To learn what authentic, non-confrontational, joyful evangelization looks and sounds like, be sure to attend one of two upcoming workshops sponsored by the Diocese of Venice Office of Evangelization and presented by Saint Paul Street Evangelization (SPSE).
The first workshop is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sept. 28, 2024, at Church of the Resurrection Parish, 8121 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers, and is a deep dive into how to carry the Good News of the Lord into the public square. The second workshop is 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Sept. 29, at Our Lady of the Angels Parish, 12905 E. State Road 70, Lakewood Ranch, and will focus on incorporating apologetics in a non-confrontational way. Space is still available for both workshops.
Adam Janke, vice president of SPSE, will lead the workshops. Saint Paul Street Evangelization is a non-profit, grassroots organization that has mobilized thousands of ordinary Catholics to take the Gospel to the public square and be instruments of God in the salvation of souls. This is a return to the Diocese by SPSE which previously hosted training sessions in both Sarasota and Naples.
Janke said the goal of SPSE is to learn about how to share one’s faith in everyday life, with family, friends, fallen away Catholics, people you meet in the grocery store or anywhere.
The premise of SPSE is a relational ministry, where small groups, or pairs, of people go out and offer rosaries or Miraculous Medals to strangers. That simple offering then opens the door for a personal interaction.
The Fort Myers workshop covers Basic Evangelization Training. This will help the faithful to gain the courage needed to become enthusiastic and joyful evangelists and discern what role prayer might take in their work of evangelization.
The Lakewood Ranch workshop will focus on Apologetics in Evangelization Training, helping participants learn how to approach answering questions about the Catholic Faith, as more of a “Road to Emmaus” moment and less of a boxing match. The goal is to allow participants the opportunity to learn how to be better at sharing the Faith, overcoming objections to Jesus and the Church.
Registration for each workshop is $25 and includes lunch and training materials.
Register for the Sept. 28 workshop in Fort Myers at https://evangelizationschool.com/store/product/basic-evangelization-training-venice-fl/. For the Sept. 29 workshop in Lakewood Ranch, visit https://evangelizationschool.com/store/product/apologetics-in-evangelization-training-lakewood/.
If you have any questions, please contact Jim Gontis at gontis@dioceseofvenice.org.
