Merry Christmas!
All of us at the Reformanda Initiative are praying that you would experience the glory of God in the Gospel this Christmas as we remember and celebrate the miraculous incarnation of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”” (Luke 2:11–14 ESV)
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Tips on Catholic Evangelism at Christmas
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The following article was written by our partner, Mark Gilbert, from Certainty4Eternity Ministries. We pray you find it helpful, and that you would be motivated to engage your Catholic friends with the biblical Gospel of Grace this Christmas.
Some tips on Catholic Evangelism at Christmas
by Mark Gilbert
Large numbers of Australians still attend a church service at Christmas, at least half will attend a Catholic service. At the same time families, neighbors and friends spend more time together over the Christmas / New Year period in a variety of different contexts. This makes Christmas a great time to have evangelistic conversations with Catholics. Here are a few tips to help.
Tip 1. Ask about what the priest said at the Christmas Mass and then share about what your minister said (hopefully the Gospel).
Tip 2. Visit your Catholic family member's Christmas service and invite them to yours. By the way, they are more likely to go to yours if you offer to go to theirs. When attending Mass I usually participate in the first part - the Bible reading and reciting the creed. (called Liturgy of the Word). I don't pray publically with Catholics because it portrays a unity I don't want to express. I also don't get involved in the second part of the service (called the liturgy of the Eucharist) because it is idolatry. Because of this I don't stand, kneel or even join with them in saying the Lord's prayer, and I certainly don't go up and receive communion. I just adopt a humble posture and pray for those in the room. Don't worry, there are lots of non-Catholic visitors at Christmas time and you wont be the only one.
Tip 3. It is likely that at some stage during a conversation about Church over Christmas that someone will make a statement like, "Well, we're all the same really." This is the line the Roman Catholic Church is promoting heavily from the top down at the moment. This provides us with a great opportunity to share the Gospel by saying something like,
"That's an interesting idea, I always thought that Catholics believe that good people go to heaven, is that right? Did you know that Protestants believe that only bad people go to heaven? That's a bit of a difference isn't it?"
Then laugh and make light of it. It is Christmas after all! They will almost always ask what do you mean that bad people go to heaven, and then you can explain the Gospel. Works almost every time!
Tip 4. Pray before every social gathering that God will give you the opportunity to share the Gospel with your Catholic family, friends and neighbors and see what he does, at least you'll be ready if he gives you the chance.
At Certainty4Eternity we would like to wish you a fruitful Christmas with the blessing of having lots of opportunities to share the Good News that God saves people who don't deserve it without their help through Jesus.
Your brother in Christ
Mark
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Ideas for Christmas Gifts
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 A Christian's Pocket Guide to Mary: Mother of God?
by Leonardo De Chirico
A Christian's Pocket Guide to Mary offers a biblical account of Mary's character, contrasting this with the Roman Catholic traditions which have developed throughout history, distorting her nature from an obedient servant and worshipper of God to a worshipped saint herself. De Chirico writes with the authority of thorough research as well as personal experience of the traditions surrounding Mary which have become so integral to Roman Catholic worship.
 A Christian's Pocket Guide to the Papacy
by Leonardo De Chirico
Who are the Popes and how does the Roman Catholic Church define their role? What about the present day Popes? What is the ecumenical significance of the Papacy and what are its prospects in the global world? These and other questions are tackled as Leonardo De Chirico explores the Biblical, historical, and theological fabric of the Papacy.
 Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment
by Gregg R. Allison
In this balanced volume, Gregg Allison—an evangelical theologian and church historian—helps readers understand the nuances of Roman Catholic teaching. Walking through the official Catechism of the Catholic Church, Allison summarizes and assesses Catholic doctrine from the perspective of both Scripture and evangelical theology.
Noting prominent similarities without glossing over key differences, this book will equip Christians on both sides of the ecclesiastical divide to fruitfully engage in honest dialogue with one another.
 The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation
by Michael Reeves
Burning pyres, nuns on the run, stirring courage, and comic relief: the Protestant Reformation is a gripping tale, packed with drama. But what motivated the Reformers? And what were they really like?
The Unquenchable Flame, a lively, accessible, and fully informative introduction to the Reformation by Michael Reeves, brings to life the movement’s most colorful characters (Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, The Puritans, etc.), examines their ideas, and shows the profound and personal relevance of Reformation thinking for today.
Also included are a lengthy Reformation timeline, a map of key places in the Reformation, further reading suggestions, and, in this U.S. edition, a new foreword by 9 Marks Ministries president Mark Dever.
Available from Amazon!
 The Road Once Travelled
by Mark Gilbert
In The Road Once Travelled, Mark Gilbert invites those who are on the same road as he was to look for and find the answer. More specifically, he invites them to read the Bible for themselves and to discover that Jesus is the perfect answer to boring irrelevant religion; Jesus is the perfect answer to the desire for good, wise and strong leadership; and Jesus is the perfect answer to the problem of guilt.
The Road Once Travelled is a gentle, attractively presented, full-colour booklet (64 pages) which is an ideal evangelistic resource for giving to practicing Catholics or those who have given up any meaningful practise of their Catholic faith.
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2018 Rome Scholars Network
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We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the 2018 Rome Scholars Network, taking place from June 18 - 23 2018 in the city of Rome, Italy.
WHAT IS THE ROME SCHOLARS NETWORK (RSN)?
The Rome Scholars Network (RSN) is a weeklong seminar in Rome sponsored by the Reformanda Initiative, partner of the Forum of Christian Leaders (foclonline.org).
The Rome Scholars Network programme includes:
- Text-based discussions on pre-assigned reading selections
- Integrated lectures on Roman Catholic theology and practice, evangelical theological distinctives, historical relations between Roman Catholics and Protestants, and opportunities for dialogue, evangelism and engagement today
- Papers, written and submitted by participants, on an evangelical perspective on Roman Catholic theology and practice that are evaluated by Rome Scholars faculty
- Personal mentoring between each participant and a faculty member
- Excursions and tours of the Vatican and other important historical sites in Rome
- Church involvement alongside a local Italian congregation
WHY IS THE ROME SCHOLARS NETWORK IMPORTANT?
Evangelicalism currently has an incoherent relationship with Roman Catholicism. Many evangelicals are uncertain about what Roman Catholics actually believe. Do they believe in the same Gospel, or something entirely different? This question is important for leaders of evangelical churches and organizations and for hundreds of millions of evangelical believers around the world. We are convinced, in line with the historic Protestant view, that Roman Catholicism is a severely flawed system in need of a radical biblical reformation in its basic theology and practice.
Currently there is no strategy for evangelical leaders and scholars to study Roman Catholicism from an explicitly evangelical perspective and to equip and educate others as well.
RSN VISION
Vision of the Rome Scholars Network:The Rome Scholars Network was designed to create a context for evangelical scholars and leaders:
- To have access to evangelical scholars who are experts on Roman Catholicism
- To study and evaluate Roman Catholic theology and practice in the heart of Roman Catholicism, Rome itself.
- To be trained and equipped to be scholars, leaders and communicators of an evangelical perspective about Roman Catholicism and the biblical Gospel of salvation through faith alone
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'Tis the Season for Giving
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Thanks to generous partners, the Reformanda Initiative has been able to carry out our vision and mission to identify, unite, equip, and resource evangelical leaders to understand Roman Catholic theology and practice, to educate the evangelical Church and to communicate the Gospel. Our desire is to continue growing this ministry in order to serve the global evangelical community. Would you please consider donating to the Reformanda Initiative?
Those who want to support the Reformanda Initiative financially may do so with a donation to the Kyra Karr Foundation:
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