The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has taken a clear step forward in its approach to formation, with the Mission and Evangelisation team formally launching Called to Celebrate, Called to Know More, Called to Be More, a new Formation Framework for staff and the parish community.

The framework aligns all future formation opportunities under three connected areas: Called to Know More (formation), Called to Celebrate (worship), and Called to Be More (outreach). Together, they reflect a strategic priority of Bishop Michael Kennedy and the Mission and Evangelisation team, providing a clear, shared direction for supporting staff in both their personal and professional growth.

Shaped through extensive consultation, the Formation Framework is designed to be practical and accessible. It meets people where they are, whether they have a strong faith background or none at all. At its core is a simple idea. Growth is ongoing. Formation, worship and outreach are not separate, they are connected. Each has a relationship with and informs the other.

The aim is for people to really understand their faith and feel sure and comfortable living it.  It’s not about just learning ideas or theory, but about putting it into practice in everyday life.

Unpacking Evangelisation

That vision began to take shape on Thursday 26 March with the first Called to Know More session, held in the Diocese. Staff and some parishioners gathered at the Diocesan Resource Centre for a well-attended session led by Rose McAllister Partner – Formation from the Mission and Evangelisation team. Together they explored a word that is often misunderstood: evangelisation.

For many, the word can feel complex, even confronting. This session made it simple.

Reflecting on the session, Rose said she was heartened by the strong engagement and openness of those in attendance.

“It was a really encouraging beginning. When we stripped away the weight that can sit around the word ‘evangelisation’, people began to recognise it as something that belongs within everyday life,” she said.

“That shift from complexity to simplicity felt significant.” Rose McAllister

At its heart, evangelisation is about sharing something good. In a Christian context, it means sharing the message of Jesus, but in a way that is natural, respectful and grounded in everyday life.

Key takeaways from the session included:

What evangelisation is

• Evangelisation means sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
• Evangelisation is like sharing light, we simply pass on what we have received.
• It flows naturally from joy and experience, like sharing good news or something meaningful in life.

Where evangelisation begins

• A personal encounter with Christ is the foundation of evangelisation.
• People are drawn more by what they see lived out in others than in words, authentic lives speak most powerfully.

How evangelisation happens

• It is relational and invitational, never forced or imposed.
• It happens in everyday moments, through kindness, listening, service, and integrity.
• The early Church evangelised through witness, not structures or programs.

Who Is called to evangelise

• Every baptised person is called to evangelise, not just clergy.
• Evangelisation involves encounter, discipleship, and mission (source: Australian Catholic Bishops Conference).

Evangelisation and the mission of the Church

• Evangelisation has always been central to the Church’s mission throughout history.
• “The Church exists to evangelise” (Paul VI), it is the Church’s core purpose.
• Vatican II expanded the understanding, evangelisation happens in everyday life, not just mission territories.

Models of evangelisation

• St Paul is a key example, spreading the Gospel across cultures and communities.

Put simply, evangelisation is sharing something meaningful in a genuine way.
Not preaching or persuading. Just sharing.

Like telling a friend about something that matters to you.

Small group discussions throughout the session echoed this approach. Evangelisation is not something imposed; it is something lived, revealed in ordinary moments through how people listen, serve, and show up for others.

One of the most powerful aspects of the session was the diversity in the room.

“There were people with a strong faith background sitting alongside others who are just beginning to explore or reconnect,” said Rose.

“Some would not necessarily describe themselves as religious at all. The conversation created space for everyone. That matters. It shows that when we speak about what is good, life-giving, and meaningful, it connects across different experiences and stages of faith.”

For everyone, one insight from the session stood out.

An honest acknowledgement that the word “evangelisation” can carry mixed perceptions. But when unpacked, its meaning is simple. Good news. Something to be shared. Something to be offered.

As the first expression of the Called to Know More stream, the session sets a strong foundation for what comes next, formation that is clear, connected and grounded in real life.

Called to Know More – In your parish community

 

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