ARISE Program

[et1jake]

I was just elected to my parish council. One of the first items on the agenda (for my first meeting) is the Arise Program. I know little about this program; but have severe concerns with the company that has started it - RENEW International. Even a mention of their name makes the hair on my neck bristle. In the past their connection to groups like Call to Action (CTA) have caused alarm.
However, I must remain open minded; since this is sponsored by the diocese. ARISE may have improved over RENEW and RENEW 2000. I am looking for (name removed by moderator)uts and experiences from anyone who may have more knowledge on ARISE than me. Thanks to all.

• Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

 

[joanofarc2008]

I think the biggest things to look at are what does the program offer and why is the diocese sponsoring it? What are your specific objections from the RENEW program. What is your pastor’s opinion? As a newly elected member of the parish council it is good to know also if your pastor is very hands on or allows the council to make more of it’s own decisions. If he has a strong opinion either way it may be a good idea to hear him out and find out what he thinks on the matter. I don’t personally know anything about either of these but I just wanted to throw those tidbits out as I am still fairly new at the parish council position myself.

 

[et1jake]

Joan: Good luck on your efforts on your parish council and thanks for your insights.

 

[et1jake]

Well, I finally got a hold of some ARISE books. The one I’ve looked at most closely is
“Sowing Seeds” which is a leadership resource for group leaders. (This is where the bad things in RENEW, and RENEW 2000 always seemed to crop up).

The forward in the book is by Sr. Catherine T. Nerny of Chestnut Hill College where she teaches among other things:
Liberation Theology
Feminist Theology
(Red Flags here folks)
She has also been an active supporter of “Voice of the Faithful” which has already been banned from many dioceses.

Then I started noticing these side quotes on some pages which I assumed were there to add to the “Sowing Seeds” theme. But they mostly from people I was not familiar with (Certainly not from the many great saints of the Church). So I started looking these people up.

“SowingSeeds” Quote on page 35.
from Marion Zimmer Bradley:

    Religion:  Episcopalian to “neo pagan” and back to Episcopalian.
Lesbian 
Literary Work – I am Lesbian in 1962
Early Feminist

“Sowing Seeds” Page 49 quote by Marcel Proust:
French novelist
Homosexual

“Sowing Seeds” EMPOWERMENT PAIRS pages 28-29. Credited to Joanna Macy:
an “eco-Buddhist”

Aren’t there any CATHOLICS that would be better to quote from???

“Sowing Seeds” TIPS FOR SMALL COMMUNITY LEADERS pg 35.
5th item refers to a leader commitment to the small community; whereas the 6th item “RED FLAGS” the use of the words “the CHURCH” and “the PARISH”.
Doesn’t the commitment to the CHURCH and one’s PARISH supersede one’s loyalty to these Small Christian Communities? There was a problem with overemphasis on these “communities” for the original RENEW in the 1980’s. So much so the NCCB published their concerns over it.

Well this is just my initial look into it so far, for any who may be following the thread.

 

[DiZent]

I am not familiar with ARISE, but my parish offered the first RENEW, skipped RENEW 2000, and more recently provided the Why Catholic program. All from Renew International. We also did Disciples in Mission from the Paulists. Why Catholic and Disciples in Mission were both good programs. I belong to a group that started in 2004 with Disciples in Mission, and we have continued to hold weekly drop-in faith sharing as a “Small Christian Community.” Renew International is good at marketing these programs, but many people find them to be “pablum” and not worth the expense to the parish. Yet adult continuing faith formation and/or faith sharing is needed, because so many had an incomplete catechesis as children & teens. Keep searching, you might find something better.

PS: Marion Zimmer Bradley was a wonderful science fiction writer, but she had a troubled life in regard to religion, same sex attraction, child abuse, etc. I would not use her quotes in any spiritual context.

 

[Corki]

Well, I finally got a hold of some ARISE books. The one I’ve looked at most closely is
“Sowing Seeds” which is a leadership resource for group leaders. (This is where the bad things in RENEW, and RENEW 2000 always seemed to crop up).

The forward in the book is by Sr. Catherine T. Nerny of Chestnut Hill College where she teaches among other things:
Liberation Theology
Feminist Theology
(Red Flags here folks)
She has also been an active supporter of “Voice of the Faithful” which has already been banned from many dioceses.

Then I started noticing these side quotes on some pages which I assumed were there to add to the “Sowing Seeds” theme. But they mostly from people I was not familiar with (Certainly not from the many great saints of the Church). So I started looking these people up.

“SowingSeeds” Quote on page 35.
from Marion Zimmer Bradley:

    Religion:  Episcopalian to “neo pagan” and back to Episcopalian.
Lesbian 
Literary Work – I am Lesbian in 1962
Early Feminist

“Sowing Seeds” Page 49 quote by Marcel Proust:
French novelist
Homosexual

“Sowing Seeds” EMPOWERMENT PAIRS pages 28-29. Credited to Joanna Macy:
an “eco-Buddhist”

Aren’t there any CATHOLICS that would be better to quote from???

“Sowing Seeds” TIPS FOR SMALL COMMUNITY LEADERS pg 35.
5th item refers to a leader commitment to the small community; whereas the 6th item “RED FLAGS” the use of the words “the CHURCH” and “the PARISH”.
Doesn’t the commitment to the CHURCH and one’s PARISH supersede one’s loyalty to these Small Christian Communities? There was a problem with overemphasis on these “communities” for the original RENEW in the 1980’s. So much so the NCCB published their concerns over it.

Well this is just my initial look into it so far, for any who may be following the thread.

Thanks for the update. I, for one, am still following.