The Evangelical Catholic 2022 Annual Report

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear friends:

When I was wrapped in darkness, I attended a Christian event. I was lonely, sad, and tired of resisting God. I was thirsting for light. I sat through the event, sang along with praise songs, heard a testimony of conversion, and met some great people. But I left the event unchanged.

A year later, still struggling with darkness, I met a guy after church while eating donuts. A couple months later we met for lunch, and then we met again for lunch the next week. We met regularly for the next two years.

He assured me there was hope. He taught me to pray. He showed me scriptures that spoke to my heart and transformed me. He taught me how to share my story with people when they asked. He eventually taught me how to lead a small group. He then taught me to do what he had done with me, to meet one-on-one with people to whom the Lord brought me.

He changed my life. He did what Jesus calls all of us to do. He made me into a disciple.

A paradigm shift is needed.

For too long, we have thought that we could make disciples by increasing “involvement” in our parishes and campus ministries. We thought more programs would get more involvement. We thought more involvement would get more discipleship.

But Jesus didn’t say, “Go, therefore, and get people involved.” It turns out that making disciples is very different from getting people involved. Involvement won’t free people from the lies in their head. Involvement won’t establish people in deep habits of joyful discipleship. Involvement might make us feel better about our parishes, but it won’t accomplish the Great Commission.

In fact, the belief that “involvement makes disciples” is a heresy born of a consumerist culture that counts and monetizes customers. We wish it was possible to merely increase involvement to increase our discipleship and our parish tithes. But God’s plan has always been more personal than that.

Disciple makers make disciples, not involvement. The Catholic Church doesn’t need more involvement to carry out the Great Commission. It needs more disciple makers. The world needs more disciple makers.

I hope you delight in seeing how the Lord is raising up more disciple makers in the world through our mission together. Last year, we worked together to launch 2,100 disciple makers into the world. Our goal is to cumulatively launch 100,000 disciple makers in the next ten years, by God’s grace.

Thank you for carrying out this great work of the Great Commission with us. These disciple makers are changing the world.

JASON SIMON President, The Evangelical Catholic

THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO MISSION

HERE'S HOW YOU ARE HELPING US ADAPT

With your support, we have followed the Holy Spirit’s guidance to refine our language in equipping communities for wide-reaching evangelization. Most notably, we have adopted the Church’s language of apostolate to great effect. Why is this?

The laity are called and accompanied by Christ into every nook and cranny of the world, because that’s where they already are!

Three years ago, much of our EC training for laity was situated within an invitation to lead small groups. Small groups have always been a powerful vehicle for renewal and evangelization in the world, and the EC continues to equip the laity to lead excellent evangelizing small groups. Yet small groups are just one of many missions (apostolates) that the people of God might be called to.

The EC process is best understood not merely as “small group leader training,” but as apostolic formation for the laity. We equip the laity to live out their baptismal calling to spread the fragrance of Christ everywhere they go, and to make disciples. This message has unleashed new levels of imagination and fruit among the laity!

Even among those Church circles fiercely committed

to evangelization, a programmatic mindset often remains in place. This mindset envisions the laity as volunteers who run the parish’s social and evangelizing efforts. The drawbacks of this paradigm are many: pastoral staff constantly struggle to get enough volunteers, parishioners get burnt out, and most importantly, few people outside the Church are reached by the gospel.

With your help we are asking new questions and inspiring a new imagination. For example:

• How is the parish or campus ministry equipping their people to make discples in their homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces?

• Who will reach those people who don’t come to our retreat programs, missions, small groups, and other events?

• What are the long-term needs of missionary disciples in the world, and how can their parishes, dioceses, and the EC continue to support them?

The laity are called and accompanied by Christ into every nook and cranny of the world, because that’s where they already are! More than ever, the EC is helping the Church to form the laity with apostolic consciousness, attitudes, and skills to truly reach more.

WHAT IS A PERSONAL APOSTOLATE?

“The Christian vocation is, of its nature, a vocation to the apostolate… Indeed, we call an apostolate every activity of the Mystical Body that aims to spread the Kingdom of Christ over all the earth” (CCC 863).

Apostolate comes from a Greek word that means “sent.” Our vocation is to the apostolate because, in baptism, we are immersed into the very mystery of Christ, who was sent from the Father to reconcile all of creation back to him. In the broadest sense, the Church uses two words interchangeably for this mission to spread the Kingdom on earth: evangelization and apostolate. They both refer to the Great Commission, our Lord’s instruction to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).

The laity are called in a particular way to live out the apostolate in the world (not just at church). As the experts in secular affairs, they are charged with the task of renewing and ordering the “temporal order” (families, friendships, businesses, schools, government, and human relationships of all kinds) according to the will of God.

As the experts in secular affairs, lay Catholics are charged with the task of reaching their families, friends, coworkers, classmates, communities, and human relationships of all kinds with the gospel message.

What’s more, each person has a unique circle of relationships within which they have a heightened ability to spread the gospel and make disciples. We live out our personal apostolates when we evangelize within our respective circles of influence. This might mean leading a small group to awaken deeper faith, instructing children in faith, visiting prisons and hospitals, mentoring a seeking friend, or a thousand other things.

LAUNCHING AND SUPPORTING LAY APOSTOLATES

ACTIVATING LAY LEADERS FOR MISSION

What does it actually look like when a parishioner gets invited deeper into their baptismal call through the Reach MoreTM mission process?

Meet Tina, a (seemingly) regular parishioner at a typical Catholic parish. On the surface, Tina is like everyone else, but she's living a life on mission. Why? She has been equipped with formation and skills to enrich her relationship with Jesus, interact intentionally with those in her life, and confidently thrive in her baptismal call to be the light of Christ.

SHARES HER STORY OF FAITH IN LOVING, RELEVANT WAYS

LAUNCHING APOSTOLATES

Jesus used the power of intimate relationships to invest in a small group of people who would carry on the mission and build the Church. In the same way, parishes launch people like Tina into disciple-making apostolates in the world with the help of the Evangelical Catholic's consulting and training.

READY FOR MORE

Every parish has parishioners like Tina who are ready for more, who are ready to be equipped for mission. People like Tina have the most potential to reach the lukewarm in the pews and those outside of the Church.

INITIAL MISSION TRAINING

Tina is invited by the point person (PP) into mission. The parish provides twelve weeks of Reach More Mission Training that awakens Tina's apostolic awareness and consciousness, and provides training for her apostolic skills.

SUPPORTING APOSTOLATES

Tina's mission doesn't end with the training group. Disciple makers need continual support from pastors and point people to thrive. Tina and other trained leaders in her parish are provided ongoing spiritual and practical shepherding for long-term success.

MONTHLY MISSION SUPPORT GROUP

Tina meets monthly with a group of three or four other leaders. Tina is encouraged, prayed for, and spurred to stay growing in discipleship and committment to mission. She provides the same support for others in her group.

ONGOING MISSION FORMATION

Tina is invited by the parish to gather together with fellow parishioners who are living on mission three to four times a year for ongoing formation and training to support deeper growth and sustained apostolic consciousness.

TRAINING GROUP

PP

PP

MISSION SUPPORT GROUP

"The personal transformations that have been happening [through Reach More Mission Training] are so exciting. I see more and more people deepening their ability to listen to the Holy Spirit during prayer. I’m witnessing people being more present to those around them."

SR. CHRISTINE KONOPELSKI, SSJ PHILADELPHIA, PA

“I own a CrossFit gym in town, and I host a small group before one of my classes on Monday morning, 5:00 AM. Everyone appreciates the time spent together speaking in faith and building community firmly planted in Jesus. And I’m learning to approach people where they are, instead of trying to get them to where I think they need to be.

STEPHEN THOMPSON ENNIS, TX

“I’m immediately seeing the fruitfulness of Reach More Mission Training - especially for men. They're beginning to grow in their own relationship with Christ, and are shifting into more compassionate attitudes towards others. Every one of them is either actively building their apostolate or discerning where God is calling them.”

DAN JAEGER OAK GROVE, MN

MINISTRIES SERVED

"Through the EC's mission training groups, the Holy Spirit is moving us outside our comfort zone and into the life of a missionary disciple. Our leaders are building bridges, reaching out to family and friends to help them discover or develop their relationship with Christ."

ANNA QUIGLEY DALLAS, TX

DISCIPLES IN THE MIDST OF THE WORLD

YOU ARE HELPING CATHOLICS MAKE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS

Without you, it's difficult to provide long-term support and shepherding to Catholics after they complete Reach More Mission Training. Your support makes it possible for us to provide structure for ministries when they send their leaders on mission. People around the nation are empowered to live as good news to those around them in ways large and small. Here’s how the Holy Spirit is working through the apostolates of lay people across the country:

• HELPING SIBLINGS GROW CLOSER TOGETHER IN CHRIST

+ A senior at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH felt the Holy Spirit calling her to be present to her brother who is currently struggling with anxiety issues. She is already feeling the deepening connection between them since being more intentional in their relationship.

•

HELPING BRING JESUS TO THE BUILDERS

+ A young construction worker in Enid, OK wanted to apply what he learned in mission training to his job sites. He blesses each site with holy water and engages his co-workers with Bible stories. During lunch breaks, he hosts an impromptu Spanish-language small group by further discussing the stories he shares with his co-workers.

•

HELPING FACILITATE THE HEALING PROCESS

+ After mission training, a woman in Florida was inspired to reach out to her friend who had felt betrayed by God and had fallen away from their faith. They began meeting one-on-one to share intimately about their personal faith stories. The friend was heartened by these conversations and began to accompany the leader to Mass.

•

HELPING OVERCOME PHYSICAL CHALLENGES TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER

+ An elderly woman from Anchorage, AK was moved to reach out to her neighbors after completing the mission training. Although she has difficulty walking, she went door-to-door to invite each neighbor to join her for dessert and fellowship. Out of 26 neighbors she visited, 16 accepted her invitation and enjoyed the time spent together.

YOUR SUPPORT IS KEEPING US ACCOUNTABLE

You have made it possible for us to expand in so many ways. Because of your prayers and thoughtful support, we are not only able to reach more ministries each year, but we are also able to improve and refine the services and resources we offer.

In order to remain faithful to the Church and her magisterium while we continue this work, we have begun a collaboration with her structure of authority and leadership. We have formed a group of bishops to serve as formal support of our work in five key ways: prayer, diocesan support, pastoral connection, transparency, and celebration.

WITH YOUR HELP, WE'RE MEETING BILINGUAL COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY ARE

Because of your generous support, we are making strides in our ability to serve Spanish-speaking communities. You've made it possible for us to offer our consulting services to bilingual and fullySpanish-speaking ministries in the United States and Latin America.

Mari Pablo, our Spanish-language consultant, currently serves six ministry partners who have either bilingual or fully Spanish-speaking point people. Mari has been additionally serving these communities by creating new written and video material to shepherd Spanish-speaking lay leaders after they complete mission training.

You have graciously helped us train 63 Spanish-speaking Catholics for mission in the world this year. You've also allowed us to equip missionaries from our partner, Family Missions Company, to more compassionately spread the gospel in countries like Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico.

THE MOST REVEREND DONALD HYING Bishop, Diocese of Madison

THE MOST REVEREND DAVID RICKEN Bishop, Diocese of Green Bay

ARCHBISHOP BERNARD HEBDA

Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul

THE MOST REVEREND BARRY KNESTOUT, D.D. Bishop, Diocese of Richmond

ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY BROGLIO, J.C.D. Archdiocese of Military Services

DISCIPLES IN THE MIDST OF THE WORLD

YOU ARE MAKING LONG-TERM DISCIPLESHIP A REALITY IN SAN DIEGO

Your thoughtful support is making measurable longterm impact a reality for many ministries across the country. Because of you, St. Brigid’s in San Diego, CA has seen an incredible shift towards missionary discipleship during their nine-year partnership with the Evangelical Catholic.

In 2014, St. Brigid’s was struggling to figure out how to get their community on board with a culture of discipleship. They’re located in a popular location in Pacific Beach, only three blocks away from the ocean. Their parishioners consisted of many young people, families, and active duty military from the nearby naval base. In theory, they were positioned to be a vibrant, active community that was able to reach many others.

Many parishioners were involved in the life of the parish but tended to compartmentalize those aspects of their life.

However, St. Brigid’s suffered from a spirit of separation. Many parishioners were involved in the life of the parish but tended to compartmentalize those aspects of their life. Faith seemed to be a more hidden aspect of one’s private life, not woven through everything they did.

“We knew we had to do something,” says Julie Colman, Director of Evangelization at the parish. Julie wasn’t always a staff member at St. Brigid’s. When the first training group for leaders was launched in Lent of 2014, Julie was a parishioner in that group. She says at the time she was probably like many other parishioners at the parish; a cradle Catholic who was involved in parish life, but without a personal relationship with Jesus.

With that first Lenten training group, they knew they were onto something big.

“[Partnering with the Evangelical Catholic] was exciting. We knew we were walking into something new, and we all had this willingness to accept the unknown because of what we were trying to accomplish,” says Fr. Steve Callahan, the pastor at St. Brigid’s.

“We were kind of the guinea pigs for the evolution of the Evangelical Catholic,” laughs Julie as she remembers the early days of staff workshops and consultant visits. “It was just Peter [Andrastek, senior consultant] and a whiteboard, but we were constantly learning and constantly evolving. As our partnership grew, so did our excitement about the mission and the momentum of the movement.”

Over the years, building a culture of discipleship through small groups was St. Brigid’s bread and

butter. By 2018, there were over 300 parishioners actively participating in small groups led by ECtrained lay leaders.

“The parish was definitely experiencing big shifts,” Julie and Fr. Steve agree. “There were obvious transformations happening over the course of training parishioners for lay leadership. But the staff was also radically transformed.” The staff prayed together more, and were more intentional about letting the Holy Spirit lead the pastoral decision-making process.

Fr. Steve added, “The experience [with the EC partnership] was transforming my own vision as a pastor, too.” Under Fr. Steve’s leadership as pastor, St. Brigid’s was quickly moving from the self-diagnosed “spirit of isolation” into a “spirit of radical hospitality”.

The parish staff and volunteer ministry leaders began incorporating what they learned from the Evangelical Catholic into their ministry structures. Parishioners were excited to take up the call to holiness, and were becoming confident that they actually could be missionary disciples in their regular lives.

Even through the pandemic, St. Brigid’s culture of discipleship remained strong. “We had already been shepherding our parishioners in this work for years, so keeping everyone connected was something our whole community rallied around,” Fr. Steve shared.

The pandemic led Fr. Steve and his staff to an important paradigm shift on the nature of

discipleship. When Mass and parish life was subject to lockdowns, they saw how their parishioners had still been living lives of discipleship outside of the church.

“The EC has equipped us to accomplish the essential mission of the Church - building up regular people as disciple makers.”

“That helped us move away from focusing on numbers and from this small group facilitation mindset,” Fr. Steve says. They saw that although people weren’t able to attend small groups in person, they were still present to their family, friends, and neighbors in smaller, more intimate ways.

As a sitting board member, Fr. Steve helped usher in the EC’s focus on personal apostolates. He’s seen firsthand how personal apostolates are important because they target an individual’s gifts, daily life, and scope of influence in a way that small groups may miss. “The EC is really good at listening to their partners,” Julie says, “and the shift to focusing on personal apostolates has been huge for St. Brigid’s.”

Julie says that their biggest challenge is overcoming a competition mindset against a seeminglyprevalent secular culture. It’s not about providing more “things to do” at the church as a distraction for secular activities. “The EC has equipped us to accomplish the essential mission of the Churchbuilding up regular people as disciple makers.”

TOGETHER, WE CAN ACTIVATE 100,000 CATHOLICS FOR MISSION

Imagine your fellow parishioners striving to live out their baptismal call to holiness, longing for the sacraments, praying daily, and going out to bring more people to Jesus in the Church. Imagine your Catholic community equipped with people who can fruitfully witness and make more disciples of Jesus in the world. It’s possible!

Not only do we think it's possible to establish Catholics who joyfully spread the good news in their personal apostolates, we know that, over ten years, ministries that partner with us will reach and ignite over 100,000 Catholics in communities all across the nation!

Year Ministry Type # of Ministry Contracts # of Leaders Trained Total Ministries (w/ 10% attrition)

2022-23 Full-year (avg. 18 leaders/ministry) 196 3,528 Partial-year (avg. 9 leaders/ministry) 83 747

Total 279 4,275 251

2023-24 Full-year (19 leaders avg.) 251 4,774 Partial-year (9.5 leaders avg.) 88 836 Total 339 5,610 305 2024-25 Full-year (20 leaders avg.) 305 6,107 Partial-year (10 leaders avg.) 93 930

Total 398 7,037 359

2025-31 Full-year (23.5 leaders avg.) 3,018 71,903 Partial-year (13.5 leaders avg.) 711 8,398

Total 3,729* 80,301 3,356*

Total Leaders Equipped through 2031 100,270

*this number comes out to 1,171 unique ministries served

ALASKA

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Anchorage, AK

ARKANSAS

University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR

ARIZONA

Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ

St. Mary Magdalene Gilbert, AZ

CALIFORNIA

Humboldt State University Arcata, CA

University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA

Ascension San Diego, CA St. Brigid San Diego, CA

St. Charles Borromeo San Diego, CA

St. Gregory the Great San Diego, CA

St. Vincent de Paul San Diego, CA

COLORADO

Risen Christ Denver, CO

FLORIDA

University of Florida Gainesville, FL

GEORGIA

University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA

Diocese of Savannah Savannah, GA

St. Matthew Winder, GA

IOWA

St. Cecilia Ames, IA

St. Benedict Decorah, IA

ILLINOIS

St. Joseph Aurora, IL

St. Patrick of Merna Bloomington, IL

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Carbondale, IL

University of IllinoisChampaign Champaign, IL

Illinois State University Normal, IL

Mary, Seat of Wisdom Parkridge, IL

Bradley University Peoria, IL

Holy Family Rockford, IL

INDIANA

Indiana University Bloomington, IN

St. Louis de Montfort Fishers, IN

Butler Catholic Community Indianapolis, IN

Purdue University West Lafayette, IN

KANSAS

St. Thomas Aquinas Parent Guild Overland Park, KS

KENTUCKY

Owensboro Catholic Schools Owensboro, KY

LOUISIANA

Family Missions Company Abbeville, LA

Sacred Heart of Jesus Broussard, LA

McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA

Our Lady of Good Counsel Lake Charles, LA

St. Margaret of Scotland Lake Charles, LA

MARYLAND

Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD

MICHIGAN

Michigan State University East Lansing, MI

St. Thomas Aquinas East Lansing, MI

Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI

Holy Family Sandusky, MI

Catholic Biblical School of Michigan Warren, MI

MINNESOTA

St. Vincent de Paul Brooklyn Park, MN

Mary, Mother of the Church Burnsville, MN

Queen of Peace Cloquet, MN

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Hastings, MN

St. Albert the Great Minneapolis, MN

St. John the Baptist New Brighton, MN St. Patrick Oak Grove, MN

Sts. Joachim and Anne Shakopee, MN St. Odilia Shoreview, MN

St. Pius X White Bear Lake, MN

MISSOURI

St. Thomas More Kansas City, MO

Missouri Western State University St. Joseph, MO

NORTH CAROLINA

St. Michael the Archangel Cary, NC

Duke University Durham, NC Elon University Elon, NC

St. Mark Huntersville, NC St. Luke the Evangelist Raleigh, NC

NEW JERSEY

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Camden, NJ

St. Lawrence the Martyr Chester, NJ

NEW YORK Syracuse University Syracuse, NY

OHIO St. Joseph Avon Lake, OH

St. Ambrose Brunswick, OH

Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH

Christ the King Columbus, OH Holy Cross Columbus, OH

Immaculate Conception Columbus, OH

St. Catharine Columbus, OH

St. Cecelia Columbus, OH

St. Patrick Columbus, OH

Sacred Heart Coshocton, OH

Sts. Robert and William Euclid, OH

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Grove City, OH

St. Mary Hudson, OH

Church of the Resurrection New Albany, OH

Church of the Blessed Sacrament Newark, OH

St. Francis de Sales Newark, OH

St. Peter North Ridgeville, OH

St. Mary of the Falls Olmstead Falls, OH

St. John Bosco Parma Heights, OH

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Pickerington, OH

Holy Family Stow, OH

OKLAHOMA

St. John the Baptist Edmond, OK

Sacred Heart El Reno, OK

St. Francis Xavier & St. Gregory the Great Enid, OK

PENNSYLVANIA

St. Matthias Bala Cynwyd, PA

Queen of the Universe Levittown, PA

Mary, Mother of the Redeemer North Wales, PA

Our Mother of Consolation Philadelphia, PA

SOUTH CAROLINA

St. Peter Beaufort, SC

Blessed Sacrament Charleston, SC TENNESSEE

St. Ann Nashville, TN

TEXAS

Our Lady of Angels Allen, TX

St. Thomas More Austin, TX

St. Ann Coppell, TX

Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX

Holy Trinity Dallas, TX

St. John Nepomucene Ennis, TX

Holy Family Forth Worth, TX

Rice University Houston, TX

University of Houston Houston, TX

University of St. ThomasHouston Houston, TX

Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Keller, TX

Prince of Peace Plano, TX

St. Joseph Richardson, TX

VIRGINIA

Good Shepherd Alexandria, VA

St. Louis Alexandria, VA

Diocese of Arlington Arlington, VA

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Lake Ridge, VA Diocese of Richmond Richmond, VA

Christ the Redeemer Sterling, VA

WASHINGTON

Church of the Assumption Bellingham, WA

St. Michael Olympia, WA

Mary Queen of Peace Sammamish, WA

St. Anne Seattle, WA WISCONSIN

St. Pius Appleton, WI St. Therese Appleton, WI

All Saints Berlin, WI St. Dominic Brookfield, WI

St. Francis Borgia Cedarburg, WI

St. Patrick Cottage Grove, WI St. Mary Hales Corners, WI St. Charles Hartland, WI

St. Joseph Hayward, WI St. Gabriel Hubertus, WI St. Patrick Hudson, WI St. Patrick Janesville, WI

Kaukauna Catholic Parishes Kaukauna, WI

Blessed Sacrament Madison, WI

Diocese of Madison Madison, WI

Good Shepherd Madison, WI St. Dennis Madison, WI St. Raphael Cathedral Madison, WI

St. Thomas Aquinas Madison, WI

St. John the Baptist Marshfield, WI St. Bernard Middleton, WI St. Gabriel Neenah, WI St. Jerome Oconomowoc, WI

Sacred Heart Reedsburg, WI

University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI St. Christopher Verona, WI Sts. Monica and Eugene Whitefish Bay, WI

University of WisconsinWhitewater Whitewater, WI St. Cecilia Wisconsin Dells, WI

WASHINGTON, DC Archdiocese of Military Services

INTERNATIONAL DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Mejor Via Foundation Higuey, DR

GERMANY

Rose Barracks Vilseck, Germany Spangdahlen Air Base Spangdahlen, Germany

UNITED KINGDOM

St. George Taunton, Somerset, UK