ROADMAP FORMATION FOR DISCIPLESHIP OBJECTIVE Identify outline and

ROADMAP FORMATION FOR DISCIPLESHIP

OBJECTIVE • Identify, outline, and define terms for targeted demographics • Begin to create formation training that will enable those who attend said training to be able to lead/facilitate any type of program, bible study, etc. in their parish or their homes. • Outline some program examples • Continually reinforce that programs don’t make disciples, people do.

5 ROADMAP STAGES TO TRAVEL • 1. ) Pre-Evangelization • 2. ) Evangelization • 3. ) Conversion • 4. ) Discipleship • 5. ) Apostolate

LET’S DEFINE THOSE STAGES… AS CHURCH

PRE-EVANGELIZATION • The preparatory work we do in order to make evangelization possible, especially in its more formal expressions, is simply called pre-evangelization. • Pre-Evangelization exists to remove barriers to belief and to awaken the desire for God and His Church in those who do not know or accept them. • The basis for pre-evangelization is making the Church—including its parishes, schools, hospitals and other sponsored institutions—places of warmth and welcome.

EVANGELIZATION • Evangelization means bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself. • At its essence are the proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ and the response of a person in faith, which are both works of the Spirit of God. • We can only share what we have received; we can hold on to our faith only if it continues to grow. "But if salt loses its taste, " Jesus asked, "with what can it be seasoned? “ – (Matthew 5: 13)

EVANGELIZATION • We want to make it clear that evangelization means something special for us as Catholics. We can see what it means by looking at what happens to evangelized people. • Not only are they related to Jesus by accepting his Gospel and receiving his Spirit; even more, their lives are changed by becoming disciples, that is, participants in the Church, celebrating God's love in worship and serving others as Jesus did.

CONVERSION • Conversion is the change of our lives that comes about through the power of the Holy Spirit. • All who accept the Gospel undergo change as we continually put on the mind of Christ by rejecting sin and becoming more faithful disciples in his Church. • Unless we undergo conversion, we have not truly accepted the Gospel. • We know that people experience conversion in many ways.

CONVERSION • Some experience a sudden, shattering insight that brings rapid transformation. Some experience a gradual growth over many years. Others undergo conversion as they take part in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults—the normal way adults become members of the Church today. • Many experience conversion through the ordinary relationships of family and friends. Others have experienced it through the formation received from Catholic schools and religious education programs. Still others have experienced ongoing conversion in renewals, ecumenical encounters, retreats, parish missions, or through some of the great spiritual movements that have blessed church life today. • This is crucial: we must be converted—and we must continue to be converted! We must let the Holy Spirit change our lives! We must respond to Jesus Christ. And we must be open to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit who will continue to convert us as we follow Christ. • If our faith is alive, it will be aroused again and again as we mature as disciples.

DISCIPLESHIP • Discipleship refers to a committed approach to living a Christian life within the Catholic Church. • The U. S. Catholic bishops have described disciples as those who "make a conscious, firm decision, carried out in action, to be followers of Jesus Christ no matter the cost to themselves. “ • This is reflected in the saying of Jesus from the Gospel of St. Luke 14: 33, "So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. " This quote -- along with other similar quotes from the Gospel -- clearly indicates the level of commitment required of a disciple of Christ.

APOSTOLATE • Following Christ means making disciples. One of the most important elements of discipleship is reproduction. An apostle creates more disciples and should never be able to say, “I’ve never shared the gospel with someone. ” • “Go therefore and make disciples. . . ” (Matthew 28: 19). Not first and foremost “have daily devotions” or “give to the poor, ” but make disciples. • The reality is that we have always been involved in disciple-making, even from birth — just not always disciple-making for Jesus. • You are a disciple, so whom are you following? • You have disciples following you, how are you shaping those people watching you?

APOSTOLATE • Some might think of evangelization solely in terms of Jesus and our relationship with him. Yet our relationship with Jesus is found in our relationship with the community of Jesus—the Church. • The way to Christ is through the community in which he lives. Did not Jesus say, "I am with you always” – (Matthew 28: 12) and "Whatever you did for one of these least [brothers and sisters of mine], you did for me"? – (Matthew 25: 40) • Did not the Jesus who met Paul on the road to Damascus say that he lived in his persecuted followers, the Church? (Acts 9: 5) • Jesus is present in and among his disciples, the People of God.

LET’S EXPLORE THOSE STAGES… AS “NONES”

5 STAGES TO TRAVEL • 1. ) Pre-Evangelization • 2. ) Evangelization • 3. ) Conversion • 4. ) Discipleship • 5. ) Apostolate

PRE-EVANGELIZATION • Does God exist? • What’s true for me isn’t true for you. I have my own ideas and my own personal beliefs. • There’s so many religions out there, what makes Catholic the right one? • How does Jesus help me survive in the world? • How does going to church help me get a stable career? • Where was God when my parent died? • If God is real, why does disease exist?

EVANGELIZATION • Most people have never been given the opportunity to explore their questions once they get past being a child. • It’s not about giving the correct answer; it’s about listening and dialoging. • Who are you to tell me how to live my life? • I have to leave my brain at the door if I become Catholic. • There is truth, but if one is not open to listening to what is true, the first step is opening hearts, minds, and ears.

CONVERSION • Our own personal conversion moment may not have had the same impact on someone else: • I went to Catholic school and never felt anything. • I went to a retreat and didn’t get anything out of it. • I went to a conference and didn’t get anything out of it. • I opened the Bible to read it and it didn’t make sense so I stopped exploring. • We should facilitate events, programs, and dialog surrendering to the Holy Spirit and trusting that Jesus will move through us to reach His children.

DISCIPLESHIP • The idea of discipleship among the “nones” attempts to fill the void. They don’t always know nor have they been shown that God can fill that void and even walk alongside some of these pursuits. • • • Social Media - Like, favorite, subscribe Celebrity – If only my life could be like that… Science – Science and religion are basically doing the same thing. Money – Job, Career, Success, etc. come first. Entertainment – Movies, video games, books, etc. • “What brings me pleasure must be good”, but not all things that bring pleasure are good. • These can all become idols if we’re not centered in who Christ is to us.

APOSTOLATE The reality is that we have always been involved in apostolate (disciple-making), even from birth — just not always disciple-making for Jesus. • You are a disciple, so whom are you following? • You have disciples following you, how are you shaping those people watching you? Watering down the faith to make it easier to understand isn’t making disciples. • If our students in school can handle complex concepts like Calculus, they can handle the full teachings and truth of the Catholic church. • We have to be open to continual conversation, dialog, and follow-up.

LET’S JOURNEY THOSE STAGES… AS DISIPLES MAKING DISCIPLES

THE WORD “PROGRAM” DISCLAIMER • Programs don’t lead people to Christ. People lead people to Christ and Christ does all the work. • There is no checklist that always leads someone to discipleship with Jesus Christ. • There is no program that is a silver bullet for your parish/ministry. • Just because a program may be more designed toward one stage doesn’t mean someone in other stages won’t also have some benefit. • The word “Program” henceforth can be used interchangeably to be defined as, but not limited to some of the following: event, retreat, conference, bible study, dinner, outing, day trip, mission work, concert, pilgrimage, meeting up for coffee, etc. • Allow the Holy Spirit to define what “Program” can mean for how you are invited to lead.

THE WORD “PROGRAM” DISCLAIMER CONT. • Always, always be inviting. If you prayerfully discern that a participant may not benefit from a program you are apart of or running, invite them to something else (even go with them if it something you are not leading). • Example: You’re leading a program that focuses on pre-evangelization but you discern that your friend is in need of a conversion program. Explain to them that they are welcome to join you for your program and invite them to join you in attending a retreat or other conversion experience.

5 STAGES TO TRAVEL • 1. ) Pre-Evangelization • Programs in Pre-Evangelization should be centered in the basics of the basics… even before the basics. It’s about relationship building. Sharing a meal. Existing as community. • 2. ) Evangelization • Programs in Evangelization should be centered around bringing the Good News to everyone attending. People coming believe that God is real. Believe that Jesus lived. However, they may not be convinced of the need to change anything about themselves. • 3. ) Conversion • Programs in Conversion should be centered in creating Encounter opportunities for everyone attending. A successful conversion will prompt the desire to change something about how your participants are living their lives. • 4. ) Discipleship • Programs in Discipleship should be centered in reinforcing the teachings of the Catholic church. What changes in our lives might look like and how that translates to parish life or workplace interactions. These are the “What do I do now? ” programs once you’ve established that participants are ready to buy in to life with Jesus Christ. • 5. ) Apostolate • Programs in Apostolate (Disciple Making) would be teaching people how to discern, operate, and navigate facilitating something that fits their charism. This is leading, participating, and even creating a ministry or parish program (perhaps even the one that led them to this stage personally).

PRE-EVANGELIZATION • Programs in Pre-Evangelization should be centered around creating an open and welcoming environment. • We are not yet diving into full catechesis, but merely discussing and exploring the basic questions of faith. • This is also not the place to blanket invite people to be apart of other ministries in the parish. Just because they are attending doesn’t mean they trust yet. • If you are distributing materials, programs targeted toward Pre-Evangelization are not the places to slide in a leaflet advertising parish ministries. • If you are approached by a participant and proactively asked how they can get more involved in your parish community; DO respond to them as an individual and make a recommendation. This will also be an indicator that they may be ready to move on to the next steps of Evangelization or even Conversion.

PRE-EVANGELIZATION • A program example for Pre-Evangelization is Alpha. • Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith, typically run over eleven weeks. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Alpha is run all around the globe, and everyone is welcome. • Alpha runs in cafés, churches, universities, homes —you name it. No two Alphas look the same, but they generally have three key things in common: food, a talk and good conversation. • Probably the most important part of any Alpha: the chance to share thoughts and ideas on the topic, and simply discuss it in a small group. There’s no obligation to say anything. And there’s nothing you can’t say. It’s an opportunity to hear from others and contribute your own perspective in an honest, friendly and open environment • https: //alphausa. org/catholic

EVANGELIZATION • Programs in Evangelization should be centered around bringing the Good News to everyone attending. • We are beginning to unpack some catechesis, but still discussing and exploring the basic questions of faith. • With these programs, the shifts we hope to see in people are that they are coming believe that God is real. Believe that Jesus lived. • However, they may still not be convinced of the need to change anything about themselves. • Much like Pre-Evangelization, this is still not the place to advertise recruitment for your parish ministries. • It would however be appropriate for parishioners to attend Evangelization programs to share impact stories with how working in a particular parish ministry helped them grow in their faith.

EVANGELIZATION • A program example for Evangelization is Christ. Life. • Chris. Life equips Catholics for the essential work of evangelization so that all people might personally encounter Jesus Christ and be transformed into His missionary disciples. • Christ. Life was developed as a relational way to make missionary disciples by helping people discover, follow, and share Jesus Christ. Our ministry partners with parishes, priests, clergy, religious and lay leaders who are seeking to answer the Church’s call for the New Evangelization through a proven method of parish evangelization and outreach. • https: //christlife. org/

CONVERSION • Programs for Conversion intentionally and specifically create opportunities to encounter Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. • Overnight Retreats (Cursillo, Manresa, SEARCH, ACTS, etc. ) • Conferences (Gulf Coast Go, SEEK/SLS, Steubenville, DBYC, etc) • Eucharistic Adoration (Parish Adoration nights, Perpetual chapels, Adore, XLT, etc) • Mission Work • Pilgrimages • Encountering Christ through a Conversion program still does not mean that person is ready to make a change in their lives, but they are now open to the possibility. • At the end of the Conversion program is the first most appropriate time you can have a one-on-one conversation proactively with someone about joining a ministry in your parish. • A blanket leaflet slid into the conversion program material is still at risk of coming off as disingenuous, but a personal invitation or speaker built into the program followed up with a leaflet will be better received.

DISCIPLESHIP • Programs for Discipleship focus on developing habits and behaviors to live as Jesus Christ invites us to live. • Trainings (New Wine, Ananias, Called and Gifted, etc) • Conferences (Gulf Coast Go, SEEK/SLS, Steubenville, NCYC, etc) • This is the stage in which blanket invitations to ministries are appropriate. Each participant at this stage should also be able reasonably identify and discern the ministries in which God is calling them to serve. • Teaching CCD, RCIA, Life teen, Faith Formation • Parish Life (Mass Participation, Knights of Columbus, Ladies Auxiliary, etc. ) • Ministries designed within the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.

APOSTOLATE • Following Christ means making disciples. One of the most important elements of discipleship is reproduction. An apostle creates more disciples. • Programs for Apostolate (Disciple Making) should focus on how to model and identify best practices within the faith. • Programs should also be reaffirming the first four stages. • Our conversation story is ongoing. Looking back sometimes helps us look forward. • These programs aren’t just merely refreshers, they are also the invitation to be more intentional with what ministry the Holy Spirit is inviting them to join or even create.

WHERE CAN PROGRAMS FALL? | Pre-Evangelization | Conversion | Discipleship | Alpha the 99 Alpha the 99 Apostolate | Alpha the 99 Christ. Life Cursillo Cursillo Ananias Called & Gifted Ananias Called & Gifted • Just because a program may be designed to reach a target demographic, doesn’t mean a person in a different demographic won’t find some benefit to the experience. • When we are creating, designing, reshaping, and inviting people to a program for our parish or ministry we need to lay the foundation first for what group our program is intended to impact the most.

WHERE IS OUR CATECHESIS GENERALLY? | Pre-Evangelization | Conversion | Discipleship | Catechesis Apostolate | Catechesis Our People actually tend to be here • We are using material designed to educate and evangelize people who have not yet decided that God is real. This applies to CCD, RCIA, and other forms of religious education. • Additionally, the way we generally catechize does not always incorporate opportunity to move into conversion. • We can only facilitate up to our own journey. If we aren’t personally a disciple; it is unlikely we will lead people to being a disciple. • We catechize well, we sacramentalize well, but are we making disciples? Are people truly encountering and staying with Jesus Christ.

FINAL THOUGHTS • “Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. ” – Matthew 9: 35 -38 • Often times we read this passage from the lens of an invitation to discern a religious vocation. It is that and more. • When Jesus spoke these words, our modern Catholic Church did not exist. Our modern structure did not exist. Over the past two thousand years, people seeking to be workers for His harvest have helped shape what our modern Church is today. • The Lord can do great and new things through you if you allow the Holy Spirit to work within you.

QUESTIONS? ?

SOME REFERENCE MATERIAL • WHAT IS EVANGELIZATION? -GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES • http: //www. usccb. org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/evangelization/go-and-make-disciples/what_is_evangelization_go_and_make_disciples. cfm