Lately, I’ve been asked to lead several workshops and training sessions on the (very broad) topic of evangelization. It’s a message I’ve been sharing for years, with plenty of updates and tweaks along the way.
Yet, even after all this time, the topic never gets old—not for me, and certainly not for the audiences I serve.
There is a simple yet profound reason for this: evangelization is the essential mission of the Church.
As ministry leaders, it is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind of our work: the endless emails to answer, the sessions to prepare, the prayers to lead, and the sudden fires to put out. These are all necessary elements of pastoral work, and they have to get done.
But what happens when we lose sight of why we are doing all this activity?
We get tired. We become a little less patient with the parishioners we serve. Slowly, we begin drifting toward burnout.
I believe this is why parish leaders ask to talk about evangelization so often. It’s constantly on everyone’s mind and heart. It’s so vital that I teach a course on it every two years through Santa Clara University’s Graduate Program in Pastoral Ministries titled “Evangelization and Discipleship.”
As Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why, famously points out, we must always stay connected to the “why” of our work so we don’t get overwhelmed by the “how” and the “what.” In fact, staying rooted in our why is precisely what makes our how and what so effective in the first place.
So, what is our “why”? Evangelization.
When you and I get consumed by the tactical details of daily ministry, returning to our why grounds us. It motivates us, puts our task list into its proper context, and gives us the strength to persevere when the road gets tough.
Why do I get asked to speak on this topic time and again? Because it keeps us going. It animates our work and gives us the spiritual boost we need to keep serving with joy.
The work you do is so incredibly important. When you feel like you’re getting lost in the day-to-day milieu of parish life, please take a step back and look at the big picture. Remind yourself why we do what we do: so that people come to know and enter into a life-changing relationship with God.
What you do is part of the greatest mission on Earth, and the Church deeply needs you to keep serving.
Amen.
P.S. For fun, I am embedding a YouTube video I’ve shared a ridiculous number of times over the years. It’s the classic TED Talk by Simon Sinek where he walks through his concept of the “Golden Circle.” It’s about 18 minutes long, and it is well worth the watch!
