Book Review

“How to Share Your Faith With Anyone – 

A Practical Manual for Catholic Evangelization” 

by Terry Barber, Ignatius Press, 2013

An annual highlight for me every year is attending the Midwest Catholic Family Conference in Wichita, Kansas. It’s always an inspiring weekend of faith and families. One of the highlights is the St. Joseph Communications’ booth. Why? Because of the tables filled with quality cd sets and DVDs of Catholic theologians and speakers but especially because of Terry Barber.

You can watch Terry greet every person enthusiastically, pray with those who ask, tell stories and laugh with joy at the children running around. I remember once getting a hug and one of those laughs when I told him it was his fault I had to buy another set of bookshelves. I needed it to hold all of the St. Joseph cd sets I’ve purchased!

Over the years at the conference, Terry has occasionally given a talk, sharing incredible stories of lives touched by the faith. His enthusiasm is matched only by his humility and deep love of the Lord. Now, you can experience a taste of that in his new book from Ignatius Press, “How to Share Your Faith With Anyone – A Practical Manual for Catholic Evangelization.”

The book opens with a foreword by Dr. Scott Hahn and an introduction with a brief biography of Terry by Matthew Arnold. Terry is responsible for recording Scott Hahn’s conversion story. That simple recording has been heard by millions and continues to be popular today. It helped launch Dr. Hahn as a “modern day Fulton Sheen,” as Terry sees him. In his foreword, Dr. Hahn emphasizes that we are ALL called to evangelize – “If we don’t evangelize, we simply do not exist as a Church; we simply do not exist as Christians.” How right he is.

Matthew (a familiar voice to anyone who has listened to St. Joseph’s cds) shares a biography of Terry in his introduction. It’s a life that was formed well by two sources – Terry’s parents and Archbishop Fulton Sheen. These influences, Terry’s openness to God’s will and his courage to speak the truth make for an inspirational and entertaining read of a life dedicated to evangelization.

As promised in the title, Terry shares practical tips on how to evangelize others. Each chapter includes “Light from the Word” with Scripture quotes that pertain to the focus of the chapter and a bolded statement that summarizes the thoughts. He begins with rightly emphasizing the importance of personal sanctity. You must be praying, partaking in the sacraments and seeking to avoid sin to be an effective witness. You can’t save others if you neglect your own soul. Terry follows this focus with a simple strategy that he calls “The Eight Laws of Effectively Sharing the Faith With Anyone.” Each step is clearly explained with tips on how to proceed. Don’t let the number eight overwhelm you – you will find that many of these steps are ones you are already doing.

Another valuable section is Terry’s plan to fine tune your personal testimony. Telling our own stories simply and clearly about the impact Jesus has made on us is vital. Not only will it help you reach others, but it will also give you a new appreciation for having Christ in your life.

This book is indeed a valuable how-to manual for evangelization. An advantage is that it can be read quickly and put into effect right away. The personal stories that are interspersed throughout the book range from simple, brief encounters with another soul to those that required more fortitude. The book is an inspiration but is not overwhelming to the reader who may be intimidated by the thought of sharing his faith with another.

Because of the sheer number of people that Terry has impacted through conferences, TV and radio, St. Joseph Communications and more, I know that several more volumes could be published and I sincerely hope that happens. Please pray for Terry and for all who read his book that we will fearlessly proclaim the Gospel.

May we all have such a great love of souls and evangelize with tremendous zeal.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Servant of God, pray for us. 

To order, visit Ignatius Press.