Q. How do I get buy-in for my RCIA vision from the parish leadership and faith community? A. This question is at the heart of being human and being in relationship. Differences among us are baked into our DNA. The challenge is, in spite of all our differences, how do we join together to proclaim […]
Q&A: Eight ways to get RCIA buy-in from everyone in the parish—including the pastor
1. Storytelling Jesus taught through stories, and so should we. Storytelling conveys information on multiple level, and is a powerful tool for influencing behavior. If you want to teach the seekers how to be disciples, teach them using the techniques of the Master. For more guidance on using storytelling in your catechesis, click here. 2.
Six skills every RCIA catechist must have
If you have been reading the training articles on TeamRCIA for very long, you know that the RCIA is the model for all catechesis. But does the rest of the parish know? Who needs to know this stuff? You might consider “evangelizing” other catechetical teams in your parish to begin using the six principles of
Discover a simple way to help the whole parish catechize the RCIA way
Sometimes I fantasize about being the RCIA Czar. I don’t really want to be a czar. I just wish parishes could get closer to the vision of what the Second Vatican Council had in mind when it called for the restoration of the catechumenate. Now you might be wondering how I know what the Council
Six things that are probably wrong with your RCIA — and how to fix them
One month after my 16th birthday—and one month after I got my driver’s license—I made a date with a girl I had a crush on. When I got home from school, I asked my dad if I could borrow his sports car for my date. He said no. We had just had an ice storm,
Five powerful discernment practices for RCIA teams
Perhaps we need a new model for thinking about the role of RCIA sponsors. The model that many parishes have is something like a friend who drops by occasionally. Granted, many of you have deeper expectations than that of the sponsors in your process. But that fact that a profound commitment from sponsors is seen
Seven ways AA sponsors can inspire RCIA sponsors
Silence is awkward. Remember the last time you met someone new? After you exchanged names, your new friend asked, “What do you do?” You replied, “I’m a catechist.” Looooong silence. Awkward. When we’re meeting with inquirers or catechumens, we try to avoid awkwardness. We don’t want to feel awkward ourselves, and we certainly don’t want
Five reasons to stop talking to catechumens
When we are forming catechists, we want to look for people who have the gift of savoir-faire, and we want to help them develop that gift. In catechetical ministry, knowing the exact right thing to say and do has everything to do with paying attention to the Holy Spirit. The Directory for Catechesis says: The
How to find (and form) your next catechist
We have been asking catechumenate leaders and team members how they discern God’s will. (Click here if you’d like to share how you discern.) The one theme that is consistent in almost every answer is “prayer.” This makes sense, doesn’t it? Prayer is an essential aspect of the life of a disciple. It is through
Prayer as a pathway to discernment: Seeking God’s will in catechumenate ministry
In a previous article, we noted that what it means to be a “good Catholic” has changed. One clear marker of that change is the call to return to our roots from the early church and embrace a synodal way of living. In this article, I want to explore how we might apply the principles
Embracing conflict in the catechumenate: a path to synodal living
