Eight Years of Evangelical Outreach

Eight years ago, on September 22, 2011, I felt a nudge from God to write an inspirational email to 15 of my friends. Little did I know then, that it was the beginning of what would become 4th Day Letters. After eight years, these weekly messages are being read around the world. Today, I want to share the reason and purpose for this ministry and explain how we can work together to change the world for Christ. Please read more.

My first email went out to a groupn of men who had experienced a Cursillo weekend. Cursillo began as a lay Catholic movement in Spain in the 1940’s. It has been adopted by many other denominations and is known by many other names. Some familiar ones are, Walk to Emmaus, Via de Cristo, and Kairos. All of these movements center around a three-day retreat. After making one of these retreats, the balance of a one’s life is considered their “Fourth Day.”  This is where the name 4th Day Letters came from. Bringing about the Christian evangelization of all of the environments in our world is the core purpose of each of these movements.

Prompted by the Holy Spirit, I began writing each week to challenge, encourage, motivate and inspire the men and woman who were involved in these movements. I wanted to do my part to help us all to become better evangelizers. Over the years, the scope of this ministry expanded to include all Christians, not just those involved in the Cursillo-like movements.

In the first year, God placed The Parable of the Broken Door on my heart. It is from that message that this ministry received its name, Broken Door Ministries.

I believe God has blessed all people. I also believe that all of us are broken by sin and wounded by our broken world. Brokenness manifests itself in every type of sin imaginable. Jesus came into the world so that everyone who believed in Him could be saved from their darkness (John 12:44-50).  Each of us, even though we are broken in some way, is still expected to go forth to bring others to Jesus. Said differently, we are called to be the door, no matter how broken we may be, through which others can enter to encounter Christ.

We are called by Jesus to take His message to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20). We do this by first blooming where we are planted. Each of us exists surrounded by many environments such as our families, friends, churches, neighborhoods, work places, and our social groups. We begin by bringing the good news and love of Jesus to the people in these environments.

I believe we are all blessed by God, broken by sin and yet we are called to go out and be shared. This is analogous to the last supper where Jesus blessed, broke and shared the bread with His friends. As communal Christians, we are sent out to change the world for Christ.

Sadly, many of us are too nervous or frightened to go forth and evangelize. Inwardly focused on our own short comings and sinful habits, we feel unworthy to answer the call to evangelize. Out of fear, we remain scared. Blessed, broken and scared does not resemble what Jesus did to the bread at the last supper.

I chose to name the retreats that I put on across the country, Blessed Broken and Scared because, unfortunately this is where many of us are stuck. The book that I hope to publish soon will have that same name.

To evangelize we must be shared, not scared. To share, we must be open, honest and vulnerable. Wearing masks and pretending we have it all together does not help us, nor does it draw others to Jesus.

Each week I share a message that I believe God placed on my heart for me to pay attention to in my own life. My hope is that these messages help you too.

As Broken Door Ministries celebrates our 8th Anniversary, I need your help! Thousands of people read 4th Day letters, but millions of people do not. Would you please share each week’s message with your contacts and friends and on your social media platforms? I would also like to come to your church or parish to give a talk or retreat. Click here to get more information or to invite me to your group. Lastly, I almost never ask for financial assistance, but it does cost money to keep this ministry going. Please consider making a donation to support this ministry. Click here to give. No amount is too small. Your contributions are tax deductible, and no one is paid a salary in this ministry. Your contributions help to get the message of Jesus out to the world.

Working together we can change the world and bring others to Jesus. May God bless you!

Dear God, thank you for the gift of your precious Son Jesus and for the blessing of this ministry. Please bless all of our readers and all those they touch through their Christian outreach, amen!

As always, I love to read your comments below as well as hear from you personally by clicking here.


You’re Invited

Prepare for Christmas! Mark your calendars. On December 6-8, 2019, I will be leading a 3 day Advent Retreat. Catholics as well as non-Catholics are welcome to attend. Fr. Ed Sheridan will join us to celebrate Catholic mass and Reconciliation will be available. Author Joseph Galloway will be giving a talk about his book The Broken Door and will be signing books. The retreat is being held at the Catholic Conference Center in Hickory, NC. It’s beautiful! More details will follow soon. I hope you can join us.

Brian Pusateri
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8 Comments

  1. Marguerite Gustkey on September 25, 2019 at 9:40 am

    Brian,

    You help sustain my hope for the Catholic Church. I am a convert and find myself starved for spiritual feeding that I am not getting just in the “ritual”. I thank the Lord that He is using you to feed the hungry spiritually. May He bring a revival in the Church that is sorely needed. Thank you too for including all faiths . I get so frustrated when I hear people being told by priests if you’re not Catholic you’re wrong and need conversion.

    May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

  2. Jim Nolan on September 24, 2019 at 4:30 pm

    Thanks be to God for your ministry!! Jim

    • Brian Pusateri on September 24, 2019 at 4:37 pm

      Jim

      Thank You! I hope you and those you love are well. God bless!

      Brian

  3. Jim Meersman on September 24, 2019 at 1:36 pm

    Brian: Another beautiful letter. I think you have thoughts here that can be used in our upcoming retreat. I will call you in the next few days. What a Blessing you are!

    • Brian Pusateri on September 24, 2019 at 2:46 pm

      Jim

      Thanks for your kind words! God bless!

      Brian

  4. Maxwell Hanks on September 24, 2019 at 12:46 pm

    Dear Brian. Thx for your efforts, thoughts, courage, and authenticity. I would like for u to think and write on climate change, and our responsibilities as Christians, to speak up, take action, and most importantly, to vote. While this may seem like a political issue, I for one see it with a much broader, existential lense that includes stewardship of our planet earth, injustice, protection for the vulnerable, and a common sense understanding that growth is not endless. Highest regards,

  5. Bob Davis on September 24, 2019 at 4:24 am

    Brian,

    I thank God for you in how so beautifully articulate in words and action the message of “Blessed, Broken and Shared” is given to us, your readers.

    I attended your retreat 3 years ago (I think) in New Albany, Ohio at The Church of the Resurrection. I have been receiving and sharing your letters since then, and they have also inspired me to do some reflective writing of my own to share mith friends and in a prison ministry.

    I also had made a “Cum Christo”( cursillo movement) weekend earlier that year and it had a powerful impact in my life. The prayer we say after we meet for weekly small group faith-sharing asks..,

    “Help us, Father, as we return, each to our own environments (home/family/friends/church/community) Help us to grow, to study, to become the Christians that you want us to be. Keep us aware of those who do not know your Son. Give us the courage to help us make the changes that you want in our environments….”

    Lately, I have been asking God to show me something each day -not anything specific, just something to let me know He is moving in this world. Somewhat presumptuous, i know, but I soon realized that is sort of like telling God to pick a song to play out of His jukebox, just for me. I realize now He is always playing His song, for not just me but for everyone. I need to listen. I need to ask God to give me the grace to see what He wants me to see and to the courage step into His dance more and to help change His world, even if it is just one person or one small act of kindness and evangelization at a time.

    Brian, I pray that God helps you keep up your part in the dance!

    De Colores!
    Bob Davis

    • Brian Pusateri on September 24, 2019 at 5:46 am

      Bob

      Thank you for your wonderful post. May God always be near at your side and may He bless you abundantly as you work for His Kingdom.

      Brian

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