The church doesn’t have a mission; the mission has a church.

– Bishop Raúl Biord Castillo

He said to them, “Come and see.”

– John 1:39

Our sincere thanks to Michael J. Sanem for joining us for an excellent discussion on his latest book, Becoming the Good News: A New Approach to Parish Evangelization (Liturgical Press, 2023). Michael spoke of evangelization as a form of “radical witness” and process of listening, ways of accompanying younger and disaffiliated Catholics, the importance of learning from the church of the Global South, the relationship between tradition and new expressions of the faith, and much more. We are pleased to share a recording of the event for those who were unable to attend or who may wish to revisit the discussion, as well as some additional resources below.

Going, Going, Gone: The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics (St. Mary’s Press)

Complimentary issue of Give Us This Day (Readings, resources, and reflections for daily prayer, featuring contributions from Michael)

Michael J. Sanem lives in Kansas City with his wife and three sons. A former Bernardin Scholar at Catholic Theological Union, he is the author of Your Church Wants to Hear from You: What Is the Synod on Synodality? (Liturgical Press, 2022) and works in evangelization ministry at the Church of the Nativity in Leawood, Kansas. He writes regularly at incarnationiseverywhere.com.

Image: Detail from W. J. Morgan, Philip and Nathanael, 1910.