Lay Ministers, Lay Disciples: Evangelizing Power in the Parish

Every lay minister is a potential evangelizer--even members of the choir, hospitality committee, finance committee, and so on. This exciting new approach, presented here by nationally recognized experts, expands the definitions of what it means to evangelize and how it can be a "natural result" of what people are doing anyway. Lay Ministers, Lay Disciples is a unique instructional guide offering specific help for the different lay ministries. Addressing both theological issues and practical matters, it can be used as either a training text or a guide for personal reflection. All of its points are examined against a backdrop of six dimensions that are critical to evangelization: discipleship, friendship, witness, proclamation, invitation, and integration. This book will challenge and refresh lay ministers, help them pinpoint their own strengths and weaknesses, and show how to work more effectively with the clergy. It's must reading for every lay minister, every pastor, every parish council, every evangelization team. It's also an extraordinary resource that should be in every diocesan office.

Frank DeSiano, CSP, is president of the Paulist Fathers. For many years pastor of a large New York parish, he has recently worked with over fifteen parishes in the Washington, D.C., area developing evangelizing programs. He was the principal author of Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States, issued by the U.S. bishops conference in 1992. His most recent book is The Evangelizing Catholic: A Practical Handbook for Reaching Out. He lives in Jamaica Estates, New York.

Consultant, lecturer, and facilitator, Susan Blum Gerding is the founding president of Isaiah Ministries, Inc., a collaborative ministry of priests and laity, which has presented nearly 1,000 parish missions through the U.S. She's the author of the Implementation Guide for Go and Make Disciples, as well as eight books. Her many awards for lay evangelization include the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal from John Paul II. She lives in Boca Raton, Florida.