There is no shortage of events to evangelize at, around Grand Rapids!

May 26th outing, on the sidewalks of a porn shop and a Tarot reading store, with my wife.

While my wife and I plan to continue evangelizing with the excellent SPSE methods and materials, my leadership hasn’t produced strong results. I don’t want to stand in the way of a new captain of the Grand Rapids SPSE chapter, coming with fresh ideas and strategies, while this season is young.

We’ll enthusiastically support their efforts. I thank the SPSE leaders for having offered me this opportunity over the last year, and for providing quality help and encouragement!

This coming First-Saturday, May 6, at Sacred Heart of Jesus, after Mass/Rosary/Breakfast/Teaching (at about 10:45 am), we’ll meet for about twenty minutes, evangelize for an hour (Rosa Park Circle or Soldier’s Monument), and meet again for about 20 minutes.

Our last First-Saturday was rained out. One couple had planned to attend. See my blog post regarding last year’s wrap-up: “My first-season experience with Saint Paul Street Evangelization” ( https://birgittaville.com/spse-gr/ ). Given the lackluster response during my first year as the GR chapter team leader, I’m suspecting someone with stronger leadership abilities needs to take the reins.

Dan Anderson

(1/8/23) How to join the Grand Rapids, MI chapter of Saint Paul Street Evangelization

1. Email me your name and email address, so I can enroll you into the SPSE Grand Rapids Chapter.

2. Attend the February 11 online meeting, from noon-3:00. It’s free–if I’ve received your name and email.

3. Sign the consent form that you receive in your Welcome email.

– Sign up early February for Immersion 2023, if you’re free from July 20-22: https://streetevangelization.com/immersion-2022/ 

– My introduction on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sTQxe2RAxDg 

– My SPSE page on Birgittaville: https://birgittaville.com/spse-gr/ 

https://streetevangelization.com/our-methods/

My first-season experience with Saint Paul Street Evangelization

My first day of SPSE’s in-person training at Light the Fire in Detroit was the day after my youngest son’s funeral (and the same day I received in the mail my bishop’s letter approving SPSE for my diocese). My son, Micah Philip, was killed in a car accident on June 22. How directly I felt life’s brevity and the urgency for evangelizing!

About three weeks prior, May 25^th of 2022, Micah had driven straight from Billings, MT to our home in Grand Rapids, MI, to spend a night, unannounced. My wife and I hadn’t seen him for two years. He came back to us with a radically changed spirit from when he left home two years prior. Micah told me that a Christian couple shared the Gospel with him and helped him when he was homeless; he said ‘they were the real deal’. After praying with them, Micah lost all desire for alcohol—he had been an alcoholic for over ten years. He remained sober since, about five months before his passing. How I would love for a grieving couple to say of me, as I say of the couple that shared Jesus’ transformative power with my precious son, “perhaps I won’t meet in this life whoever led my child to salvation—but I thank God that they evangelized!”

Having been estranged from Micah for two years, we received him back that brief visit last May as our prodigal son. Before this visit he would hardly countenance a positive word toward Jesus or Christianity. Substantiating his newness of life in Christ, we received his written testimony the same day we received his remains. Indeed, Jesus brings newness of life! https://birgittaville.com/micah/

Using a simple, friendly, and proven approach, Saint Paul Street Evangelization motivates, trains, and directs its members in introducing others to Christ and his Church. Their experienced and knowledgeable directors have assembled quality online and hard copy training materials for you to assemble your own evangelization team. https://evangelizationschool.com/

Practicing the Great Commission, telling Jesus’ good news of redemption from bondage and eternal death, is a spiritual discipline practiced along one’s path toward saintliness, right along with attending Mass, going to confession, reading the Bible, praying the Rosary and the Breviary….

Changing lives through the Gospel, one person at a time, it seems to me, is far more effective in changing society as well, than is trying to convince nonbelievers to vote soundly. “Politics is downstream from culture.” Without “a religious and moral people” electing God-fearing candidates and shaping culture, America is doomed. Evangelizing, then, precedes political activism.

Here is a list of my first-season activities with SPSE; but without articulating the touching encounters they hold: – Light the Fire, Detroit. – Kent County Youth Fair. – Art Prize. – Memorial Day at Soldier’s Park. – and the Rosary Rally in front of the Grand Rapids Cathedral.

Events were promoted in the Sacred Heart of Jesus parish bulletin, and my priest made two announcements from the ambo. The Sacred Heart RCIA director made an announcement at our monthly Authenticum lecture. As the former chapter captain of the Church Militant Grand Rapids Resistance group, I announced SPSE events several times on our social media page, Slack. Mainly, engagement came from my wife’s St. Mary’s prayer group in Lowell, MI. The turnout was low, though.

People are busy or overwhelmed by navigating our increasingly perplexing and evil times. Some are timid. Perhaps others believe that evangelizing is a Protestant thing. Only a fringe, I hope, are simply unconcerned for the lost. Whatever the reason, my first season had a slow start. With my supportive parish priests and our engaged RCIA director, I plan to hold an information/recruitment table at Sacred Heart once a month this winter. Beginning next spring the newly formed team will evangelize the first and/or last Saturday each month following Mass.

Friday, November 4, at 5:00 pm.

Meet in the Veteran’s Memorial Park, across from the GRPL and Children’s Museum to evangelize with Rosaries, Miraculous Medals, and SPSE literature.

—————————–

Saint Paul Street Evangelization Team

Friday, 9/30 at 6:00 pm. Meet in the Veteran’s Memorial Park, across from the GRPL and Children’s Museum. We’ll politely hand out Rosaries and Miraculous Metals with literature.

The rain date is Saturday, 10/1, at 10:00 am, same location.

From Brian Lee | Director of Evangelization Teams:

SPSE Promotional videos and Links

Free Training Videos

What is Evangelization? – Dr. Mary Healy explains the biblical roots of Evangelization.
Street Evangelization Primer – Bob Wilson give a short (7 min) overview of the SPSE Street Evangelization method.
10 Ways to be a Better Evangelist – Bob Wilson breaks down the need for evangelization in our world along with 10 easy ways to share our Catholic faith effectively.
SPSE free training videos

SPSE Stories from the Street blog – https://streetevangelization.com/blog/

———————————————

Today (Saturday, 8/20) we met at the Rosary Rally at 9:30 am, in front of the Grand Rapids Cathedral, to show the SPSE literature for explaining and recruiting. The Rosary Rally takes place the third Saturday of each month at this time and place. Come to pray, fellowship, and to increase our Grand Rapids chapter!

Saint Paul Street Evangelization, Grand Rapids,

will have a table set up indoors for handing out material, and for talking and praying with others.

From: Monday – Saturday, August 8-13, 1:00 – 8:00 pm

Dan Anderson likely will be there the entire time, except as other dedicated Catholics feel comfortable occupying the table. Come as you’re available, alone or with a friend. If you’re not comfortable actively participating, simply pray or observe, as Dan talks with passersby.

At: Kent County Youth Fair

https://www.kcyf.org/fairgrounds-map

No training or experience necessary for simply handing out Rosaries, Miraculous Medals, and pamphlets, or for casually talking and praying with anyone open to it. If you’d like to look further into evangelism, though, follow the SPSE links from https://birgittaville.com/spse-gr/

Dan Anderson: (616) 648-0549; DeeDee Anderson: (616) 648-1430

_________________________________________

First Saint Paul Street Evangelization

Grand Rapids Meeting 8/1/2022

While I’m directing people to our room, do the following:
Email me now, at Birgittaville@protonmail.com ; Write SPSE in the Subject field and simply say “hello”. If you can’t email now, write your email address on the provided sheet.
Visit our communications page at https://birgittaville.com/spse-gr/ Use the links to SPSE, to get familiar with their site.
- Look over items at their store. You might want to order a pack of Rosaries or Miraculous Medals. https://evangelizationschool.com/store/
- View their items on the table in our room.
Divide into groups by Greater Grand Rapids geography. Exchange information. Perhaps you’ll want to carpool to events.
View the Quick-Start Guide, mainly at home. https://evangelizationschool.com/quick-start-guide/
- If you want more in depth training, attend the August 20 virtual session.
Our first evangelization event: TBD
- After evangelizing for one hour, we’ll debrief and socialize at: TBD
Watch my video of my son’s testimony of conversion. https://youtu.be/sTQxe2RAxDg
- End by praying a decade of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

__________________________

Dear faithful Catholic, with a heart for evangelization,

I invite you to our first St. Paul Street Evangelization organizational meeting on August 1, 7:00 pm, at Sacred Heart of Jesus (lower level).

Meeting Agenda:

– I’ll give a brief introduction to SPSE and our approach to evangelization.

– We’ll find a time and place for our first evangelization that works for most, and set a place for meeting just after to share experiences.

– We’ll establish a method of communication: email, text, Slack…and exchange information.

Please forward this to other like minded Catholics and view the links below.

The letter of endorsement from our Bishop, Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak:

June 30, 2022

Mr. Daniel Anderson

905 Joslin St. SE

Grand Rapids, MI 49507

Dear Mr. Anderson,

Greetings in the Lord! I am writing in response to your letter dated June 14th in which you requested a statement of support for the work of the St. Paul Street Evangelizationapostolate.

Along with my brother bishops who serve as episcopal advisers to this apostolate, I am familiar with the important work being accomplished to invite people to encounter the Lord in His Church. Be assured therefore of my endorsement and support for the

ongoing efforts of the St. Paul Street Evangelization ministry.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak

Bishop of Grand Rapids

From Brian Lee | Director of Evangelization Teams:

SPSE Promotional videos and Links

Free Training Videos

What is Evangelization? – Dr. Mary Healy explains the biblical roots of Evangelization.
Street Evangelization Primer – Bob Wilson give a short (7 min) overview of the SPSE Street Evangelization method.
10 Ways to be a Better Evangelist – Bob Wilson breaks down the need for evangelization in our world along with 10 easy ways to share our Catholic faith effectively.
SPSE free training videos

SPSE Stories from the Street blog – https://streetevangelization.com/blog/

In Christ,

Brian Lee | Director of Evangelization TeamsSt. Paul Evangelization Institute26238 Ryan Rd., Warren, MI 48091765.293.7107

| www.stpaulevangelization.com

Micah Philip Anderson:

“…I can live a meaningful life, and give thanks to the Lord. It feels amazing. Praise be to the Highest!!!” May 1994 – June 2022

Micah

BirgittaVille

SPSE-GR

(1/8/23) How to join the Grand Rapids, MI chapter of Saint Paul Street Evangelization

First Saint Paul Street Evangelization

Grand Rapids Meeting 8/1/2022

(1/8/23) How to join the Grand Rapids, MI chapter of Saint Paul Street Evangelization

First Saint Paul Street Evangelization

Grand Rapids Meeting 8/1/2022

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