Sent Forth Into 2026: Evangelization for a New Year of Grace

As we begin a new year, the Church once again places before us the same simple, challenging, and beautiful mission that Jesus gave His disciples 2,000 years ago:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.
Jesus Christ (in Matthew 28:19)

The world has changed dramatically since Jesus first gave us the Great Commission, but the human heart has not. People still long for meaning, belonging, healing, and truth. And Jesus Christ is still the only One who satisfies that longing.

The task of evangelization is not reserved for specialists, scholars, or heroic missionaries.

Evangelization is the task of every baptized son and daughter of God. Whether you are a parent or priest, teacher or teenager, musician or missionary, the Holy Spirit is calling you into a deeper life of intentional discipleship and joyful witness.

At St. Paul Street Evangelization, we often say that evangelization is not complicated. It is simply taking the initiative to share Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and trusting the results to God.

As we enter a new year, I want to propose three invitations based on the Saints Framework — Encounter, Grow, Witness — that can shape our lives and our evangelization over the next 12 months.

1. Encounter: Begin Again in the Presence of Jesus

Every act of evangelization begins with a personal encounter with the Lord. If we want others to meet Jesus, we must first meet Him ourselves — daily, intentionally, and with humility.

This year, ask the Holy Spirit to renew your hunger for prayer. Commit to one extra encounter with Jesus every day: a decade of the rosary, a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or simply five quiet minutes acknowledging His presence in your heart. Evangelizers are not first and foremost speakers or teachers — they are lovers of Jesus.

If you want to share Jesus more boldly, begin by allowing Him to love you more deeply. As Pope Francis says,

Every Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus.
Evangelii Gaudium, #120.

2. Grow: Let Jesus Form You Into an Evangelizing Disciple

Evangelization is not just an activity; it is an identity.

The saints did not become evangelizers by force of will. They became evangelizers because they allowed Jesus to transform their minds, habits, friendships, and desires.

When we grow in discipleship, evangelization becomes natural, almost effortless.

To grow as evangelists this year, choose one area of formation and commit to it for 12 months:

Scripture — Read one Gospel each month.

Sacraments — Go to Confession monthly.

Community — Join a small group or parish ministry.

Virtue — Choose one virtue and practice it daily.

Mission — Schedule one concrete evangelizing action per week.

When we grow in discipleship, evangelization becomes natural, almost effortless.

3. Witness: Share Your Faith with Joy and Simplicity

People do not need perfect evangelists. They need witnesses — ordinary people transformed by the extraordinary love of God.

Your story matters. Your testimony has power. The people around you — coworkers, neighbors, family, strangers — are more open than you think. Many are quietly waiting for someone to talk to them about Jesus.

This year, lean into four simple habits of evangelization:

Listen first. Most evangelization begins not with speaking but with compassionate listening.

Befriend people in a genuinely loving way. Offer prayer on the spot. Share a Scripture verse. Extend genuine kindness.

Proclaim the truth. Depending on where the person is coming from, offer a piece of Jesus’ truth that will touch his or her heart.

Invite. A personal invitation to Mass, Confession, an SPSE outing, a small group, or Alpha can change a life and save a soul.

You don’t need to convert anyone. You simply need to show up with love, clarity, courage, and the Holy Spirit. You are planting seeds and He is watering them.

A Year of Mission, A Year of Grace

As we look toward 2033 and the 2,000-year anniversary of the Resurrection, Jesus is raising up a new generation of joyful missionary disciples!

You are part of God’s story.

You are part of God’s mission to make heaven crowded.

You are part of God’s mission to make 10 billion+ disciples in every heart, household, town, city, and nation.

You are part of God’s mission to ‘leave the 99’ to find the one lost sheep.

This moment in history is not an accident. God has placed you exactly where you are — in your family, parish, city, workplace — for a purpose.

This year, ask God for one person you can intentionally invest in. Pray for him or her by name. Look for openings. Share your faith naturally. Walk with them.

If you do that, you will transform lives. And together, we will help Jesus transform the world.

Let 2026 be a year of saints. A year of mission. A year of encounters that ignite hearts and awaken souls.

Jesus is sending you. Jesus is sending me.

Let’s go!