Connect and Engage: An Evangelization Tool for Parishes
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Author
Burton, Evelyn Sue
Date
2012
Degree
Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology
Abstract
We are called to evangelize, to go out and make disciples, not to host an event
and hope someone wonders into our midst. As Catholics, we have not done a very
good job of promoting the riches of our Catholic faith and tradition, nor the opportunities
that we provide for our Catholic brothers and sisters to nourish their spirit. We need to
become better at utilizing those resources in the secular world that can build and
promote our Church. Information and technology in and of themselves are not bad, how
we choose to use them is what determines whether they are good or bad. In short, we
need to do a better job of marketing what we have to offer and find ways to connect to
people utilizing those means that reach them such as Twitter and Facebook, for
example. If you look at the definition for marketing and evangelization, the goals are
virtually the same: to reach out to individuals and help them identify a need and then
show them how this particular offering can fill that need.
As Catholics, we struggle with evangelization, whether it is within the Church or
without. If we want to build our parishes, or in some cases just maintain them, we must
do a better job of promoting what we have to offer as a Church. We must connect to our people and engage them in more active participation of parish life.