Nick Wagner is the cofounder and codirector of Team Initiation.
A friend of mine is getting married this summer, and she asked me to meet with her and her fiancé to help them think about any issues they should be discussing before the wedding. I have to tell you, I was a little nervous. I’ve been married before, and the fact that I’m not now […]
How to be the perfect RCIA sponsor
Team member Rita Ferrone recently received a Best of the Christian Press award from the Associated Church Press. The award is for her April 10, 2009 Commonweal article, “Virgil & the Vigil: The Bees Are Back in the Exsultet.” This Award of Merit (second place) in the category seasonal article was judged by Bill Droel.
Are you having difficulty keeping the neophytes involved during the post-baptismal period? Watch this video by Nick Wagner for some tips on how to improve your mystagogical period.
Keep the neophytes involved during mystagogy
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults includes a Rite of Welcoming the Candidates as an optional rite that welcomes baptized but previously uncatechized adults (411). However, there is no rite for welcoming baptized catechized adults. As a result, the catechized candidates are often folded into the welcoming rite for the uncatechized. Free download: An
An alternative Rite of Welcome
I’ve just finished the first draft of a new book for catechumens and candidates in the RCIA process. My goal was to help the catechumens and candidates understand what it means to see and respond to the world through Catholic eyes. The book isn’t a catechetical text. That’s what their parish formation sessions are for.
Once you master the goal-setting and limit-busting process we explored in the previous posts (here, here, and here), you will be ready to do something really big. How big? As big as you can imagine. If you can dream it up, you can set a goal for getting it. Free download: What is adult learning
Teach catechumens to dream big—by example
Here are some wonderful meditations for Holy Week from Rita Ferrone: Spy Wednesday Holy Thursday Good Friday Holy Saturday The Easter Vigil
Holy Week meditations—not just for RCIA teams
In the first post in this series, we looked at the various ways in which we limit ourselves. We said there are three kinds of limits: personal, team, and parish. In the next post, we explored the secret for turning our limits in to opportunities. That process is: write down a positive goal. Now we’re
A 5-step, dreams-to-reality process for RCIA teams
We all live within limits. However, there is a simple process for turning limits into opportunities. It is so simple, you may have trouble believing it will work. The process is: Write it down. Free download: Rethinking the core Catholic content as we move to ongoing initiation Write down your goals Write down what you
Lesson from a VW Beetle: Turn your limits into opportunities
All of us live within limits. This is a paradox. It is a paradox because we tell the catechumens that God’s love has no limits. God can overcome any obstacle. We tell the catechumens that no matter what their situation or their history, God will show them a solution. We say that. And at the
