From the Pastor’s desk— March 30, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

On Wednesday evening, Josh Dart came to our parish to talk about “How to share your faith! (And how not too!).” I was very happy with the number of people who came. We had members of our own parish together with visitors from St. Joseph’s nearby, Our Lady of the Lake in Branson, and Our Lady of the Cove in Kimberling City. For those of you who were Unable to come, here are some highlights.

Focused on the positive: forming relationships and sharing stories. These are his methods to evangelize. Evangelize means evangel (good news) +ize(action) = deliver the good news of Jesus.

On forming relationships, he taught us that if we get to know someone, God will share his love for that person, and we will be able to share the good news. He shared the story of his new friend Nick. Nick is not a catholic and didn’t believe Catholics were Christians. But Nick was invited by friend to come to a new bible study Josh started. Josh didn’t know Nick, but he decided to befriend him, asking him questions about his life, inviting him to activities, inviting him and his wife over for dinner. Now he knows Nick, he loves him, and Nick trusts him enough to ask him questions now about being catholic.

On sharing stories, Josh had us reflect on our own lives. He asked us to try to think of an encounter with Jesus that changed us. He asked us how we were before and how different we were after that encounter? He shared a moment he was in adoration of the eucharist. He asked God what he wanted in a selfish way, and he received a word in prayer about his neighbors that suddenly changed him to think about others. Maybe your encounter was a moment or over time, maybe you’ve always been close to Jesus, or maybe you’ve never had a change? When we share our conversion stories, it helps others understand what God is doing in their story.

Over and over again, Josh shared how God guided him when he asked for it. We can all ask God who and how he wants us to evangelize. What is your story? Who can you befriend?

Fr. Joseph