But there’s still an area where we struggle, and we know we’re not alone. When it comes to sharing the Gospel with non-Catholics or with Catholics who’ve left the practice of the faith, neither of us feels particularly equipped to do the work of a missionary disciple.

A few years ago, DeSales Media released a study of people who consider themselves “intentional disciples” and asked them about areas of strength and growth. Specifically, in what areas of faith did they feel their lives as disciples were strong, and where did they believe they needed to focus their efforts to grow?

Not surprisingly, the area where devout Catholics felt least strong was in “actively witnessing and sharing their faith with others,” with 52% reporting they had little to no strength in this area. Similarly, that’s the area where 56% said they needed at least a moderate amount of growth, with 22% of those saying they needed a great deal of growth.

It would seem we Catholics know how to live our faith, but we’re not comfortable telling others about it. I have to ask myself, is it enough to consider myself a disciple of Christ if I’m not doing the most important thing a disciple should do — evangelizing and bringing others into the faith?

Bishops across the nation and around the world are focused on this very issue. They’re committed to finding ways to equip Catholics to grow in discipleship so they feel competent and compelled to tell others in their sphere of influence how Jesus changes minds, hearts and lives. They’re asking us to find ways to connect with people through everyday events and real life circumstances, and to use those opportunities to draw people closer to Jesus and his Church.

This is the sole mission of FAITH Catholic. We believe dioceses and Catholic organizations can use beautiful, relatable publications to create a jumping-off point for conversation, connection and ultimately, conversion. Through inspiring stories of Christian witness, like those featured in the Diocese of Phoenix’s The Catholic Sun magazine, people see themselves and their stories mirrored in its pages. This is just one way Bishop John Dolan is equipping the faithful in his diocese to fulfill the Great Commission. Read our interview with him on page 8 to learn more about his vision for the future of missionary discipleship in Phoenix.

Missionary discipleship is our theme throughout this issue. Dan Cellucci of the Catholic Leadership Institute explains how parishes are helping Catholics grow through revised leadership practices, while Cynthia Shaw of the Diocese of San José talks about training disciples who speak in a variety of languages. And on page 36, we highlight the variety of personal witness stories from our publishing partners across the country.

Equipping missionary disciples has been our mission for 25 years. As FAITH Catholic celebrates its silver anniversary (highlighted on page 58), we are grateful for the trust and confidence we’ve been shown by more than 100 archdioceses, dioceses, seminaries, religious orders, congregations, apostolates, and Catholic organizations since the year 2000. It is our honor to serve the Church by helping to inspire, form, and inform Catholics so they are prepared and confident to connect others with Jesus and his Church.