Evangelization
Video Conferencing for the Catholic Church
Feb 15th
Evangelization
I recently heard a story about a Bishop in Alaska who uses Skype to talk with his priest and youth ministry groups. What an innovative idea! How could Skype help your Catholic Parish?
What is Skype
Skype is a free program for both mac and pc that allows you to make phone calls to landlines for a small fee. In addition you can make free video and phone calls to other Skype users. It has awesome video quality, simple to use, and it’s free.
How Can a Catholic Parish Use Skype
- Teach a Class on Scripture to a small group.
- Host meetings with DREs, Youth Ministers, Teachers
- Call the rectory from the school using video
- Integrate a Voice over IP phone Systems for less
- Integrate it into the Catholic School room
- Host an evening with your Cardinal or Bishop over Skype
- Project famous Catholic authors and speakers over Skype
- Integrate home schooling families
- Set up virtual teaching classrooms
- Stay in contact with Marriage Prep couples who live far away
Here is a cool article on 50 ways to use Skype in the classroom.
How can Skype help you?
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Loading ...The Problem with Catholic Schools
Feb 11th
Blue for Mary
Catholic schools used to be one of the great foundations of education and evangelization across America. However, since the 60s we have had two generations of Catholics who have not participated in Catholic education. I remember my own education being extremely beneficial and formative in my faith. I can’t say that it benefited all of my classmates, because many have left the faith.
What was once a cherished symbol of identity for a parish has now become a financial stigmata.
Recurring Problems
- Catholic schools are closing their doors and charter schools are opening inside the abandoned buildings.
- Enrollment has dropped significantly and what was once only partially funded by parishioners now has grown into a financial burden for parishes.
- Parents would rather send their children to public school because there is no visible advantage to sacrificing for a Catholic education.
- Graduates are abandoning the Catholic faith or graduate poorly catechized.
- Schools are breading grounds for gossip and ‘clicks’ of parents. I would suggest also that a certain majority of parents of school children are not attending Mass regularly. (This is a different issue that could be addressed further.)
Missionary Work
The Catholic Church advocates in Ad Gentes that schools are an excellent means of forming youth in the faith.
With special care, let them devote themselves to the education of children and young people by means of different kinds of schools, which should be considered not only as the most excellent means of forming and developing Christian youth, but also as a valuable
public service. – Decree on the Mission Activity of the Church – Ad Gentes
The Church sees the value in our schools as forming young people in the Faith, but our schools unfortunately don’t see the mission of the Church. (Before someone gets upset, I have seen plenty of great Orthodox Catholic schools. Yes, they do exist, but the bad ones always steal all the attention.)
It is for this reason we need to change and reform the mission of our Catholic schools and display the advantage of attending Catholic schools
Areas of Improvement
- Authentic Catholic Teaching – Determine if the Faith is properly being taught.
- Develop Prayer and Devotional Life – Emphasize and cultivate the value of prayer through First Friday devotions, daily recitation of the Rosary, Daily Mass, Brown Scapular, Scripture Reading.
- Parish Participation – Promote Sunday Mass attendance and evangelize to parents of students.
- Witness to Jesus Christ – By teachers actions, schools environment, and leadership.
- Pray for more areas of growth. This list is limited.
Opportunities for Catholic School Growth
School
Yes, these suggestions are radical, but also traditional. They would require an environment of sacrifice and change. Yes we can. Teachers and administrators would be asked to develop their own faith life in accordance with Catholic teaching.
Students formed in the Faith would have to be the number one goal of education. Salvation through Jesus Christ must be a top priority. Students who have a relationship with God will be open to learning more, because Jesus Christ is ‘Wisdom.” God the Father is all knowing. Scripture teaches to “Love one another.”
By advertising these advantages and changing the emphasis in our schools we will be fulfilling our mission as a Catholic school.
The Lord did not say, “Count my sheep.” He said, “Feed my sheep.”
What do you think?
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Email Newsletters for Catholic Parishes
Feb 8th
Email Newsletters
With rising cost and hard to reach parishioners, email newsletters are a great way of contacting parishioners.
Before the closing prayer has always been the normal slot for announcements, but with so many important activities to engage the parish community that is not enough time. With email newsletters and announcements you can reach the parish community through the medium they check most regularly.
Who doesn’t check their email daily?
The traditional parish bulletin is essential to outreach, but often that’s not enough. With an additional weekly blast the parish can engage on multiple fronts and encourage parish participation.
Benefits of Email Newsletters
- Save Money on Printing
- Save Time by Reusing Announcements
- Track who opens emails
- No limit to length of information
- Easily Add in Video, Color Pictures, Polls, and Additional Web Sites
- People Read Emails
Additional Ways to Use Email Newsletters
- Insert Catechism lessons.
- Teach a course
- Capture responses automatically
- Track what people are interested in
- Manage from any computer, in any office, in any part of the world
Which Company to Use
I have personally used iContact.com and have been very happy with the price and service. With it’s ease of use and, low cost, and good customer service, it has proved itself to be CatholicTool of choice. I have used multiple competitors and been unsatisfied.
Techniques for Email Newsletters
These are a few article I read to ensure I produce the best email newsletters for the Catholic parishes I have worked with
Best Practices For Bullet Proof Emails
Design and Build Email Newsletters without Loosing Your Mind
Useful Web Design Email Newsletters – These are good to subscribe to if you are interested in design
Let me know how these work for you! If you have questions leave a reply.
Popularity: 4% [?]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Evangelizing is the Mission of the Catholic Church
Feb 4th
Evangelization
Have you ever sat in a Catholic parish meeting and everyone is asking what we should do? The answer is evangelization. That’s not coming from me, but from the Church. The Church is given the call from Jesus Christ.
As the Father sent Jesus into the world, so does Christ send His Church into the world “to make disciples of all the nations.” So cry out like a voice in the desert, “Evangelization, Evangelization, Lets Go Out and Evangelize.”
I encourage you to read Evangelii Nuntiandi by Paul VI. This document is full of reasons why we must go out, just like Christ, and call people to Him.
Evangelization should be at the center of our ministries. In this mission we will find our identity. This purpose of evangelization is for an interior conversion.
How do we evangelize?
We first look to Jesus in the Gospels and call on the Holy Spirit for direction.
Start with Prayer. Be nourished on the Word of God and the Bread of Angels. Before going out and preaching the Gospel listen to what it has to say. Take time with your evangelization team to pray with the scriptures, go to Mass together, pray the rosary, and make full use of the sacraments.
Don’t rush the process. Listen to where the Lord is calling. After the Lord was baptized he went out in the desert for 40 days, so to must we be prepared.
Witness – Go out. First in our daily lives. They will know we are Christians by our Love. Live as a sign of contradiction to the times. Our witness, preaching, and proclamation of the Good News will “evoke admiration and conversion.”
10 Evangelization Activities
- Welcome Back – Call, Email, Send Letters, and welcome those who are on the parish database who never come to Mass
- Intercession Team – Start a group of people who pray for those ‘out’ evangelizing and those coming back to the Church
- Door-to-Door – Start canvasing neighborhoods around the parish welcoming people to the Christian community.
- TV Commercials – They have worked in Arizona.
- Youth Group – Teens are learning for an opportunity to encounter Christ
- Bible Study – Open the Bible and invite others to come here the Good News. (The Good News is Salvation.)
- Catechism Class for Adults – People want to learn about the faith
- Neighborhood Parties – Invite families to come to someone’s house and watch a religious video, share a meal, or pray the rosary.
- Learn to Evangelize – Offer a night to encourage people to live as a witness in their daily lives.
- On the bus, at home, in school, or at work, everywhere we go Proclaim the Jesus Christ has risen.
The Lord went from town to town preaching to the poorest who were often the most receptive to his message. So the next time you see a homeless person tell him about Jesus Christ. Pray with him. Share with him the love of Christ.
What Do You Share When You Evangelize – All the aspects of His (Jesus) Mystery
- The Incarnation itself
- Miracles
- Teaching
- The gathering together of the disciples
- The sending out of the Twelve
- The cross and the resurrection
- The permanence of His presence in the midst of His own
Be a witness and speak about the joy and happiness of belonging to the Kingdom of God. Proclaim the liberation from sin and snares of the Devil.
Give witness to the radical conversion and the laying down ones life so that others might have life.
“Do not be afraid.” John Paul II
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...How to Attract Youth to Youth Group
Jan 30th
More Proven Marketing Tips for Catholic Youth Groups
Greece, Yea it was fun.
Let’s face it…Youth groups in the Catholic Church are usually small; however, here are some sure methods of bringing more youth to youth group. Try them and tell me how they work for you!
1. Speak from the Pulpit. Right after all the Masses in the Fall and Spring speak from the Alter. Short, 2.5 minutes long and simply say (very enthusiastic ((I always wore a suite) “ Hi my name is Jason Buck and I am the youth minister at (insert Church). I am very excited to invite all the youth tonight to come our annual youth group kick off night. It will be filled with food, fun, and faith. So if you like food, (insert a pause maybe a little laugh), fun, and faith (all with pauses) come on out at 7pm. We have a large number of youth from the parish who participate all ready. I will be in the vestibule giving out more information. Thanks and see you there.”
Collect names and email addresses.
2. Get rid of the objection. Never ask, “Do you want to come to youth group?” because the answer is always “no.” Instead ask, “Does pizza, sports, and a ton of young people sound like fun to? Ok I will see you at youth group tonight, insert name.” If they say no, say, “What don’t you like pizza or making new friends?”
3. Bulletin Announcements for the parents. When you insert a bulletin announcement make sure to tell how much fun your last event was and how much greater this one is. It is good for the parents and parish to stay informed about the youth group.
4. Posters with Pictures. Place posters in the vestibule of Church with pictures showing how much fun the youth group is having.
5. Go to School. Make friends with the theology teachers, help out with retreats, and make a little nitch. The school can send out your information and put you in contact with the teens. Remember you must offer something to the teens and teachers if you want something in return. Don’t forget the home school crowd.
6. Offer Incentives. With the group of 20 you have to create an incentive for each person to bring one more person. That makes 40. Double that you will be making history.
More Tips
1. Use zoho.com CRM to keep track of your youth group.
2. Create a website using wordpress.org or finding a youth to manage it.
3. Always collect email addresses
4. Don’t use myspace.com
5. Read articles and constantly update yourself. Don’t be an authority, just be informed.
Any of these tips could work for other parish ministry organizations. Just be like Jesus and go out to talk with people. If you have to, perform some miracles in His name.
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