September 2016

September 2016

Greetings! Thank you for reading Evangelization Exchange!

I know many of us are baffled by young adults. We are starting a new series on Young Adult ministry this month. Fr. Bill Ehttps://www.pemdc.org/freeresources/evangelization-exchange-archives/september-2016/dens, CSP spent two years designing special outreach to this age group in Portland, OR, a city filled with young adults. I think you’ll enjoy his fresh – and missionary – approach and look forward to future contributions.We also continue reflecting on Mercy; the Year of Mercy ends Nov. 30, 2016. I offer a reflection on Mercy as a “disruptive idea” – a terms we hear a lot about in business but not so much in religion.The link to the Pew Study report on religious practices will be instructive to many of us – why people choose a church and what’s important to them. 83% of respondents say that preaching is the most important motive in choosing a church. This should be a sobering through for all of us in pastoral ministry.We have important information about upcoming free webinars about Living the Eucharist – a powerful, widely-used program to further renewal and discipleship in our parishes. Be sure to check out the unique benefits that The Journey/El Camino can offer your parish. People who have used it are raving about it; Part 2 will be out this fall. Please also note our new publication, Fr. Lombardo’s 20s/30s Ministry: A Guide for Parishes.May the Spirit continue to strengthen us as missionary disciples.Blessings,

Fr. Frank

Young Adult Evangelization & Ministry

By Fr. Bill Edens, CSP

The Paulist Fathers assigned me to Portland Oregon in the summer of 2014 as an associate pastor of Saint Philip Neri parish, with a special focus on reaching out to Young Adults. My first thought was, “though I grew up in the Portland area, I am a missionary in a new territory, in a new century, and in a highly unchurched part of America.”

To explain the approach I took to this assignment, I need to describe what I had learned about missionary work in Ghana, West Africa 15 years ago. The Divine Word Missionaries who staff the Tamale Institute of Cross Cultural Studies in Northern Ghana taught me how to be a missionary in a foreign land.

What I learned is that when you have arrived in your host community, you should not hang around with your fellow missionaries. If you want to learn to cross cultural boundaries, you must immerse yourself and let your host community teach you how to be with them and communicate.

The Spiritual Works of Mercy –

Mercy, A Disruptive Idea

By Fr. Frank DeSiano, CSP

One of the ways people have looked at social and business phenomena in the past few years involves the idea of “disruption.” The basic notion goes like this. Companies have a product or system in place to provide goods or services; people pay for those good, and the company has a steady flow of income. But, suddenly, a new approach or product is added to the mix, and the old way of doing things is disrupted-there’s now another established way things happen.

So I remember back in the mid-80s when I met someone who had a “cell” phone. It was about as big as a brick, had an ungainly antenna, and looked silly. But this fellow held onto his brick of a phone, assuring me that it was a new way of doing things. “Why would anyone carry that thing around?” I said to myself. “The idea will never go anywhere.”

But here we are today, virtually everyone from the age of 12-on-up with a cell phone. Cell phones not only evolved from the cumbersome brick; they also disrupted the way Ma Bell (and her subsequent sub-companies) did business, so much so that today many young people do not even have a “land line,” and would never imagine having a phone hanging off their wall. And those descendants of the old phone companies have gotten not only into the cell phone business, but also television, home security, cloud storage, and electronics.

Previous Essays in this Series

Click Here to see all the essays in our series on the Spiritual Works of Mercy and Evangelization.

New resource for young adult ministry

Young Adults and the Church…

It’s a huge topic of discussion, and also a source of great frustration. Parishes want to reach out, but they don’t know the best way, and they don’t have a model.

The new book, 20s/30s Ministry: A Guide for Parishes, is just the tool you need. Practical, specific, clarifying – this book can guide a parish into beginning and growing a ministry to young adults. Written in the direct, knowing, and clear style of Fr. Nicholas Lombardo, OP, from his own broad experience in Young Adult Ministry, this book can help parishes zero in on basic approaches to this ministry that will work.

Doing this ministry is absolutely necessary today and we hope this book, Co-published with Paulist Press, will help you and your parish as you grow your young adult groups!

Order Here for just $14.95

Upcoming Webinars

Register today for these upcoming, free webinars to learn more about Living the Eucharist! All registrants will be sent a webinar recording so even if you are unable to attend live, we encourage you to register and watch the recording at your own convenience.

Living the Eucharist, a Dynamic Lenten Renewal Experience to Form Missionary Disciples

September 29, 2016, 3:00-4:00 PM (ET)

One parishioner from Grand Rapids, MI, described Living the Eucharist as “The best Lenten program in our parish in decades.” Living the Eucharist can make Lent 2017 a truly transformative experience for your entire parish.

Learn how Living the Eucharist helps parishioners understand the Eucharist, participate more fully in Sunday Mass, and become more committed disciples of Jesus.
Discover how Living the Eucharist is affordable, easy to use, adaptable to your parish, and serves both English and Spanish-speaking Catholics.
Find out why 90% of small group participants rated their experience as “Excellent” or “Very Good” and 95% said they are more committed to live each day as intentional disciples of Jesus.

Presenter: Rev. Kenneth Boyack, CSP, Vice President of Paulist Evangelization Ministries and team leader for the development of Living the Eucharist.

Best practices to Implement Living the Eucharist, a Transformative Lenten Ministry That Gets Results!

October 19, 2016, 3:00-4:00 PM (ET)
“Living the Eucharist was one of the best experiences of my life,” wrote one parishioner from West Hampstead, NY.

Over 1,000 parishes in 93 dioceses in the US have used this dynamic Lenten ministry. The webinar provides an overview of Living the Eucharist and 10 best practices to equip your parish to implement this ministry successfully and with confidence in Lent 2017.

Presenter: Rev. Kenneth Boyack, CSP.

Choosing a New Church or House of Worship

From Pew Research

Americans look for good sermons, warm welcome

About half of U.S. adults have looked for a new religious congregation at some point in their lives, most commonly because they have moved. And when they search for a new house of worship, a new Pew Research Center study shows, Americans look first and foremost for a place where they like the preaching and the tone set by the congregation’s leaders.

Fully 83% of Americans who have looked for a new place of worship say the quality of preaching played an important role in their choice of congregation. Nearly as many say it was important to feel welcomed by clergy and lay leaders, and about three-quarters say the style of worship services influenced their decision about which congregation to join. Location also factored prominently in many people’s choice of congregation, with seven-in-ten saying it was an important factor. Smaller numbers cite the quality of children’s programs, having friends or family in the congregation or the availability of volunteering opportunities as key to their decision.

Have you started The Journey?

Now is the perfect time to bring The Journey to your parish!

The Journey/El Camino is our newest resource! It is designed to help Catholics today deepen their personal relationship with Christ – it’s a simple and direct way to encounter Jesus in our lives.

The Journey is perfect for faith-sharing groups and there are many ways it can help your parish today!<

In Part 1* each session focuses on the link between our lives and Jesus’ life. Participants read from a selected Scripture passage and then watch a powerful video produced by the award-winning Outside da’ Box. In the videos we see how the issues that were affecting those who Jesus healed and ministered to, are not so different from the ones we face today.

Mix and match the components of The Journey to best fit your parish’s needs:

Faith-sharing small group materials for adults in English and Spanish
Small group materials for youth in English
Daily Devotional for participants and parish-wide use
Weekly Bulletin inserts to unite the whole parish
Prayer Cards

Click Here to order your Parish Preview Pack or call 1.800.435.7116 to place your order over the phone!

* Parts 2 and 3 coming Fall 2016

We have a new look!

Over the last month we began transitioning to our new logo! The logo is based on the new Paulist Father’s logo, which uses the Paulist “P” as a speech bubble with the Holy Spirit represented as a dove. For our new logo we incorporate this “P” and added the flame for the Holy Spirit in keeping with our current logo.