Living as Missionary Disciples

Introduction “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew . . . I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.” 1 As a Church, we are called to be missionary disciples who know and live the faith and confidently share the Gospel. There is a growing body of material on how to be a missionary Church. In keeping with the call of recent popes for Catholics to evangelize, bishops, in particular, need to offer direction and encouragement for a joyful evangelization to take place. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis) has developed this leadership resource for the purpose of encouraging missionary disciples in the task of evangeli zation. It is intended for use by bishops and other clergy, as well as reli gious, lay, and parish leaders and staff in dioceses, eparchies, associations, parishes, missions, and educational settings, especially those in Catholic schools, seminaries, and colleges/universities. Purpose and Inspiration The journey of evangelization has as its center the proclamation of Jesus Christ and an invitation to deeper missionary discipleship. This resource

is designed to provide parishes and other church ministries with what might be called a road map toward “new paths for the Church’s journey” of evangelization. It is not intended to provide a ready-made program for a parish to follow or a detailed strategic plan to implement. Rather, it offers principles that parishes can apply to their efforts in evangelization and missionary disciple ship within their particular pastoral context and as part of their existing planning process.

Although parishes are most often mentioned throughout this resource, it is hoped that it will also provide assistance to dioceses, schools, and all Catholic associations.

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