Change can be hard. As human beings we are, by nature, resistant to change…especially when we think what we have right now is just fine as it is. But God and his creation are not static. Our relationship with God is dynamic…living, breathing, and constantly evolving, and sometimes that means altering course to keep moving […]
Is your RCIA open all year-round? It’s easier than you think
“Greetings. I coordinate the RCIA process for our parish, and I am kind of new to this. Our pastor asked me to take on this role, and I’m learning as I go. Can you give me some direction on what I should be doing?” We get some version of that question about once or twice
The Secret to Leading RCIA Catechesis
The most recent events in Las Vegas involving gun violence have put the spotlight on not only lawmakers but also on people of goodwill who genuinely want to offer prayers and thoughts for those affected by such overwhelming tragedy. As Christians, we indeed are called to pray for those affected and for change in our
Three ways Catholics can respond to gun violence – infographic
As RCIA catechists, we tend to think of ourselves as teachers. While we are pretty clear on that, we tend to be less clear on what we teach. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults says that we are to teach “an appropriate acquaintance with dogmas and precepts” (75). But in the same sentence, the
Share your salvation story with your RCIA group
At a recent Making Disciples Institute, Diana and I were making the point that the encounter of a seeker with the mystery of Christ is first of all an emotional experience. The Holy Spirit moves the heart of the seeker, causing her to be restless and to long for something that she cannot yet name.
For RCIA to be effective, it has to be affective
Recently, Diana and I were leading a Making Disciples Institute for the archdioceses of Winnipeg and St. Boniface. We had been advocating, as we always do, that the RCIA teams move their catechumens and candidates out of the “classroom” and into the life of the parish community. One of the participants asked, “If we do
In a previous article, I talked about the fear that some seekers have when they find us and how we sometimes mistake that fear for sullenness. Our inability to recognize the fear in the hearts of the seekers inhibits our mission to accompany them on their journey of faith. Why is so hard for us
How fear builds walls in the RCIA process
Parker Palmer, author of The Courage to Teach, asked teachers to name the biggest obstacle to good teaching. The answer he almost always got was “my students.” If we asked a similar question of RCIA catechists about the biggest obstacle to their formation efforts, I wonder if the answer would be “the catechumens and candidates.”
The problem with RCIA formation
When you talk about your faith story, do you start with sacrifice? When people ask you about becoming Catholic, does your initial reply focus on sacrifice? When you describe the Eucharist, do you do include images of sacrifice? When the first disciples began to tell the story of Jesus, they began by talking about his
Can we still talk about sacrifice?
When I was kid, Christmas morning was amazing. My brothers and I would race down the stairs to see what was waiting for us under the tree. After furiously ripping through the packaging, our faces would light with joy over each toy. And more often than not, after an hour or so of playing with
