Stretch those thumbs: It's time for the biggest evangelization day of the year.

In less than 48 hours, people will start to stream through your church doors like you're giving away free iPhones instead of blessed dirt.

For many, this is the only interaction they'll have with your church all year.

They're hanging on by a literal thread of dirt — but they're still there.

Which means we have a huge opportunity we don't get any other day of the year — bringing them one step closer to Jesus.

And that's too valuable to waste.

Last week, I shared a whole bunch of ways you can evangelize "Ash Wednesday only" Catholics (find that newsletter here).

But there's one other thing you can do that I think is truly the best way to market your church (aka evangelize).

Why is it the best?

✅ Because it's free.

✅ It takes less than 30 seconds to prepare.

✅ And it's the most effective.

So what's the best thing you can do to bring people closer to Jesus this Wednesday?

Talk to them.

Literally. Just talk to them.

Trust me, I love a one-to-many marketing campaign. It allows us to multiply our efforts with the very limited time we have. And all those touchpoints add up to encounter.

But all the way back in the days of Jesus, there was no social media.

No automated email follow-up campaigns.

No precisely targeted ads.

And yet Christianity grew rapidly.

How?

With one person talking to another person about Jesus.

The best thing you can do to market Jesus this Ash Wednesday is to simply talk to the people that come.

It doesn't have to be profound. It's probably not going to provoke a dramatic reversion on the spot. You might not even see them again.

In fact, you will likely think this strategy failed.

But never discount what the Holy Spirit can do with the seeds you don't think are worth sowing.

At worst, you learn something more about this audience that you want to evangelize.

(Remember all that guessing I told you to do about your intended audience last week? Well, the more you talk to this audience, the more concrete data you have for future communications efforts.)

But at best? You help someone to feel seen and known in an impersonal world.

They don't have a relationship with Jesus. They can't wrap their minds around having a relationship with Someone they can't see.

But they can see you.

And if you let Jesus shine through you, then they can see Him.

And it goes from "I get ashes because it's just what you do" to "I don't know what it is, but I want what that person has."

So as the Mass or service wraps up, pray for the right words, and ask the Holy Spirit to point someone out to you.

Then, talk to them!

Not sure what to say? Here are a few ideas:

• Never discount simply introducing yourself!
• Compliment them on something (what their ash cross looks like can be a great icebreaker!)
• Note something that was great about the service: The music, the homily, etc. (Oh my goodness, I always love Father Name's homilies!)
• Hand them the flyer from last week about an upcoming event or prayer initiative and say you'd love to see them there.

If the conversation is thriving, ask them a deeper question: What made you stop by for ashes today? Do you have a goal for Lent?

The goal here is listening and building relationship, not necessarily launching in with their whole faith journey.

If it goes there naturally and you have a chance to witness and share the Good News, beautiful! Let the Holy Spirit lead.

But the main point is simply helping someone experience Christ through you, not catechesis.

If you can though, there is one thing I'd try to weave in:

"I'm staying to pray for a few minutes. Do you have anything I can pray for you for?"

It's an unobtrusive question that encourages vulnerability without being nosy.

And it gets people thinking about prayer and faith, especially if they haven't prayed themselves in a while.

(If the conversation went really well, you can always invite them to pray with you or offer to pray for them out loud.

But even just asking the question and then them seeing you walk back into the church specifically to pray for them will plant a powerful seed.)

Again, it will likely seem like this conversation does nothing except make you get out of your comfort zone.

But sometimes, the results of our marketing aren't for us to see. We have only to do what Jesus asked — sow the seed — and let Him take care of the reaping.

Anyway, if you try this, I'd love to hear how it goes! Be sure to reply at the end of the week with any conversations you have, and I'll be sure to pray for any of the people you encounter.

For His greater glory,

Emily

P.S. I know that Ash Wednesday begins the marathon of Lent and prep for Easter, but be sure to take some time for your own spiritual journey this Lent too. Know that I am praying for you too!