For Immediate Release
Contact: Christine Valentine-Owsik (215) 230-8095
HUNTINGTON, Indiana, July 20, 2015 – In their travels around the country, authors and radio-show-hosts Chris Stewart and Tony Brandt have realized something about spreading the faith: when Catholics engagingly convey their reasons for it , it fills them with captivating joy, so they can’t help but share it even more.
In Casting Nets: Grow Your Faith by Sharing Your Faith (Our Sunday Visitor, 2015), Stewart and Brandt reveal their proven and tested principles for evangelization, called “The Seven Pillars of Effective Evangelization,” modeled after the way of Christ. In their plan, compelling evangelization is: prayerful, invitational, hospitable, inspirational, sacramental, formational, and “missionful.”
Casting Nets was written for individuals and parishes searching for an effective program to advance catechesis in local communities in a simple, straightforward way. A chapter is devoted to each of the seven pillars, and includes “the principle” describing the pillar, followed by “the practice” on moving from concept to successful action.
Casting Nets’ helpful Conclusion lets the average Catholic envision how he or she can be a effective evangelizer for Christ – despite common fears such as ‘not knowing enough’, ‘getting embarrassed when talking about faith’, ‘not feeling holy enough’, ‘not being a good salesman’, ‘not having enough time’, ‘already working for or giving to the Church in another capacity’, or ‘being afraid or insecure.’ A particularly helpful exercise in one of the Appendices takes the reader through a common scenario of being put on the spot about why he or she is a Christian. It presents a step-by-step approach for engaging a doubting listener and presenting the example of one’s own life and experiences for helping him consider Christ – perhaps for the first time.
“We want to inspire you to ‘put out into the deep’ of all your relationships and ‘catch’ people for the Lord with your joy and love,” say Stewart and Brandt. “We believe these principles are universal. We have seen them at work in every program or individual able to successfully bring the Good News to others.”
“A powerful answer to the Holy Father's call for a new evangelization.” — Jason Evert, Catholic author & speaker
“A practical guide to build confidence in sharing the Good News of our Catholic faith.” — Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
“An easy-to-understand guide to the universal call for a New Evangelization.” – Bishop James D. Conley, Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska
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For an interview with Chris Stewart and Tony Brandt, please contact Christine Valentine-Owsik at: (215) 230-8095 or
ABOUT OUR SUNDAY VISITOR
The world’s largest English-language Catholic publisher, Our Sunday Visitor serves millions of Catholics globally through its publishing, offertory, and communication services. Established in 1912, Our Sunday Visitor publishes a wide range of books including Bibles, biographies of the saints, books by Pope Francis, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, children’s books, devotionals, bible studies, inspirational works, and curriculum. Our Sunday Visitor is a not-for-profit organization, returning a portion of net earnings back to the Catholic community through the Our Sunday Visitor Institute. For more information, visit www.osv.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Chris Stewart is a gifted speaker whose talks on catechesis, theology, spirituality, and evangelization have moved audiences all over the U.S. for nearly 20 years. He has a Masters of Theological Studies from Ave Maria University, and is co-host of the “Casting Nets” live radio show.
Tony Brandt earned his degree in Religious Studies, Philosophy and Youth Ministry from Benedictine College in 2000. He is a sought-after public speaker, with countless talks on everything from apologetics and moral doctrine, to Catholic family living. Tony is co-host of the “Casting Nets” live radio show.