Episode 6: Breaking Down Barriers to Evangelization – Moving from Techniques to Authentic Encounter

Quick Summary

Why do so many Catholics struggle to share their faith, even when they want to? In this episode, Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich explore the personal and professional barriers that prevent Catholics from evangelizing effectively. Through conversations with Monica Martinez, parish lead at Hallow, Emily Ricci, founder and CEO of Gloriam Marketing, and Peter Andrastek, a senior consultant at the Evangelical Catholic, they discover that the solution isn’t more training or techniques, but something far more fundamental: authentic relationship, genuine encounter, and what you might call “pre-evangelization.” If you’ve ever felt uncomfortable with the word “evangelization” or wondered why your parish’s outreach efforts fall flat, this episode offers a refreshing perspective that puts listening, presence, and personal holiness before programs and strategies.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Why the word “evangelization” makes many Catholics uncomfortable (1:00)
  • “There needs to be almost what I would think call a pre-evangelization that takes priority over evangelization… It’s so much caught up in the whole realm of listening, proactively hearing what people are saying and hearing it well.” – Fr. John Gribowich
• The medium is the message: How Jesus embodies this truth (3:00)
  • Understanding the incarnation as the ultimate example of medium as message
  • Why focusing on doctrine first can muddy the real goal of evangelization
• Post-COVID parish evangelization efforts (7:00)
  • Monica Martinez shares what’s working: welcoming gestures, hospitality, and simple recognition of new visitors
  • How one parish’s director of evangelization makes newcomers feel valued
• Why Mass is often the wrong entry point for evangelization (9:00)
  • The complexity barrier for outsiders: “This is boring. Why am I here?”
  • The importance of encounter over information: “It’s not so much about saying ‘tell me that God loves me.’ It’s experiencing the love of God.”
• Teaching Masses as a tool for formation (13:00)
  • Father John’s experiences with Pre-Cana couples, RCIA candidates, and high school students
  • When and how teaching Masses work effectively
• The mutual evangelization principle (16:00)
  • “The person who feels called to evangelize needs to also equally feel called to be evangelized by the person they are trying to evangelize.” – Fr. John Gribowich
  • Recognizing that Christ is already at work in every person’s life
• Parish marketing challenges and solutions (19:00)
  • Emily Ricci on the top three obstacles: lack of time, lack of skills, lack of finances
  • Why “product before promotion” matters: You need something worth inviting people to
• The language problem in evangelization (22:00)
  • Moving from “what and where” to “why and how”
  • Using testimonial language from actual participants to communicate value
• What parishes get wrong about evangelization (22:00)
  • “They’re typically very different… the parish that’s going to be in the best spot to evangelize is the parish that’s already active and vibrant.”
  • Why you need to engage people in the pews before reaching new people
• The 12-step program model for Church community (33:00)
  • What the Church can learn: ritual, vulnerability, accessibility, and companionship
  • Shoutout to Catholic in Recovery (catholicinrecovery.org)
• Holiness over technique (35:00)
  • “If we reduce evangelization to something you can just train someone for… we reduce evangelization to the manipulation of human techniques.” – Peter Andrastek
  • The power of a “love-transformed life” that radiates peace and joy
• The pull vs. push approach to faith sharing (40:00)
  • Why authenticity matters: “People can smell an agenda like poop on a shoe”
  • Letting curiosity draw people in rather than pushing a message

Key Takeaways

1. Pre-evangelization matters more than evangelization – Before presenting doctrine or inviting people to programs, we need to listen deeply and honor how God is already working in people’s lives.
2. You can’t give what you don’t have – Personal holiness, authentic joy, and a genuine relationship with God must come before any technique or strategy.
3. The parish must do inner work first – Just like individuals, parishes need a core team that prays together and genuinely experiences what they’re inviting others into.
4. Encounter trumps information – People don’t need more facts about God; they need to experience God’s love and mercy.
5. Be attractive, not aggressive – A life transformed by love naturally draws people in without needing to push an agenda.

Meet Our Guests

Monica Martinez – Parish Lead at Hallow, a chart-topping Catholic prayer app. Monica brings extensive experience in evangelization ministry and parish engagement, having worked with parishes across the country to understand what works in getting people to encounter Christ.

Emily Ricci – Founder and CEO of Gloriam Marketing, a Catholic marketing agency that serves parishes and Catholic businesses. Emily specializes in helping Catholic organizations communicate more effectively and reach the people they’re called to serve.

Peter Andrastek – Senior Consultant at The Evangelical Catholic with over 20 years of experience in adult faith formation. Peter works with faith communities from college campuses to military bases, helping establish vibrant Catholic communities focused on authentic discipleship.

Memorable Quotes

“If we reduce evangelization to something you can just train someone for, just a set of skills or a technique for saying something, we reduce evangelization to the manipulation of human techniques.” – Peter Andrastek

“The person who feels called to evangelize needs to also equally feel called to be evangelized by the person they are trying to evangelize.” – Fr. John Gribowich

“Everyone is a walking Christ already, so what are we doing to honor and reverence the walking Christ in our midst?” – Fr. John Gribowich

“It’s not so much about saying ‘tell me that God loves me.’ It’s experiencing the love of God.” – Monica Martinez

“People want to [evangelize], we just have no idea how to. That’s not something that most of us were taught how to do in faith formation.” – Emily Ricci

Resources Mentioned

• Hallow App: hallow.com
• Gloriam Marketing: gloriammarketing.com
• The Evangelical Catholic: evangelicalcatholic.org
• Catholic in Recovery:catholicinrecovery.com
• Vinea Research: Study on Catholic belief in the Real Presence (mentioned as a counterpoint to Pew Research findings): https://www.vinearesearch.com/catholic-belief-in-the-real-presence
• Marshall McLuhan: “The medium is the message” https://web.mit.edu/allanmc/www/mcluhan.mediummessage.pdf
• Pope Francis: “The Joy of the Gospel” https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html
• Called Learning Community: calledcommunity.com – Co-founded by Fr. John Gribowich, offering free online gatherings

Next Episode Preview:

Join us next week as we explore the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, from understanding their meaning to how we can better live them out in our daily lives.

About Religion to Reality

Religion to Reality explores the gap between religious belief and lived experience, bringing research-based insights from the Called Learning Community’s discipleship study into conversation with real practitioners. Hosted by Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich, each episode examines how Catholics can move from simply identifying as religious to living out their faith in authentic, transformative ways.

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