This book proposes that, rather than hoping that volunteers will step forward to welcome prospective members of the Church, the seekers should be as involved as possible in parish life.
We all agree that the community needs to be involved in the RCIA. So we make bulletin and Mass announcements explaining the rites and the RCIA process, hoping the parishioners will “get” their responsibility to initiate these seekers. Then, although catechumens, candidates, sponsors, and team members form a tight-knit community, parishioners still wonder who these people are with their rituals that make the Mass long and most of the newly initiated still disappear from the parish after Easter. Taking to heart what the United States bishops said in their document on adult faith formation—“While the parish may have an adult faith formation program, it is no less true that the parish is an adult faith formation program” —Diana Macalintal argues that we have to stop trying to get the parish involved in the RCIA and start getting the catechumens and candidates involved in the parish. In this book, readers will discover:1. why doing the RCIA in the midst of the community not only forms seekers into disciples but renews the conversion of the entire parish; 2. what parishioners can do to take responsibility for the initiation of adults, without adding another meeting to their lives; 3. how to use the four key areas of parish life and the liturgical year to introduce seekers to Christ and train them in the Christian way of life; 4. the three levels of catechesis and how to use mystagogical reflection on parish life to provide a systematic and complete catechesis appropriate for each level. When you make your parish the RCIA curriculum, you will be shaping not just a group of people but an entire community into lifelong disciples.
Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life. Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, White and Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.
We all know that a one-size-fits-all approach to RCIA catechumenate formation doesn’t work. But until now, many of us were stumped trying to find a viable alternative. Seek the Living God: Five RCIA Inquiry Questions for Making Disciples is the answer to your prayers. After just a few meetings with your seekers, you will be able to easily create a customized faith formation plan that is tailored to the unique needs of each person. The best part is that the seekers do most of the work in developing their own plan. Your role shifts from being the Catholic “expert” to being a mentor and coach. Once you understand how the five-question process works, you can easily train others to use it. New team members don’t have to worry about “knowing enough” to be on the team. Start using these questions with your very next RCIA seeker. You will be amazed at the powerful conversion that will happen with your inquirers—and with you.
There is a secret formula to help convince parishioners to give financially to your church. It’s pretty simple: Just ask them. And when you do, make sure it’s not about the money. In ChurchMoney, Rev. Michael White and Tom Corcoran—award-winning authors of the bestselling book Rebuilt—will help you learn the basic skills you need to discover that true success in raising funds comes from the incredibly freeing approach that connects giving to discipleship. The two share stories of success and failure during their twenty years leading the Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland. They tell you what they learned to meet the real financial challenges of their mission. And they offer the practical wisdom and inspiration you need to tackle the thorny matter of raising money in your Catholic parish. So if giving isn’t about the money, what is it about? Giving is about: loving God and serving him; loving others and helping them fall in love with their Savior; transforming the world little by little through love; and the eternal impact we can and need to make with money. White and Corcoran contend that giving actually glorifies God and attracts others to the Church. Over and over again in scripture, they point out, you’ll find the same, simple point: Giving gladly serves as a key ingredient to the Church’s growth from its very beginning. White and Corcoran share the lessons, facts, habits, and great ideas they’ve implemented from some of the most successful and vibrant churches in the United States. ChurchMoney offers a proven plan for raising money in parishes. It’s readily adaptable, firmly rooted in the reality of leading a Catholic parish, based on the Bible, and finessed with the best advice of communication professionals. You will read stories of embarrassing failure and exhilarating success in tripling a budget and running three extraordinarily successful capital campaigns over a ten-year period including a recent campaign leading to the construction of $16 million sanctuary built debt-free. White and Corcoran have increased staff fourfold and significantly raised salaries and increased staff benefits while expanding mission outreach both locally and internationally.
What is a saint? A saint is a holy person, someone who lived an extra-loving life on Earth and now is close to God in Heaven. The saints are close to us because they share God's great love for us. That is why we ask them for their prayers. They are our friends--friends want the best for us! Just like every person is different, every saint is also different. Each saint was an ordinary person with both strengths and weaknesses. Ordinary people become saints by using the gifts and talents God has given them to follow Jesus and to live according to the Gospel. In this book, you will read the stories of 30 saints. As you read about each saint, remember that you too are called to be a saint by following Jesus and loving God and others in your own original and unique way!
Faith Fusion is a comprehensive 224-page overview of the Catholic faith based on the framework of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Each lesson of Faith Fusion is developed around a balance of Scripture and Tradition. Faith Fusion has four units comprising 20 chapters. Each unit corresponds to a pillar of the Catechism. Each chapter includes a complete Scripture reading, Church teachings about how to live the Catholic faith, and the story of a saint or other holy person whose example shows the message of Scripture and Church teaching lived out. Faith Fusion provides a comprehensive Catechism review that makes it an ideal resource for Confirmation prep, RCIA candidates, as well as junior high and high school students. Immediate preparation for Confirmation is also provided in the five "Being Catholic" mini-lessons. Faith Fusion has also been found to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Chapter Features to Enhance Students' Knowledge of Jesus: - Review Questions help summarize each main section - Writing and Discussion prompts offer ways to reflect on material and apply it to the students' lives - Vocabulary terms are defined in the Glossary of Selected Terms - "Jesus, Friend and Savior" feature includes practical applications for furthering study including activities, questions and answers apologetic in nature, and a prayer. "The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ." These words of Pope John Paul II are quoted in the first sentence of the United States Catholic Bishops Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age. The intention of the new Framework is similar: it provides the course structure and content instruction to serve as a way for high school students to know Jesus Christ, to grow in relationship with him, and to live according to the truth he has given us. After several consultations through its development with bishops, diocesan leaders, teachers, catechists, and publishers, the full body of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops unanimously approved the Framework in 2007. One of its first objectives was to provide guidance to publishers who create instructional materials for use both in Catholic high schools and parish youth ministry programs. Scpope and Sequence Besides providing doctrinal elements for a curriculum, the Framework also strongly suggests a sequence to shape a four-year, eight-semester course of catechetical studies. There are six coresemester-length courses that the bishops strongly recommend be offered in the order they appear in the Framework. Those courses are: I. The Revelation of Jesus Christ in Scripture The Scriptures trace the coming of Jesus, the Christ. II. Who Is Jesus Christ? Jesus is the ultimate revelation from God. III. The Mission of Jesus Christ (The Paschal Mystery) Our redemption only comes in and through Jesus. IV. Jesus Christ Continues the Mission in the Church. The Church is the Body of Christ where we meet Jesus today. V. Sacraments as Privileged Encounters with Jesus Christ We can encounter Christ in a full and complete way in the Sacraments. VI. Life in Jesus Christ There are moral principles that govern the life of Christ's disciples. In addition five possible elective courses appear in this Framework as options for the other two semesters. Those courses have been titled Sacred Scripture, History of the Catholic Church, Living as a Disciple of Jesus Christ in Society (Social Justice), Responding to the Call of Jesus Christ (Marriage and Holy Orders), Ecumenical and Interreligious Issues Online Resources Include: - PowerPoint - Presentation - Study Guide - Crossword Puzzles - Review Questions - Prayer Services - And More! Visit www.avemariapress.com
For all who teach adults in churches, this is a practical handbook of ideas, teaching methods, and strategies for lifelong learning and spiritual growth. Written by eleven experts in adult Christian education from across the United States, the chapters combine theory and practice and are filled with examples and case studies to enliven Christian education for adults. Chapter topics include: - Why Lifelong Learning? - What Teachers Need to Know about Adults Today - How Adults Learn - Five Key Factors in Good Teaching - Content Areas of Adult Study - Opportunities for Adult Education - Making the Connections - Organizing for Adult Education For beginning teachers this will be a basic handbook to keep on their shelf for inspiration and guidance. Experienced teachers will discover fresh ideas to revitalize their classes and encourage lifelong learning. The book will also be a text for college and seminary students.