When people are called to respond to the loving call of God to serve and care for others, to meet the needs of the poor, to pray, and to tell others about God, they become witnesses to their faith. Witnesses are those who respond to the mission to proclaim the Gospel in the circumstances of their lives. This resource is designed to assist participants in understanding their mission as witnesses in the Church today and tomorrow. The six sessions explore how prayer, moral integrity, justice, and evangelization are essential elements in becoming witnesses and shaping the Church of the future. Participants will see their own role as witnesses more clearly and with a greater sense of the importance of witness in the life of the Church. At the heart of this book is the challenge to proclaim one’s faith, to “go forth” from the sessions with the enthusiasm, energy, and excitement that can result from opportunities to pray, discuss, and learn together. Thus, participants can grow in the capacity to become ever more credible and faith-filled witnesses to the message of Jesus Christ in their lives.

Session titles are as follows: The Ways of Prayer; Christian Morality and Discipleship; Ministry; Mandate for Justice; The Call to Evangelization; and The Church for a New Century.