Who has experience with ACTS retreats?

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Some of the songs we sing at retreats have hand gestures that go with the songs. I personally am not real big on these, not so much because they affect the status of my man card but I just am not a big proponent of hand gestures.

We have never done tham at a welcome home Mass, and I have never seen them at a Mass in a parish that has an active ACTS ministry.

Along with Puzzleannie’s comments, if your ACTS ministry is doing this then contact the ACTS Missions home and they can take care of any improper stuff going on.

Eddie Mac
 
Eddie_Mac said:
Some of the songs we sing at retreats have hand gestures that go with the songs. I personally am not real big on these, not so much because they affect the status of my man card but I just am not a big proponent of hand gestures.

We have never done tham at a welcome home Mass, and I have never seen them at a Mass in a parish that has an active ACTS ministry.

Along with Puzzleannie’s comments, if your ACTS ministry is doing this then contact the ACTS Missions home and they can take care of any improper stuff going on.

Eddie Mac
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Thats fantastic! What it should be. I wasnt intending to make generalizations, I did mention that at ours this is what happens. Our teen Acts Mass is the worse. I love the fact that these kids are getting to know Jesus. They really need it. But it just really comes across as a blatant disrespect for the Cross. Its almost as if its a show…concert style with the kids the center of the Mass.
 
cat3gs said:
Thats fantastic! What it should be. I wasnt intending to make generalizations, I did mention that at ours this is what happens. Our teen Acts Mass is the worse. I love the fact that these kids are getting to know Jesus. They really need it. But it just really comes across as a blatant disrespect for the Cross. Its almost as if its a show…concert style with the kids the center of the Mass.
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Since I have no experience with the teen ACTS I am no help, but I did attend tha Houston ACTS Mission town hall meeting, and ACTS Mission central is doing their best to eliminate “freestyling” and stick to the original script of an ACTS experience.

If you have issues, call their main office.

actsmissions.org/index.htm

The Holy Spirit does not need help by people changing things.

Eddie Mac
 
Eddie_Mac said:
Since I have no experience with the teen ACTS I am no help, but I did attend tha Houston ACTS Mission town hall meeting, and ACTS Mission central is doing their best to eliminate “freestyling” and stick to the original script of an ACTS experience.

If you have issues, call their main office.

actsmissions.org/index.htm

The Holy Spirit does not need help by people changing things.

Eddie Mac
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Thanks for the info!!
 
what I can report from my own knowledge is story of two parishes, one that has had a reputation as being on the liberal if not downright dissident side of the Catholic spectrum, and another that has always been orthodox, but has a local reputation of losing members, having very limited outreach, apostolates etc for laity, and those carried out by “same six people” all the time, rather lackluster and definitely discouraging evangelism, minimalist CCD and youth ministry. Both went through rapid pastoral changes over a 3-4 year period, so new, good pastors certainly get some credit, but both also started Acts 3-4 years ago and now have a sizeable core of parishioners who have done ACTS. In both parishes the vibrancy and evangelical zeal are notable and have ramifications beyond their parish boundaries. The first is now one of the most outspokenly Catholic, pro-life, pro-Marian, pro “traditonal values” but also pro social justice in the best most Catholic sense. The change is a full 180 in how the parish was perceived 5 yrs ago.

the 2nd has experienced a flowering in evangelization and faith formation opportunities for all age levels, a whole new well qualified, competent, deeply religious cadre of catechists, and a growth in solid apostolates and other activities. Again life-long members simply cannot believe the extent of the positive change.

the third parish, one of the first to embrace ACTS, has also become a stronghold of pro-life and other related activism, once so lacking here, and their ACTS members seeded the movement in other parishes.

I have no idea what goes on in the actual retreat because I have never been and at this stage in my life have neither time nor inclination to make the commitment it requires. But I have seen the positive changes in the spirtual, family and parish lives of participants, and in the parishes that have embraced ACTS.

In two of these parishes the change is positive to a degree I would never have dreamed possible.
 
I have to throw in my 2 cents here. ACTS, at least in my area, is very charismatic. There are a lot of hand motions and a lot of showiness, and this is carried over into the Mass. My husband and I are really having some problems with the whole ACTS movement right now as my in-laws have become completely obsessed with it.

There is a very cult-like secrecy involved. People who are not part of the ACTS community are treated downright rudely. There is constant pressure to attend a retreat. And once many people go on the retreat, it is as if they have become brainwashed. It may not be like this everywhere, but after reading through the 14 page thread on it, my take is that many of the areas where ACTS exists, these same activities are being encouraged.

I see a similarity between the tactics used in ACTS and the tactics that persuaded my Aunt to join the Mormon church many years ago. Catch people when they are most vulnerable, and show them something that “feels so good, so it must be of God”…and they will be hooked.
 
where in Texas? here in the valley the experience I have heard described has nothing in common with what Texas Belle relates.
 
puzzleannie said:
where in Texas? here in the valley the experience I have heard described has nothing in common with what Texas Belle relates.
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Puzzleannie, I am so hopeful that what you are saying is true in other areas as well. I hope what goes on around here is not the norm. I am afraid that if it is like this everywhere, it could be dangerous for the Church!
 
TXBelle said:
Puzzleannie, I am so hopeful that what you are saying is true in other areas as well. I hope what goes on around here is not the norm. I am afraid that if it is like this everywhere, it could be dangerous for the Church!
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the standard advice when I have brought this up to local ACTS leadership is to report the parish to the organizing body in your area, esp. if they seem to be setting up their own program or going against what ACTS prescribes. Like any other “program” it should be followed using the materials, training, methods, and so forth with which it is designed and parishes or teams should not attempt to DIY and make substantive changes, and still use the ACTS name. When ACTS first came to the Valley a few years ago local teams felt one or two parishes were distorting the program significantly to push local agendas, and went back to the core leadership in San Antonio for guidance, and now most parishes are “on the program” as far as I know. As I say I am not myself active but work closely in my parish job and lay associations with those who are.

also even if the retreat itself is orthodox that is no guarantee that individuals who participate, or who are on the team, might not themselves have problems with communication, interpersonal relationships and so forth, thereby giving ACTS a bad name in some places.
 
puzzleannie said:
the standard advice when I have brought this up to local ACTS leadership is to report the parish to the organizing body in your area, esp. if they seem to be setting up their own program or going against what ACTS prescribes. Like any other “program” it should be followed using the materials, training, methods, and so forth with which it is designed and parishes or teams should not attempt to DIY and make substantive changes, and still use the ACTS name. When ACTS first came to the Valley a few years ago local teams felt one or two parishes were distorting the program significantly to push local agendas, and went back to the core leadership in San Antonio for guidance, and now most parishes are “on the program” as far as I know. As I say I am not myself active but work closely in my parish job and lay associations with those who are.

also even if the retreat itself is orthodox that is no guarantee that individuals who participate, or who are on the team, might not themselves have problems with communication, interpersonal relationships and so forth, thereby giving ACTS a bad name in some places.
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This is exactly correct. If there is a concern, contact the central leaders (actsmissions.org/) and let them investigate it. There are additional classes that are offered here in San Antonio for those who want to continue studying called After ACTS, and one of the things that was heavily stressed to the leaders is that cliquish behavior is to be discouraged.

TXBelle, I don’t know exactly what you mean by constant pressure to attend. Do you mean that people are constantly inviting you to attend? Or is it more of a “go, or you won’t have a place in the parish” type of thing? For our parish, we often invite people to go on retreat, but the leaders are told specifically not to pressure people.

The secrecy is asked of the retreatants, but rest assured that there is a good reason. It’s secret in the same way that a really good movie is secret for those who haven’t been to see it: those that have seen it already don’t want to spoil the surprises for those who haven’t. In the same way, those who have seen a really good movie want others to go, precisely so that others can enjoy and share their thoughts on the experience.

I hope that helps a little.
 
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