Sowing Good SEED – (Stewardship, Engagement, Evangelization, Discipleship)

How can we more effectively bring people to Jesus Christ, enliven our parishes and dioceses, and create a clearer reflection of the Kingdom of God? We are called to be responsible sowers of seed so that the harvest will be great. Without serious discernment of the what, where, why, and how of sowing that seed, we fail to operate as good stewards of the Gospel message entrusted to us. The SEEDs we are called to sow are those of stewardship, engagement, evangelization, and discipleship. All four together fully represent us as Catholics that believe in the power of grace, the unmerited gift of salvation, and the powerful witness of our works. Some will mistakenly think one is more important than the others, but the truth is all have importance because they represent the way God touches people at different stages of their life. The parts of the seed can almost be seen in the traditional stages of a courtship. Engagement is about one’s relationship with the Body of Christ. It is through our connection with each other that we become introduced to Jesus and his Church. Evangelization is the path by which we receive the Good News and understand not just Who is calling us, but also why. Discipleship results from that intentional decision to turn from all else and follow Jesus. Stewardship is a way of life we adopt that answers the question of how one lives as a disciple. We meet Jesus, we grow in love of Jesus, we commit to Jesus, and then we learn to live with and in Jesus.