Most of the pastors I meet are either participants in our live training events, or they are participants on our TeamRCIA website. So they are clearly already deeply involved in the RCIA process in their parishes. However, not every parish is blessed with a pastor who is so deeply connected with the initiation ministry of […]
Six ways to involve your pastor in your RCIA process
My grandmother loved to watch chickadees flitting about her front yard. To attract them, she would hang a cage of suet off the corner of her front porch. I’ve never seen suet used by anyone else, and I always thought it was something unique to my grandmother. Suet is animal fat that is used in
8 Powerful Steps to Attract RCIA Inquirers
Many RCIA teams and catechists are rightly concerned with teaching the dogmas and precepts of the church to their seekers. However, recent research has shown that it is almost impossible to teach complex ideas or make meaningful decisions without engaging people’s emotions. In other words, seekers will only think about and remember ideas that they
Are your RCIA seekers awed by the faith?
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
One of our most popular articles was one I wrote a while ago about how to improve what we say about RCIA in our parish bulletins. Almost every parish has something in their bulletin that invites seekers into the RCIA process. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people who we are writing to in those announcements
Four ways to attract more seekers using social media
My friend, musician and composer John Angotti, recently led a retreat for a grade school near me. He asked the children if anyone wanted to sing. Liliah, a little second-grader, raised her hand and stepped forward. But then she got crippling stage fright and began to tear up. John picked her up, told her everything
This little light of mine — how to let it shine
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
At every training institute we lead, Diana and I almost always hear from folks that what they love most about the event is the chance to hear great ideas from other RCIA teams. That’s always great to hear. But it causes me to wonder about a couple of things. The first thing I wonder is,
The power of ten — how to generate great ideas for RCIA
We are disciples. Being so has its pluses and minuses. The advantage of being a disciple The big plus is, we get to do the work of Jesus. This has been true from the very beginning. In Mark’s gospel, Jesus “called the twelve and began to send them out two by two” (6:7). While they
How to feed 5,000 on a Tuesday in Advent
The number-one reason RCIA ministry is so overwhelming is our inability to say no. I’ll bet you thought I was going to say lack of volunteers. Sure, more volunteers will help. But I once encountered a parish that had 35 members on its RCIA team. And they all felt overwhelmed. The truth is, no matter
Why RCIA ministry is overwhelming — and what to do about it
