About Gospel Living
Our mission is to equip parishes to fulfill their mission:
forming and equipping intentional disciples to bring the Good News wherever they go.
forming and equipping intentional disciples to bring the Good News wherever they go.
This is not a program, but an entire approach to being parish.
We have a Roman Catholic perspective and utilize the extensive teachings and tools the Church has to offer. Our approach is first and foremost rooted in the person of Jesus and the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.
We are motivated by the Church's mission to evangelize: to share the Gospel and bring about the Kingdom of God. We seek to do so by sharing the wisdom of the Church regarding who Jesus is and what it means to be a disciple, especially in our daily lives.
The Gospel living approach calls parishes to:
We have a Roman Catholic perspective and utilize the extensive teachings and tools the Church has to offer. Our approach is first and foremost rooted in the person of Jesus and the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.
We are motivated by the Church's mission to evangelize: to share the Gospel and bring about the Kingdom of God. We seek to do so by sharing the wisdom of the Church regarding who Jesus is and what it means to be a disciple, especially in our daily lives.
The Gospel living approach calls parishes to:
- Explain the mission of the Church and the mission of each Christian in the world.
- Invite everyone into a personal relationship with God and a commitment to be an intentional disciple.
- Connect the Gospel to daily life by teaching key Gospel values and showing how the Bible and Tradition informs specific aspects of life.
- Equip disciples to be successful in their mission by giving them practical tools.
- Orient the parish and all its ministries for mission and the formation of intentional disciples.
The Mission of the Church
Catholic teaching is absolutely clear that the Church's mission and reason for being is to evangelize: to bring the Good News to the world, transforming it into the Kingdom of God. Many are shocked to learn that this mission to the world is the "special responsibility" of lay people.
There are three parts to evangelization:
This is the work of intentional disciples.
As a Catholic, being baptized or confirmed is not enough. Self-identifying as Catholic, attending Mass, or contributing to the collection is not enough. We also have to respond to Jesus' invitation and the sacramental grace we receive. We have to follow Jesus in the way we live our lives in the world every day. Learn more...
There are three parts to evangelization:
- We each begin in conversion, committing to a personal relationship with Jesus and following him as a disciple.
- We witness, living all aspects of our lives by the counter-cultural values of the Gospel.
- We share our faith with others, inviting them to "come and see" for themselves.
This is the work of intentional disciples.
As a Catholic, being baptized or confirmed is not enough. Self-identifying as Catholic, attending Mass, or contributing to the collection is not enough. We also have to respond to Jesus' invitation and the sacramental grace we receive. We have to follow Jesus in the way we live our lives in the world every day. Learn more...
The Challenge
If we truly believe this theology, our parishes muststep up and own this vision. They need to understand that the parish's mission is the same as the mission for the entire Church. They need to proclaim this mission to their members, and then equip them for the three parts of evangelization.
We live in a broken world that is in dire need of the Good News. It is a world with so much injustice, but also unhappiness and frustration based in fear, scarcity, individualism, and consumerism. People are searching for a better way, and that is what Jesus offers us.
But many of our parishes are shrinking, as the people who leave tell us that the Church is "not relevant" to their daily lives. Half of those who leave go to other denominations which they say better meet their spiritual needs. Those who still identify as Catholic are mostly inactive (only one third attend Mass weekly). Even of those who are active, few understand their role in the Church's mission or are living it out intentionally. Those who are trying to live as intentional disciples are often frustrated by the lack of practical support they receive from their parishes. Learn more...
We live in a broken world that is in dire need of the Good News. It is a world with so much injustice, but also unhappiness and frustration based in fear, scarcity, individualism, and consumerism. People are searching for a better way, and that is what Jesus offers us.
But many of our parishes are shrinking, as the people who leave tell us that the Church is "not relevant" to their daily lives. Half of those who leave go to other denominations which they say better meet their spiritual needs. Those who still identify as Catholic are mostly inactive (only one third attend Mass weekly). Even of those who are active, few understand their role in the Church's mission or are living it out intentionally. Those who are trying to live as intentional disciples are often frustrated by the lack of practical support they receive from their parishes. Learn more...
Daily Life
The Gospel Living approach is built around discipleship and daily life. Daily life is where we primarily encounter God and pray. Daily life is where we witness to the world through our actions. Daily life is where we share the Gospel with those who need to hear it. Daily life is what makes the Gospel "relevant." Our faith informs the way we work, what we buy, what we do with our money, our relationship with the poor and vulnerable, how we act as citizens and neighbors, how we use our time, and much more.
We challenge parishes to remember that their primary role is to form and support disciples for daily life. It is not to get more volunteers or balance the parish budget. It is not to argue about liturgical rubrics or internal parish dynamics. It is not to harangue people into attending parish events. A focus on helping people live as intentional disciples will attract people who are already trying to live a good life. Learn more...
We challenge parishes to remember that their primary role is to form and support disciples for daily life. It is not to get more volunteers or balance the parish budget. It is not to argue about liturgical rubrics or internal parish dynamics. It is not to harangue people into attending parish events. A focus on helping people live as intentional disciples will attract people who are already trying to live a good life. Learn more...
But How?
The Gospel Living approach is based on the goals and objectives articulated by the U.S. bishops in their plans for evangelization (Go and Make Disciples) and adult faith formation (Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us).
The role of the parish is to form intentional disciples, inviting conversion and equipping to witness and share the faith. All staff, volunteers, and ministries in the parish need to consider what role they can play in this formation process. Everything a parish does should be focused on evangelization.
We seek to provide the following:
Learn more...
The role of the parish is to form intentional disciples, inviting conversion and equipping to witness and share the faith. All staff, volunteers, and ministries in the parish need to consider what role they can play in this formation process. Everything a parish does should be focused on evangelization.
We seek to provide the following:
- Applied: It is essential to connect the dots between Scripture and the specifics of daily life, rather than dealing with abstracts and "spiritualized" interpretations that let us off the hook.
- In Depth: We must teach the big picture concepts of our faith and how the readings fit together, rather than preaching on lectionary readings as if they were in isolation.
- Equipped: High-level concepts are not enough. Disciples need practical tools and support for living and sustaining a Gospel-based life.
Learn more...
The Curriculum
The curriculum is centered in the Gospel message: the Good News of Jesus. Our formation must meet the three parts of evangelization: to convert us, inform our daily lives, and empower us to share our faith with others.
The topics in our curriculum fall into three categories:
The topics in our curriculum fall into three categories:
- Gospel values: Here we start with Scripture and Tradition, and connect them to daily life. These core themes inform discipleship, offering the context that makes individual Scripture readings more meaningful. These include Call & Vocation, Sabbath & Jubilee, Stewardship, and more.
- Aspects of daily life: Here we start with daily life and reach back into Scripture and Tradition to learn how our faith informs us. These include Work & Occupation, Money, the Environment, Food, Time, and more.
- Tools: These are practical tools to support discipleship. These include the Daily Examen, Rule of Life, Talent & Personality frameworks, tools for discernment, and more.
A Creative and Coordinated Approach
The U.S. bishops state that "a comprehensive, multi-faceted, and coordinated approach to adult faith formation is necessary." We strongly agree and aim to empower parishes to creatively take this approach. A coordinated approach allows parishes to effectively focus on one aspect of the Gospel for a single Sunday or over the course of months. The same topic can be reinforced through preaching, children's activities, small faith groups, handouts, videos, social justice activities, social media sites, and more.
This approach can be very effective and powerful. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for parishes to implement. Learn more...
This approach can be very effective and powerful. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for parishes to implement. Learn more...
Targeting Your Audience
Compared to Jesus' parable, there are many, many "lost sheep" compared to the few who are in the fold. We need to focus on the less engaged parishioners who attend regularly, Catholics who don't attend regularly, and the many who have never experienced the Church or no longer identify as Catholic.
This is not about watering down our message, but how we can best invite and form those who are not already engaged. It is about understanding their lives, speaking their language, and working with their schedules. It means planning events in the parish that would be attractive for a seeker, so that active parishioners can invite their friends and family members and we can connect them with Jesus and the Church. Learn more...
This is not about watering down our message, but how we can best invite and form those who are not already engaged. It is about understanding their lives, speaking their language, and working with their schedules. It means planning events in the parish that would be attractive for a seeker, so that active parishioners can invite their friends and family members and we can connect them with Jesus and the Church. Learn more...
What We Offer
- Parish resources. We offer many free ideas and resources through our website, including references to articles, books, videos, scripts, and other websites. We particularly create high-quality handouts on Gospel Living topics that can be customized for your parish community.
- Parish consulting. We can work with your staff and lay leadership understand the Church's mission and how your community can effectively embrace it.
- Parish workshops and retreats. We offer a parish retreat and a leadership training on Gospel living. We also offer introductory Scripture classes and the year-long Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life retreat.
Learn more...
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More About Us
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Our Stewardship
This ministry is a labor of faith, love, and hope. We seek to build a collaborative ministry that empowers parishes to promote Gospel living without placing obstacles in their paths. Financial support allows us to spend more time developing resources and helping other parishes. More... |