Enthusiasm & Evangelism

August 31, 2025

Dear Parish Family,

My name is Anna Martin, and I’m sure you’re probably familiar with my face at Mass, but you might not be as familiar with my role at Assumption. I’ve worked part time at the parish for just over a year now, and my official role is “Evangelization Liaison.” This isn’t a common job title, so people often ask me what exactly it means. To put it simply, I help our parish invite others to encounter Christ through our worship, service, celebration, and community.

Since I am a young adult with a background in communication, a special focus of mine is extending invitations to the greater Midland community online through our parish website, social media, and online community calendars. I also enjoy designing flyers and handouts to highlight the events and activities taking place here. You can often find me experimenting with graphic design, snapping photos around church, or writing (and re-writing…and re-re-writing) social media captions in an effort to communicate the beauty and vibrance of our faith community.

Evangelist (noun): one who proclaims or promotes something enthusiastically.

–Random Online Dictionary

When I first stepped into this role, I was honestly intimidated by the job title. “Evangelization Liaison” sounds quite imposing, and I wondered if I could live up to that title, being shy by nature and lacking any sort of religious degree. Then one day I saw a definition of “evangelist” that completely changed my perspective. This definition wasn’t out of the Catechism or a Church document (as a matter of fact, it came off a random dictionary on the internet), but it deeply resonated with me. It defined an evangelist as “one who proclaims or promotes something enthusiastically.”

I thought to myself, I can do that! I can enthusiastically proclaim that my relationship with Christ has made a positive impact on my life. I can enthusiastically proclaim that my life has been enriched through my involvement in the Assumption Parish community. I can enthusiastically promote the wonderful ministries and events that take place here because I want others to be part of this also. I don’t need to be gifted at preaching or teaching; I just need to be enthusiastic!

It’s not a response to empty pews; it’s a response to hungry hearts.

Recently, I was blessed with an encounter that further deepened my understanding of evangelization. Sometimes, we can think of evangelization as a sort of recruitment, gathering new members into our church to increase attendance and grow faith. But the following experience showed me that true evangelization starts with a spirit of giving that doesn’t expect something in return. It’s not a response to empty pews; it’s a response to hungry hearts.

Earlier this summer, I was walking past Barnes & Noble in the Midland Mall when I was approached by three young people. (They looked to be in their teens, but I won’t hazard a guess at their exact ages. Despite being three years out of college myself, I’m still routinely mistaken for a high schooler, so I know that looks can be deceiving!) In the most friendly and respectful way, these young people explained that they were on a prayer walk and asked if I had any intentions they could lift up. At that moment, I was actually trying to process some unexpected changes at my other job. When I shared this, the leader of the group asked if they could pray with me right then and there. He offered a prayer of thanksgiving for the gifts God had given me and asked that Jesus would bring peace and healing into the situation. Then they simply wished me a good day and we parted ways.

I have no idea who they were or what church they were from. They didn’t ask me if I knew about Jesus or belonged to a church. They weren’t out to recruit new members. Their message wasn’t one of condemnation or condescension. Rather, their message was that God loved me and desired good things for me. They were there to be a tangible reminder of that love, to intercede for me, and to lift me up in the midst of my difficulties. They were truly out evangelizing.

“[W]hen you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.”

–Luke 14:13-14

In this weekend’s Gospel, Jesus tells his listeners not to offer a banquet for people who can repay them, but to invite those from whom nothing is expected. I think true evangelization is motivated by this same spirit. It’s tempting to invite others to join us in order to secure their commitment to our creed and community. Instead, let’s invite others because we want to fill their hearts with the love of Christ we have received as part of this family of faith. Let’s continue to make our parish a place of warmth and welcome where we cultivate relationships with our neighbors without expecting repayment. Let’s offer a generous banquet for their hungry hearts and souls.

This week, I’d like to invite each of us to find an opportunity, no matter how small, to proclaim the love of Christ and to invite another into deeper community with God and neighbor. May the Holy Spirit inspire and guide our parish family as we seek to grow as enthusiastic evangelists!

Anna Martin

Evangelization Liaison