“How do we share the great Jesus Story with people who have never heard it?”
Seaford and Peacehaven: Saturday 18 October 2025
On Saturday 18th October, parishioners from Seaford, Peacehaven, and Newhaven gathered to explore one of the most important questions for our time: How do we share the great Jesus Story with people who have never heard it?
The day, hosted by Deacon Stephen and led by Mary Ann Enriquez and Claire Duffield was prayerful, reflective, and deeply encouraging. Participants described it as “rewarding, inspiring, and refreshingly relaxed,” and appreciated having space to listen, share, and discern together.
Encounter at the Well
The workshops began with a reflection on John 4:5–42, The Woman at the Well.
This Gospel shaped the tone of the whole day. Jesus meets the Samaritan woman in the ordinariness of her daily life, breaks barriers, and transforms her through love.
Participants reflected that evangelisation begins in exactly this way, with relationship, not judgement, and through the kind of genuine encounters that allow faith to grow naturally.
Faith Stories and Honest Sharing
Claire presented the results of a parish survey that invited people to reflect on their personal faith journeys. Many found this challenging but deeply moving, most had never been asked to tell their own story of faith before.
Sharing those stories helped everyone see that our lived experiences of grace are often the starting point for someone else’s encounter with God.
What We Learned Together
In the small group discussions, participants didn’t seek quick answers but instead identified qualities and attitudes needed for authentic evangelisation:
- Relationships first: trust and friendship create the space for conversations about faith.
- A Church people can trust: welcoming, compassionate, and free from judgement.
- Authenticity: living our Catholic faith with integrity and joy.
- Catholic Social Teaching in action: care for the poor and the vulnerable is itself a form of witness.
- Witness before words: people are drawn to Jesus by how we live, not just what we say.
- Prayer at the heart: everything we do must begin, end, and be sustained by prayer.
Participants noted that even the simplest gestures; an open church door, a listening ear, a word of kindness, can speak powerfully of God’s love.
A Spirit of Hope
The day concluded with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, song, and silent prayer. Many spoke of a renewed sense of hope and purpose. Comments included:
“I’ve never spoken about my faith like this before.”
“It was freeing to realise evangelisation begins with being myself.”
“The Church needs more spaces like this…open, kind, and hopeful.”
“It feels like we’re going in the right direction!”
Looking Ahead
The workshop highlighted a shared desire to grow as a missionary parish, where evangelisation is not a programme but a way of being. Next steps include:
- Forming a small working group to explore local mission initiatives.
- Continuing reflection on how parish life can be more relational and welcoming.
- Deepening understanding of Catholic Social Teaching through the Advent course.
A Parish on Mission
The Big Question day reminded us that evangelisation begins with everyday holiness, the courage to meet people where they are, to listen with love, and to live our faith authentically.