Have you ever tried to learn a new language? (Any Duolingo fans in the house?)

Unless you were born in a two language household–it’s hard work! In my academic career, I had to learn four other languages. I’m no great linguist, but with hard work and determination, I learned them well enough to read them for academic purposes.

But the second language I was best at was always the one I learned while living in a foreign country as a child–Spanish. (And no, I’m still not fluent. Long story, and a source of real frustration for me….) The one language that genuinely stuck was the language I was immersed in, absorbed frequently, heard in context, and even picked up on the cultural ideas that tend to float in the language.

Friends, if our parishes are making the culture change to become evangelizing parishes, that means learning a new language.

I am increasingly convinced this is key. It’s not about more information. It’s not about earnest desire for change. It’s not about the great annual evangelization event. All these “punches in the arm” help, but they must be joined with learning, thinking, and dreaming in evangelization and mission language. And in many parishes, evangelization lingo feels like a foreign language!

Just like learning another human language, this brings with it a new-to-you way of thinking and describing that our parishes need for culture change. And the best way to get fluent in a new language? IMMERSION. Always immersion!

To that end, I proud to say The Mark 5:19 Project has partnered with Gracewatch Media to create beautiful, simple, easy ways for parishes to get IMMERSED in the language of the sharing the gospel. First up: Starting Conversations, a printable package of faithful, provocative parish evangelization articles designed for quick reading and conversation across all kinds of team meetings: parish staff, pastoral council, finance council, evangelization committees, you name it. It’s a quick and easy way to practice the new language by engaging and debating key features of an evangelizing parish.

If you can devote ten minutes at the beginning or end of every standing meeting to engaging with one of these two page, practical articles with questions, you have an automatic refresher in mission language. You may learn some new mission language. And you will have conversations that anchor missional language among those gathered and maybe even inspire new commitments! Whether participants agree with the specific proposals in the article is less important that getting everyone learning and speaking the same missional language.

These elegantly designed PDFs are available for digital preview as well as immediate purchase and download, and come with a printing license for use at your parish (so much cheaper and less intimidating than a book study). We have them very reasonably priced right now, so everyone can take advantage of quality materials, and get immersed in the language of Christ’s mission. No Duolingo required!

We hope for Spanish language versions coming in 2025. And our next immersion tool is coming soon: Evangelization 101 bulletin inserts, coming in November.

Tell us what you think, and spread the word! God bless your language acquisition!