Reaching Lukewarm Catholics

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smitchell said:
You need to check out what Alpha is doing to revitalize Catholics, those who have fallen away from the Church and the un-churched. www.alphausa.org/catholics

Fr. Cantalamessa, Preacher to the Papal Household has a wonderful interview and endorsement of Alpha on the front page of the web site noted above. He sees Alpha as an effective way to evangelize and re-evangelize Catholics, bringing them closer to Jesus.
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we did Alpha a few years ago over a 3 year period and Father and the committee want something new

Fr. Cantalemessa has two wonderful follow up video programs, which we used for those who did complete Alpha, aside from a bit of the language problem they are great, but as I say the committee is looking for something new
 
smitchell said:
You need to check out what Alpha is doing to revitalize Catholics, those who have fallen away from the Church and the un-churched. www.alphausa.org/catholics

Fr. Cantalamessa, Preacher to the Papal Household has a wonderful interview and endorsement of Alpha on the front page of the web site noted above. He sees Alpha as an effective way to evangelize and re-evangelize Catholics, bringing them closer to Jesus.

Alpha is a great FIRST STEP in a parish’s overall plan and process of evangelization and formation (catechesis).

Alpha is changing lives:

“I have seen the effects of Alpha. Many lives have been changed and life priorities re-ordered. Many guests who came on the course have since become very active members of the parish.” Bishop Donald Hanchon, Archdiocese of Detroit
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Our “Instant Mega-Church Parish” now 10th Anniversarry since founding Pastor has literally ‘written the book’ on “Sanctifying, Evangelizing and Catechizing a Parish”: Homiletic and Pastoral Review Oct 2010
 
looks interesting I found the table of contents for Octobe 2010 but cannot link the actual article do you have another link?
 
puzzleannie said:
we did Alpha a few years ago over a 3 year period and Father and the committee want something new

Fr. Cantalemessa has two wonderful follow up video programs, which we used for those who did complete Alpha, aside from a bit of the language problem they are great, but as I say the committee is looking for something new
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Check out Catholicism 201 by Fr. James Mallon, great program and picks up for Catholics where Alpha leaves off.
 
kabyr8 said:
Fr Robert Barron’s video on Eucharist is excellent. It is on DVD and a workbook that can be used to stimulate conversation and conversion. He is also coming out this month or fall with a 10 part video series on the Catholic faith. I have seen the previews and it looks awesome. Problem is getting the lukewarm Catholics to come to these programs, but maybe with encouragement from the pulpit they will come
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Food works wonders. I’m serious.

Do a one day “retreat” at the parish with free lunch and maybe even a raffle and you’d be surprised at who will come out.

This may sound gimmicky, but the point is to get them to the instruction by any means necessary and let the Holy Spirit do what the Holy Spirit does best.
 
I have seen the “Why Catholic?” program transform my last two parishes and set them on fire, but the greatest transformation I ever witnessed was when my present parish started offering the Great Adventures Bible Series, a Bible study on DVD led by Jeff Cavins with an accompanying workbook and class discussion. It really made the Bible come alive for lots of Catholics who thought that studying the Bible was “a Protestant thing”. Seeing how much of our faith comes directly from the Bible opened their eyes and deepened their faith. Every single person in that class now attends Mass every Sunday with a renewed enthusiasm and appreciation that is evident in our class discussions.
 
Cara_Serrano said:
I have seen the “Why Catholic?” program transform my last two parishes and set them on fire, but the greatest transformation I ever witnessed was when my present parish started offering the Great Adventures Bible Series, a Bible study on DVD led by Jeff Cavins with an accompanying workbook and class discussion. It really made the Bible come alive for lots of Catholics who thought that studying the Bible was “a Protestant thing”. Seeing how much of our faith comes directly from the Bible opened their eyes and deepened their faith. Every single person in that class now attends Mass every Sunday with a renewed enthusiasm and appreciation that is evident in our class discussions.
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Totally agree! This study lit a fire under me and really was the turning point in my hunger for more…I am facilitating it this fall and I love seeing the looks on the faces of those people who are experiencing the excitement I felt as I realized the plan that God has put in place to bring us home to him!
 
Just jumping in here … this topic is near and dear to my heart.

IMO it’s important to first remember that God makes these things happen, not people. People consent to God’s will and are his tools. This may seem like a trite thought but it really is the case.

With that in mind … God works on an individual at his own pace. To “assist” God in conversion means meeting that individual “right where they are.” That can be at something like CRHP, or That Man Is You, or the Great Adventure Time Line bible study, or other things. Those are all great tools and there are many other programs.

But programs themselves only go so far.

What I’ve seen make the most difference in those environments, though, is a core group of people who understand the process of conversion and are looking for people showing signs of a change of heart. At that point, there’s no substitute for spending one on one time with that individual, and gently showing him/her the ways of the church. I think of those folks as “catchers” in my own crude terminology.

So you need THOSE folks who can spot a change of heart. That group needs to be continually fueling itself through the Sacraments, Scripture Study, and Catechsm. You want those guys to be rock solid in their knowledge and practice of the faith. In the end, they grab someone by the hand and walk the walk with them.
 
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