Catholics are good at a great many things: Prayer. Social justice. Community.

Evangelization, however, comes more difficult for many of us. For whatever reason, many Catholics find it challenging to talk about the way the Lord is working in their lives, whether they’re speaking with family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors, or complete strangers.

It just got easier. My friend and sister in Christ Nancy Ward at JoyAlive.net is stepping out in faith with a new DVD, “Sharing YOUR Faith Story.” In addition to her own stories of renewal and conversion, Nancy provides ten tips for sharing your story. I was especially struck by her three suggestions for beginning to develop your story: Who were you before? What happened–was it a decisive moment, or a gradual awakening? Who are you now? It reminded me anew that storytelling was one of Jesus’s best evangelization tools, telling us parables about how people’s hearts, souls, or bodies were suffering… and then healed by the Lord’s love and mercy. It’s much more effective than judging people and telling them that in your less-than-humble opinion, they’re headed straight to hell.

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