Commit to Evangelize

In This Newsletter

1. Commit to Evangelize by Griffin Rain

2. Upcoming Events

3. New Group Chat for Milwaukee Catholic Street Evangelists

Commit to Evangelize
By Griffin Rain

As I am out in the mission field often with just a few Catholics and sometimes alone, I realize how big this is. How is the whole world to be reached? It is through you! Can you be intentional about discipling one person? Can you spend an hour a week directly evangelizing where you already are?

Many people who we encounter on the streets know about Jesus, but they have not connected the dots. They don’t know Jesus. They have only been taught a partial Jesus who is not worth anything to them. When we share who Jesus really is and why he came, they regularly have profound realizations of how important it is to follow Jesus. The church continues to make disciples of all nations now. Your intentional witness of Jesus can have a profound impact. People have a hunger for the truth of the gospel. It must be shared, but often is not. We cannot do this alone. If you are reading this, you are needed in Christ's work of evangelization. It does not need to be on the streets like us, but it needs to be shared in some way.

At the end of Matthew’s Gospel he commands us to, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). It is through becoming disciples that regular Catholics become on fire to share the saving mission of Jesus with those they meet.

It is interesting how we live in an age where there is so much information available, yet the excessive amount of information is too much for people to parse through. They have all of the answers at their fingertips, but they also have all of the lies. If we sit back and don't share the truth, the lies often win out. In a world in which relativism reigns, many people will label the truth as if it is not universal. When the truth comes to meet you in the person of Jesus Christ, relativism can begin to fade away.

He is what all people are looking for, but often they have built up some walls. We can come in the name of Jesus and make his presence known here in the people’s lives to whom we are ministering. It is a lot more difficult to reject a person in front of you than it is an idea. We are not just sharing ideas, but Jesus himself. As we become more like Christ, we give witness to the universal truth that is Christ. Christ comes to meet each and every person, and he does that through you and me as we go out from the Mass. From the Mass we are sent. Often Mass is ended with the words, “Go and announce the gospel of the Lord.” Are you going to do what Christ sends you to do?

This mission of evangelization is not a mission that we do on our own. We must be formed to be more Christ-like in the Church and sent out. If you don’t know how to begin evangelizing, find someone in the Church who does and learn from them. We have started a Men's Discipleship Night every Friday to assist in this formation of disciples, and on Saturdays we have formation for all who desire to evangelize, as well as the opportunity to evangelize with a bigger group, giving you the opportunity to see other evangelists at work and learn from them.

Will you commit to sharing your faith in a direct way with your neighbors, co-workers, friends, family, or people you come across in public spaces?

Proclaim the word; be persistent, whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, and encourage through all patience and teaching. ~ 2 Timothy 4:2

Upcoming Events

Missionary Associates Dinner  – Join us for our next Missionary Associates Dinner. This month it will take place on Monday, June 23rd. This is for people who volunteer with the Missionaries or are interested in volunteering/supporting our work. We hope that this continues building up the community around the Missionaries, getting to know others and energizing more people to start working for the salvation of souls here in Milwaukee. This occurs at the Street Disciple House located at 2126 W Michigan St, Milwaukee, WI, 53233. The schedule for the event is as follows:

• Evening Prayer 5:30pm - 5:45pm

• Short talk from Griffin with discussion 5:50pm - 6:10pm

• Dinner and socializing 6:15pm onward

If you can't make it this time, plan for the 4th Monday of each month. If you would like to be on our text updates list, please text (414) 235-7307 your name and we will add you.

Lunch in the Park - We will be serving food at King Park (1531 W Vliet St, 53205) on Saturday, June 21st, from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Volunteers are needed on two teams - Kitchen Team and Evangelist Team. Please contact us if you can make it. We begin at the Street Disciple House at 11am.

Come and See – We are encouraging men who are interested in our way of life to visit for a come and see. We encourage longer visits such as a week-long visit. We are open to having visitors most weeks so if you have a week that will work for you, contact us and we can have you for a visit. To set up a visit call/text (414) 235-7307 or e-mail [email protected]

Discernment Group - We are beginning a discernment group that will meet every other week on Saturday evening. Please contact Griffin at 414-235-7307 if you would like to be a part of this group. We will be reading from the book A Living Sacrifice: Guidance for Men Discerning Religious Life. We have copies available for those joining the group.

Men's Open House Discipleship Night - Join us for the Men's Open House Discipleship Night on Friday nights at the Street Disciple House. We will have this every Friday going forward unless announced otherwise (*not on Good Friday). See schedule & speakers for upcoming events here. It will always be an open house, so come when you can. The plan for the night is to prepare dinner from 5pm until ready; eat; 6:30pm Evening Prayer; 7pm Formation Talk with guest speaker; 8:15 to 10pm game night/social. We will conclude with Night Prayer at 10pm.

Please invite those who you think would benefit from this night of discipleship! Also if you would like to help with organizing the night, communication, cooking, finding speakers, etc., please let us know!

Join our new Street Evangelist Group Chat

This group is primarily for posting events or days and times for evangelization. If you have days that you would like to go out and evangelize, please post in the chat and hopefully someone else would be available to accompany you for evangelization.

Click Here to Join GroupMe

Some recurring times for evangelization:

• Fridays - after 12:05pm mass in front of Gesu Church @ 12th and Wisconsin Ave

• Saturdays - big group evangelization in a high traffic foot area

Needed Items
(Follow the links below to donate)

• Street Disciple House Items

  • Alarm clocks

  • Bunk beds

  • End tables

  • Supplies for building a room-length desk (contact us about this)

• Street Evangelization/Preaching Items

  • Amazon List (pamphlet racks, camera battery, note-taker Bible)

• Financial Donations for Missionary Formation & Operation of Street Disciple House

• Wood 2x4's (8ft) for the weekly Way of the Cross

About the Missionaries of the Real Presence

The Missionaries of the Real Presence aims to assist in the apostolic renewal of the church by intentionally discipling men living in community and encouraging missionary vocations in the church. We participate in Christ’s evangelizing work for the salvation of souls, especially seeking out those who have been spiritually neglected. We introduce people to Jesus through intentional conversation, preaching, teaching, and prayer. We engage in direct evangelization in the public forum on the city streets, on public transit, and in homes, and share the good news of Christ with those we meet. All of this flows from a life of prayer and union with Jesus as our source.

Support the Mission, Join the Mission

If you appreciate the work we are doing, consider supporting our mission financially here.

Volunteer with us with our street ministry and house visits here.

If reading about some of our stories inspires you, come and see what life as a missionary is like and visit us for a day or longer for prayer and ministry as you discern here.

If you want to learn how we evangelize, consider watching videos on our YouTube Channel, Missionaries of the Real Presence.

Check out our Facebook or our Instagram.

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