Faith Formation Update - Gearing Up for the New Evangelization

Subscribe Archive Send To A Friend     August 7, 2013      photoexpress.com / Thorsten Gearing Up for the New Evangelization All are welcome! That's what an open church door may say to those of us who are active Catholics. But people who've been away from the practice of their Catholic faith for a while may not feel welcomed—or even missed—by the faith community that gathers inside! The New Evangelization invites us to reach outside of that door to friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family members who may be waiting for a personal invitation to come home. The New Evangelization and You by Joan McKamey You love being a Catholic, and you long for others to know the peace and joy you've experienced. But how do you communicate your faith effectively? Greg Willits is passionate about being Catholic. In his book The New Evangelization and You: Be Not Afraid, he shares practical tips and inspiring stories of everyday Catholics who have found ways to share their faith simply and confidently: A high school senior who is on the lookout for youth friendly resources to reach his peers A woman who launches a nonprofit to share the richness of Catholicism through video A mom who blogs, hosts podcasts, and uses social media to connect with other moms Two men who start a ministry that provides speakers and programs to inspire and challenge other men Also included is a list of fifty-two ways you can share your own faith—one for each week of the year. Click here to get the audiobook! Listen to a sample from the introduction here. What are you doing to promote the New Evangelization in your parish? Disciples Called to Witness by Joan McKamey Jesus calls us all to spread the Good News of the Gospel and be Christ's witnesses in the world. Yet for many Catholics, the idea of evangelization can seem daunting or removed from their daily lives. To help us answer our call, the U.S. bishops' document Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization outlines how to live as disciples and, ultimately, evangelists to proclaim what we believe in both word and action. Using that document as its foundation, Catholic Update Guide to the New Evangelization: Disciples Called to Witness provides a simple, practical resource for parishes to help community members understand how to share their faith as Jesus instructed. The package features a DVD of brief video segments (view a video intro here) and a CD-ROM with corresponding reproducible handouts that illuminate the bishops' methodologies for evangelization: Discipleship Commitment to the Christian Life Parish Life The Liturgical Life of the Church: Popular Devotions and Piety The Christian Family Catechists and Teachers of the Faith Human Experience The CD-ROM also includes a leader's guide for those who lead the parish response to the New Evangelization. This resource will help Catholics to better understand the meaning of evangelization, affirm the efforts they're already making, and embrace their role in bringing the Good News to life in their everyday lives! (1 DVD and 1 CD-ROM; approx. 38 minutes) Click here to get a book with supporting material: Catholic Update Guide to the New Evangelization. How are people already living the vision of the New Evangelization in your community? 'Come and See' by Angela Glassmeyer The catechumenal process (RCIA) is an important part of any thriving parish. How are you preparing those who want to explore membership in the Catholic Church? How do you continue to encourage and integrate new Catholics into your parish? Franciscan Media has recently released a revised version of 'Come and See'—our Lectionary-based RCIA resource using Catholic Updates. It's easy for a facilitator to use, written in an approachable style, and flexible to help meet the different needs of parishes. Changes have been made in recent years to make it more user friendly. If you haven't seen it in a while, you really should take a new look!  For a way to keep new (and current!) parishioners engaged, look to the Catholic Update Guide to the New Evangelization mentioned above in Joan's column. It's an excellent way to help your parishioners realize that they are key evangelizers through the everyday ways they live out their faith. The handouts, short video clips, and session plans it offers will both affirm and challenge parishioners to fulfill their baptismal call to "make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:19). Faith Formation Forum Share your ideas on faith formation at our online bulletin board, Faith Formation Forum. Our editors will screen and post your thoughts, and you can learn from others' ideas. Submit your ideas by clicking here. Click here for print version SHARE THIS EMAIL: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google+ Check out all our fine free e-newsletters from Franciscan Media: 28 W. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Copyright© 1996-2013 Franciscan Media. All rights reserved. Unsubscribe       Faith Formation Update is your bridge to a community of readers who share your passion for catechesis. For our part, we offer monthly encouragement, ideas, and resources to assist you in your catechetical ministry. We are honored to serve you in this e-newsletter and hope you find it useful. God bless you in your important ministry of sharing the Good News! Angela Glassmeyer and Joan McKamey (Find out more about us by clicking here.) We invite you to share your ideas and questions on our Faith Formation Forum; click here, or on the link at the end of each segment to leave your comments.