The Renew Program

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What are the “pros” and “cons” of the Renew program? How much time is required for renew and what, if any, are the lasting benefits?
 
Here is a link which might answer some of your questions ourladyswarriors.org/renew/index.html

I have studies Renew 2000 materials that someone got hold of here in NZ and I would not want any part of it.

Professor Regis Martin, Professor of Theology at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio recommends that it “not be used under Catholic auspices, that it be jettisoned in favor of materials truly consonant to the faith as set out in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (which incidentally is never referred to in the text).”
 
Eileen T:
Here is a link which might answer some of your questions ourladyswarriors.org/renew/index.html

I have studies Renew 2000 materials that someone got hold of here in NZ and I would not want any part of it.

Professor Regis Martin, Professor of Theology at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio recommends that it “not be used under Catholic auspices, that it be jettisoned in favor of materials truly consonant to the faith as set out in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (which incidentally is never referred to in the text).”
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I agree with the above. From many reliable sources I have not heard good things about the Renew 2000 program.
 
There was another Renew program about 10-15 years ago that was pretty good. However, the Renew 2000 has many problems, and I wouldn’t bother with it.

Peace,
Linda
 
My grateful appreciation to those who responded to my question. It has truly been helpful
 
The Renew program itself is fine. It leaves a lot for the facilitators to decide on though- so the facilitators have the ability to make it great, or make it horrible. I do not like praying the Renew prayer towards the end of Mass- that part needs to be dropped, but the scripture reflections get people to read and discuss the bible. I see nothing wrong with that- as long as the questions don’t lead you to believe heresy.
 
Is is possible to obtain a list of authors or contributors to the Renew material, as well as some biographical information? Where should such a request be directed?
 
We were required by our then arch-bishop to do the Renew 2000 program in every parish… We did it in our parish; I thought it was pretty lame; there were a few that liked it but the bulk of our parishoners didn’t particapate.
 
The link was of great help, Dorothy. Thank you.

And, Mike, I appreciated the comment about your experience. It helps to understand why the program seems to be “pushed”.
 
Jacqueline Ann, the most recent metamorphosis of RENEW is called Why Catholic? While on the face of it this program does seem vastly improved from earlier versions, it’s implementation will still be a problem if the group leaders aren’t themselves orthodox Catholics. I personally contacted the good folks at “Our Lady’s Warriors”, but they don’t yet have a critique available of this new version of RENEW. I share you concern as I just heard that my diocese has approved the use of the new version.

whycatholic.org/overview.htm
 
I sat through two of the the Renew 2000 sessions for my parish. The first time I was in a group of ‘victims’. They were all minorities or divorced women who felt like society had ‘done them wrong’. The materials seemed very “politically correct”. I think the people in this group had their victimhood confirmed for them by this material.

The second session was designed more for ecumenical Christian groups than for all Catholics. We were all Catholics. Much of the material made no sense for us.

I learned a lot from those groups. Not much of what I learned was related to Catholism or the Renew 2000 study material.
 
I was a facilitator for 2 groups. One group was just women and the other group was men and women.

Personally, I really loved the program. It allowed people to open up and to think about, and share their spiritual life. It also allowed the participants to open their homes to one another.

It brought people close. I wish it would have continued.
 
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FCEGM:
Jacqueline Ann, the most recent metamorphosis of RENEW is called Why Catholic?
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I have the books from this new series. They are designed to go along with reading the CCC in order, basically front to back. I don’t think there would be anything necessarily objectionable in the Why Catholic series, but I *have not read *them through. They do carry imprimaturs from the Archbishop of Newark (Myers) (just throwing that out there as info).

Upon a simple scan, they are not objectionable. Also, the group leaders are trained *not *to be teachers. They facilitate, encourage, organize, keep things moving, stuff like that. Of course, there is nothing to stop them from doing as they please, but that would always be the case.
 
Jacqueline Ann:
What are the “pros” and “cons” of the Renew program? How much time is required for renew and what, if any, are the lasting benefits?
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I am in a Why Catholic? group done with RENEW materials.

PROS: The people in my group are my colleagues. They are bright individuals with relavent comments. We are all relaxed with each other. Our facilitator is not a micromanager, nor is she a theological wannabe. She is comfortable as herself, and is not on a power trip. The sessions are part of our work day. We can get past all the folderol and get down to business.

CONS: The materials are too open-ended. The materials are too shallow. The materials WANT to be something of substance, but it’s really warmed-over RENEW. The music is strictly Haugen and Haas. I find myself using the footnotes in the Catechism to get anything of substance to bring to the session. It was mandated by the diocese as obligatory for certain parish workers, which chaps my hide big time.
 
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OutinChgoburbs:
It was mandated by the diocese as obligatory for certain parish workers, which chaps my hide big time.
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Burbs,

You have my sympathies. I detest things assigned wholesale to vast groups of people. Doing such a thing has become the latest way to ensure that your group of volunteers/employees/whomever is up-to-date, safe, supported, etc. If you are a volunteer anywhere (even secular), you are a potential victim of this mentality. SIGH.
 
The year I converted to the Catholic Church, I also participated in a Renew program. As an intelligent, educated convert, I found it very insulting.
 
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Jonah:
I was a facilitator for 2 groups. One group was just women and the other group was men and women.

Personally, I really loved the program. It allowed people to open up and to think about, and share their spiritual life. It also allowed the participants to open their homes to one another.

It brought people close. I wish it would have continued.
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We seem to be in the minority of people who found the Renew program beneficial. I co-facilitated a group of about 12 people, rather large but manageagle. I think we all got a lot out of the discussions and we learned more about our faith as well. The biggest benefit I found was that we formed relationships with people whom we might not have gotten to know otherwise (we have a very large parish). What I also liked about it is that it called each of us to action to contribute somehow to our community. I wish it could have continued too.
 
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