The RCIA team at St. Elderberry was in a funk. Their team had been shrinking over the last few years as members retired or moved. And it was always a challenge to find sponsors. That is, when they needed sponsors. This year, they had no inquirers and therefore no one in their RCIA process.
Jane, the coordinator, went to a diocesan workshop to see if she could get some new ideas about how to liven things up. Well, the workshop was great, according to Jane. She came back with a folder full of strategies and a heart full of enthusiasm.
When she shared all her new ideas with the team, however, they were underwhelmed.
“We’ve never done it that way before,” said Alice.
“Father Thomas would never go for that,” said Joe.
“We tried that, and it didn’t work,” said Carmen.
Are excuses defining our RCIA processes?
We have all done this. We find excuses not to try new things. It’s human. It’s easy to understand why we do it. It’s even forgivable as long as we recognize that we are making excuses.
The hard part is when our excuses become reality. When we start living in a world where nothing new is ever possible, we are no longer living the gospel. Disciples of Jesus are always dying to the old and rising to the new. We know this is discipleship because it is what Jesus did.
- Jesus never turned water into wine before. Until he did.
- His followers would never go for him talking to a Samaritan woman. Until they did.
- Jesus tried to heal the blind man from Bethsaida, and it didn’t work. Until he tried again (Mk 8:25).
An ideal RCIA process
I imagine an ideal initiation process. It includes plenty of active, committed team members. We never have trouble finding sponsors. The pastor is deeply involved in the process and is an excellent presider and preacher. We have a year-round process that draws seekers from all over the city. The parish sees evangelization and initiation as it’s primary ministry. Parishioners are active in reaching out to people who don’t come to church. They are always inviting people on the fringes to our community. We have a separate formation process for the already-catechized so RCIA can focus on those who truly need to learn about Jesus.
Sure, this is an ideal. I have never participated in a parish that has all of this. Maybe you think it is not possible. But I know it is possible. I’m always trying something new. I’m always exploring. I’m always trying again, even it it doesn’t work the first, second, third, or fourth time. I think that’s what discipleship is all about. I think it’s what Jesus would do.
We have a choice. We can live in a world where nothing is new. Or we can live in the kingdom where everything is new. The first is easy. The second is going to take a little more work.
What do you think?
What is something new you want to try?
It is even more frustrating when the one resisting change is THE coordinator.
Hi Julie. I agree, that can be very frustrating. I’d love to hear from others how you deal with a situation like Julie’s.
This year has been very challenging. We have mostly young men in the group and they are most times reluctant to share. However, Attendance is good. I have them break into small groups hoping to encourage sharing. I use RCL as a guide, anything better??
My team has also gone thru many changes, and sponsors are always difficult to find. My pastor is somewhat involved. I try to find the time to encourage other parish leaders to visit sessions.
thanks, enjoy and benefit from your guidance.
Hi Margaret. It sounds like you are doing great work! Thanks for your commitment to this ministry.
Here is a post on dealing with shy folks that might be helpful: https://teaminitiation.com/2008/11/does-rcia-work-for-shy-people/
If you are looking for a new resource, check out Faith, Life, & Creed. You can download a free sample here: https://teaminitiation.com/resources/faith-life-creed/
Thanks again for all you are doing.
Well I am no expert but I will share my thoughts at the moment. This is my 4th year as director of the RCIA program. We have a long history so when I started I just did what was done the year before. year 2 was much of the same but with some new faces as team and sponsors. year 3 I tried a new program and made things more my own. This year I really tried to keep things moving with more personal stories and a new program (Journey of Faith). This program seems to be working very well. Great information for take home and answers most of the usual questions in class. Personal prayer and team unity seem to be the factors that have lead to our program’s success. I personally believe that if you are satisfied with what you are doing, you are probably not doing enough. For me, each year has been very different. The class format and how we share the Gospel and the teachings of the Church need to be tailored to the class. One size does not fit all.
Hi Roy. It sounds like you are doing wonderful work. I love your “one size does not fit all” strategy!
My dream is you9r dream. Happily I do have a team that will tray new things. I do need new members. Looking forward to seeing you in Feb. God bless,Dianne
Thanks Dianne! See you soon.
Starting my 18th year, so many aspects of our process have changed because the clientele has changed. The focus is on forming a relationship with Jesus. The recurring theme we try to weave into every “topic”. We have many resources, thanks to TeamRCIA, but have never found a published “program” that met our unique situation. Many of our inquirers are of Asian descent, in particular Chinese. Their cultural heritage has to be respected and incorporated because that is their story. The team is mostly Anglicized. As in the teaching profession, “one size does not fit all”, a trite expression perhaps. Individualized learning, meeting each person where they are, We still have many issues, but focusing on the relationship with Jesus and understanding the process as a spiritual journey is what keeps us going. It is impossible to measure the “success” of any such endeavors. Reminding us that it is God’s work, keeps the team going.
Each season is different and our RCIA team is striving to fill the needs of our seekers. We seem to have a bunch of new seekers who cannot make the Inquiry chat session time, so we are working with them individually. I feel like this is going well, but wonder if they are they are “missing out” on the bonding, fellowship, and storytelling of the group sessions. My prayers are that we are making strong disciples by meeting them for Mass and following with conversation. Thanks for your support and the training you offer. Without that our team would be floundering along offering “classes” and expecting seekers to follow a rigid schedule. So, for us, this is all new territory!