How to Share Your Faith with Anyone: A Practical Manual of Catholic Evangelization

by Terry Barber

Recent popes have challenged all Catholics to ; participate in the New Evangelization. But most Catholics feel ill-equipped to take up the challenge. Terry Barber, founder of St. Joseph Communications, has written a practical guide that takes much of the pain and uncertainty out of sharing one's faith. Based on Barber's decades of personal experience as an effective evangelist and masterful communicator, and drawing on the perceptions, examples, and lessons of other great evangelists and apologists, How to Share Your Faith with Anyone informs, entertains, and inspires would-be, as well as, seasoned evangelists and teachers.

Barber uses clear examples and insightful stories to explain such topics

What evangelization isWhy Catholics often don't evangelizePreparing to be an evangelistThe eight laws of effectively sharing the faith with anyoneJesus the perfect EvangelizerThe heart of evangelizationHow to share your personal testimonyBarber explains how to bring people to Christ and to his Church without compromise or conflict. This is a superb, easy-to-follow playbook for the New Evangelization.

Genres: Catholic, Christian, Nonfiction, Religion, Faith, Theology

140 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2013

Reviews

[John Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has good tips on how to share the Catholic Faith with anyone. Terry Barber has lived a life of evangelization. He also drew from his experience in sales on how to communicate the faith if it has to take that route. But on other times and opportunities, it is God who uses even his mundane moments to evangelize to someone who really needs to hear it.

I was surprised by the latter chapters of this book. They focused on prayer but also on the practice of the presence of God. I have read about this in the recent book I read written by Dr. Peter Kreeft entitled, "How to be Holy". Terry Barber's discussion of it is much simpler and resonates with me very well. It struck me well because he made the connection of that practice to the real life effects and impact it can have on my life. Barber explains that by doing this practice of the presence of God, we would be more effective in communicating Him to others and be able to live a life of integrity. Sometimes, our lives well lived by walking humbling with God is the only Gospel someone else will read.

I find this book relevant and quite practical. In this modern time of growing secularism in the world, there is a great need to evangelize to the world the love and mercy of God to all. That He is a good Father, that even His justice, though it may be harsh, is still clothed will love more so than His other virtues, as St Therese of the Child Jesus would say. Reading this book made me a bit more prepared to evangelize. It is worth a re-read so I can refresh myself about it. Definitely, it is highly recommended!

[TJ Jakubowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few of the spiritual insights at the end are valuable. But honestly I think anything that tries to cast itself as a “practical manual” may be missing the mark when it comes to explaining evangelization. Sharpening skills can’t really do much to replace or supplement conviction and faith, and in this book, the idea that Jesus and the Faith He taught are treasures to be shared seems to be obscured by discussing one’s testimony as a tool to be used. Also, why are there four stages, eight laws, and Ten Commandments of evangelization? These really seem to complicate evangelization rather than simplify it.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good short read about ways to share your faith with examples of the impactfulness of others. I would have liked more of a "How to guide" with examples of key topics to research or memorize. As a CCD teacher, it was still provided many good topics, especially on prayer.

[casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It was very well written and very easy to follow with real life experience and stories that the author had gone through that help express what he was trying to say.

[Ann-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, thoughtful, practical introduction to sharing your faith. I love that the author cements that you don't have to have all the answers, you just need to care about the person and be sincere. I especially enjoyed the numerous personal stories of evangelization he shares throughout the book.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is short and concise, very clear in how to share the Faith, it stays true to its Title. Worth taking notes, so that way others can read it and pass it on to others.

The book covers both External Rules and Principles for Evangelizing but also acknowledges the Internal Spirit and Heart of Evangelization as well: Very clearly without a Life of Prayer and Involvement in the Church, above the level of what is barely required one can't expect to be a great evangelist, without full immersion in the Gospel in all its implications do not expect to be an amazing evangelist.

Now, finally a book written by a Catholic and for Catholics on Evangelization in our day is accessible to all. I do believe that those who read, if they stay True and are rooted in the Love of God and Neighbor will [without knowing it] be better evangelists than the Evangelical Protestants.

[Dave Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to see Terry speak locally and picked this book up there. This book was short but compelling. Two of the chapters I read twice. I will be going back to this book again and strongly recommend it to anyone who accepts their God given responsibility to share their faith.