rediscovering his faith, he experienced God's unfailing love, and soon found his true purpose in life. You can too! Drawing from scripture, his own struggles and discoveries, and the lives of the saints as well as ordinary individuals, the author offers seven ways to enter into a more deeply personal relationship with Jesus. These are pearls that you can share with others to illuminate the importance of the Catholic faith and open wide the door to a homecoming celebration. From the Hardcover edition.

Download or read book Catholic Street Evangelization written by Steve Dawson and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2016-04-15 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book begins with the inspiring story of Steve Dawson—his dramatic conversion to Catholicism as a young man and his founding of St. Paul Street Evangelization, an international apostolate that has grown to hundreds of teams in seven countries in just a few years. Also included are other moving stories of conversion and witness. The authors are ordinary Catholics who have come to love Christ so much that they now talk about Him with total strangers in public places—street corners, parks, and shopping areas. They aren't theologians, nor are they highly trained apologists with Ambrosian rhetorical skills or Dale Carnegie slickness, yet their simple missionary efforts have yielded amazing results. The book's style is readable, accessible, and conversational. It illustrates the missionary calling of all baptized Christians, including Catholics. It reveals the joy and fulfillment that come to those who humbly yet boldly share the good news of God's mercy with others.

Download or read book Salvation Is from the Jews written by Roy H. Schoeman and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2019-04-15 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book traces the role of Judaism and the Jewish people in God's plan for the salvation of mankind, from Abraham through the Second Coming, as revealed by the Catholic faith and by a thoughtful examination of history. It will give Christians a deeper understanding of Judaism, both as a religion in itself and as a central component of Christian salvation. To Jews it reveals the incomprehensible importance, nobility and glory that Judaism most truly has. It examines the unique and central role Judaism plays in the destiny of the world. It documents that throughout history attacks on Jews and Judaism have been rooted not in Christianity, but in the most anti-Christian of forces. Areas addressed include: the Messianic prophecies in Jewish scripture; the anti-Christian roots of Nazi anti-Semitism; the links between Nazism and Arab anti-Semitism; the theological insights of major Jewish converts; and the role of the Jews in the Second Coming. "Perplexed by controversies new and old about the destiny of the Jewish people? Read this book by a Jew who became a Catholic for a well-written, provocative, ground-breaking account. Some of the answers most have never heard before." Ronda Chervin, Ph.D., Hebrew-Catholic