The Ministries that Make Up a Clear Path of Discipleship
Does your parish support your efforts to evangelize? Many of us are walking with a friend or family member on their faith journey, but often, we’re doing it alone.
Imagine if your parish had ministries designed to support you in this accompaniment —ministries where you could introduce your loved one to the parish community in a non-threatening way. Or a ministry that boldly shared the Gospel, facilitating conversion through a personal encounter with Jesus. What if there was a ministry that helped new disciples grow in the habit of prayer and practice of the sacraments? And what if your parish equipped you with tools for evangelization and created a space to share your experiences and receive support from others on the same mission?
Around here, we’d say that parish had a Clear Path of Discipleship. If you want to hear real stories of parishes with these ministries, join us for our series “The Ministries that Make Up a Clear Path of Discipleship”.
Step 1: Relational Outreach
Do you have a way to introduce your non-practicing friends and family members to your faith community that doesn’t involve inviting them to Mass or other gatherings that might make them feel isolated? Does your parish offer a space where you can meet and build trusting relationships with those distant from their faith? The Clear Path step Relational Outreach is designed for just that. My guests, Katie Winkler and Beth Carlson, share their experience at the JPII Newman Center, where they’ve created spaces for authentic friendships to flourish.
Step 2: Conversion Moment
Does your parish have Alpha, Christ Life, a parish retreat, or some other initiative that creates an opportunity for people to hear about Jesus, reflect on their faith, and take a step towards a real and lasting relationship with him? The Clear Path step Conversion Moment is designed to help individuals encounter Jesus and make a personal decision to follow Him by offering a clear proclamation of the Gospel. My guest, Marlo Monico from St. Columbkille, shares her experience building and sustaining a Conversion Moment. She shares stories of significant personal transformations and emphasizes the importance of hospitality, community, and continuous invitation in evangelization efforts.
Step 3: Faith Formation
Most parishes form their people in the faith, but do they truly teach individuals how to pray, help them understand and actively engage with the sacraments, and guide them in making practical, moral changes in the daily lives? Developing the habits of a disciple can be challenging, and it happens most effectively within a community where people support and challenge one another to grow as followers of Jesus. In this conversation, Jodi Phillips and Michelle Zuhlke from Our Catholic Family join me to discuss the faith formation step of building a clear path for discipleship. We explore the importance of small groups in fostering spiritual growth, emphasizing the role of personal relationships and mentorship.
Step 4: Evangelization Formation
Does your parish actively encourage parishioners to engage in the Church’s mission to “go and make disciples” (Matt 28:19)? The Evangelization Formation step of the Clear Path equips disciples by guiding them to work with the Holy Spirit—the primary agent of evangelization—while surrounding them with a supportive community of missionary disciples who uplift and strengthen one another. It also provides practical skills, training in charisms, and tools to help disciples grow in confidence as they share their faith in everyday life. In this episode, my guests, Dcn. MJ Kersenbrock and Jan Kunz, discuss how they are implementing these efforts in the Catholic Parishes of Western Holt and Boyd Counties. They share the challenges and successes they’ve encountered while fostering a culture of mission. Their stories highlight the importance of perseverance, prayer, and personal relationships, as well as the transformative impact this formation process has had on individuals, who are now empowered to continue the mission, creating a ripple effect in their communities.
For more on the Clear Path, read the book, A Clear Path to Discipleship: How to Make Missionary Disciples in Your Parish.