To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach: The Essential Guide to Ministry in Today's Catholic Church

Popular author, catechist, and creator of The Religion Teacher website Jared Dees learned a valuable lesson from his students: teaching is not the same as evangelization. He found instead—as in Jesus’ own ministry—if you focus first on healing the wounded, then proclaiming the Word of God, and finally teaching, you can bring people of all ages to Christ. Using examples from his own teaching, stories from the Bible, and the lives of the saints, Dees offers a fresh and engaging approach and practical ideas for following the ministry of Jesus in your own work.

Jesus had a threefold ministry on Earth: to heal the sick and wounded, proclaim the Good News, and teach those who became his disciples. It’s an approach imitated by the saints throughout history and continues to be the cornerstone of successful ministry in parishes, Catholic schools, and other vibrant programs today.

Jared Dees—author of 31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator—will help you understand how Jesus’ ministry transformed lives through biblical examples such as Paul, Bartimaeus, the centurion’s servant, and the woman at the well. He shares the importance of healing through the ministries of saints, such as Mother Teresa, Br. André Bessette, Ignatius of Loyola, and Fr. Damien of Molokai.

In To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach, Dees offers practical examples of how to apply Jesus’ threefold ministry to everyday life: allow yourself to be constantly evangelized; learn to help others through both good and bad times; and root yourself in community. He also suggests examples of ministries that are effectively reaching the faithful of all ages today, including Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Life Teen, Teens Encounter Christ, Theology on Tap, FOCUS, and Christ Renews His Parish. Dees will guide you with practical ways to imitate Jesus’ ministry in your own classrooms and faith formation programs at all levels.

To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach was a 2017 winner of the Association of Catholic Publishers Excellence in Publishing Award: Resources for Ministry (Third Place) and the Catholic Press Association Book Award: Pastoral Ministry (Third Place).