Right now, I am meeting with two brand new inquirers. They are unbaptized and one grew up as a committed atheist. They are both bubbling over with God’s Spirit, but they don’t recognize or cannot name yet what is happening to them. They just know they are “looking for something.” They both asked me, separately,
Why the best sponsors are the ones who feel unqualified
When a new seeker shows up, do you start stressing over how to find a sponsor for them? Finding sponsors is often one of the most challenging parts of catechumenate ministry. But maybe that’s because we’ve been looking at recruiting in the wrong way. In this video, we explore why you may need to ask
A better way to think about recruiting sponsors
Pentecost Background: In Luke’s chronology Jesus sends the Spirit on the fiftieth day after the resurrection. In John, he sends the Spirit on the evening of Easter Day itself. Whatever the chronology, the crucial point is that the Spirit is sent not upon individuals but upon the whole community, empowering to proclaim the “marvels that […]
Reflection questions for RCIA seekers: Year A – Pentecost through the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
When I was in graduate school, one of my liturgy professors said that the sacrament is not in the book. It is in the community, gathered for worship. What I think he meant by that is that the ritual book is a script or an outline. But it is not the active presence of the
How to plan catechumenate rituals that transform your seekers
The Period of Mystagogy normally lasts from Easter to Pentecost. But our care and concern for the neophytes doesn’t end there. Simply because the initiation process concludes with this last period, the relationships formed between seekers and community still need nurturing—maybe even especially during this fragile time after being reborn in baptism. In this short
How do we support neophytes after the Period of Mystagogy is over?
In many parishes, we tend to prioritize “information” over “formation.” By that, I mean that most of our energy is directed toward classroom content and delivery. We often treat the liturgies and rites of the catechumenate as secondary events rather than the primary moments where formation actually happens. When we underplay the essential nature of
Understanding the beating heart of initiation ministry
When we prepare to celebrate the major rites of the catechumenate, we often feel a heavy burden to ensure everyone in the pews knows exactly what is happening and why. This good intention often leads to the first major mistake: over-explaining. When we fill the sacred silence with verbal instructions and “institutional shorthand,” we inadvertently
The three most common mistakes catechumenate teams make in the rites
If you’ve followed us for any time at all at Team Initiation, you know that we are very focused on the church’s vision of how to implement the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. When we first started talking about this vision (almost 20 years ago!) we didn’t apply the word “synodal” to our analysis
From classrooms to companions: A synodal vision for the catechumenate
No matter how long you’ve been doing this ministry, all of us have been there—that moment you realize you have to plan your first rite. Where do you start? How do you know what to do? Especially if you’re brand new to catechumenate ministry, this moment can feel overwhelming. But there’s help! And you can
Best practices for preparing your first rite
A few years ago, I came across a group of children playing baseball in an empty lot. They didn’t have uniforms, base pads, or even a real bat. They were swinging at a well-worn ball with a large tree branch. I doubt they were following all the “rules.” But they were definitely learning how to
Why your seekers must actively participate in the liturgy
