A keynote for clergy and parish leaders ready to move from survival to revival*
“How do we bring the gospel to a world that no longer expects good news?”
“We’ve tried, and tried, and seem to move one step forward, two steps back. What are we missing?
For decades, we’ve invested immense energy in “the new evangelization”—developing programs, movements, and initiatives designed to reach the unchurched. Yet affiliation continues to fall, and the baptized often remain unconverted in heart.
Perhaps we’ve overlooked the key that Jesus offered from the very beginning.
In Mark 5:1–20, Jesus crosses into Gentile territory—a place marked by fear, spiritual oppression, and cultural distance—and heals the man possessed by a legion of demons. It’s a scene uncannily parallel to our own moment: the Church sent into a world that feels estranged, chaotic, and resistant to grace.
Then comes the first commission, the first time Jesus says “go and tell”:
“Go home to your own people and tell them what the Lord in his mercy has done for you.”
It’s not global—it’s local.
It’s not abstract—it’s personal.
It’s not programmatic—it’s relational.
Here, in this overlooked passage, we rediscover the original DNA of evangelization: healing, story, and relationship born of mercy.
What Participants Will Gain
For Priests:
- A renewed theological vision of evangelization grounded in the Christological pattern of healing before sending.
- A deeper reading of Mark 5 that illuminates how Jesus’ mission strategy offers a pastoral paradigm for our secular age.
- Insight into how mercy and testimony can reanimate parish life and priestly ministry amid the exhaustion of “maintenance mode.”
For Lay Leaders:
- A biblical and pastoral framework for sharing personal encounter as authentic proclamation.
- Practical guidance on forming parish cultures where stories of grace become the seeds of renewal.
- Encouragement to see evangelization not as a task for experts, but as a vocation flowing from baptismal healing.
The Lost Evangelical Commission
In “Rethinking Evangelization: The First Commission We Forgot,” Dr. Susan Windley-Daoust invites clergy and lay leaders to return to the wellspring of evangelization itself.
By engaging the biblical context of Mark 5:1–20 as a prophetic mirror of our own culture, this keynote offers a path from survival to revival—not through strategies, but through mercy embodied and shared.
Ideal for:
- Clergy convocations and presbyteral gatherings
- Diocesan leadership or evangelization summits
- Parish renewal events and missions
Invite This Keynote
If your diocese or parish longs to rekindle missionary fire in a post-Christian world, this talk offers both theological depth and practical direction. This keynote is based on a book bring written for publication in 2027.
If your diocese or parish is ready to move from survival to revival, this talk offers both hope and a practical path forward.
Contact Dr. Susan Windley-Daoust to schedule “Rethinking Evangelization: The First Commission We Forgot” for your next diocesan or parish leadership gathering.
* Alternate title: Evangelization Begins Here: Renewing Parish Mission through the First Commission of Christ
