DISCIPLESHIP
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dis-ci-ple-ship: n. to turn all people into fully devoted, mature followers of Christ |
Two thousand years ago, Jesus told his followers:
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age"(Matthew 28:19-20).
To fulfill this command, St. Isidore Parish offers a variety of resources to enhance the experience of the Mass and foster spiritual growth; the faith-sharing groups also lead to deeper friendships and promote the sense of community:
Disciples on the Journey |
Lent |
Lectionary based, small Faith-Sharing Groups for adult, family, or teen groups that meet during Lent; teen and family materials available online only effective Lent 2010 |
Celebrating the Word |
Ongoing |
Lectionary-based, small Faith-Sharing Groups, that meet on a monthly basis (except July and August) throughout the year |
Little Books |
Seasonal |
Three small books designed for Advent/Christmas (Blue book), Lent (Black book), and the Easter (White book) season. These pocket sized books (4" x 7") help readers spend six minutes each day walking through the Scripture. |
| Liturgy Reflection Question | Ongoing | Lectionary-based reflection questions from the Center for Sunday Liturgy at St. Louis University, published in weekly parish Bulletin |
HISTORY
The Disciples in Mission (DIM) was a 3-year Lenten program, developed by the Paulist National Catholic Evangelist Association (PNCEA)and implemented by the Diocese of Sacramento, that began in 2001 and concluded in 2004. It offered activities for adults, teens and families. In 2005 St. Isidore Parish continued its Lenten evangelization through the Disciples On The Journey (DOJ) Program, developed by the Diocese of Victoria, TX, which used a similar model. Some of the groups wanted to continue meeting year-round, and we found Celebrating the Word (CTW), a web-based resource from Resurrection Centre For Lifelong Learning , written by Fr. Frank Ruetz, a priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection, Ontario-Kentucky Province in Canada. There are several active CTW faith-sharing groups.
In all these models, the groups are limited to not more than 12 to 15 people, and meetings are led by a group leader or member. Groups prepare for Sunday liturgy by reading the scriptures and--with the written materials provided--discussing how to integrate God's word into their lives.The small group process (i.e. listening, accepting, trusting and responding) is designed to help people of faith to prayerfully discern meaningful connections between their life stories and the Gospel story. A meeting usually lasts 1½ hours and includes scripture, commentary and discussion questions for the approaching Sunday. Participants in a group are expected to read the material and answer the questions before attending the meeting.
Several years ago the Parish began offering the Little Books for Advent, Lent and the Easter Season. These have proved to be immensely popular as personal spiritual growth aids. Disciples on the Journey and the Little Books are available in Spanish as well as English.
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?
| Pray | Pray for the success of the Parish Discipleship programs. |
| Join a Small Group | The word of God will come alive, and you will be able to relate it to your everyday life. You will learn more about Scripture, take part in some interesting discussions, meet some wonderful people, and have the opportunity to build up the Body of Christ. |
| Involve Your Family | Families with children from preschool age to teens, who often find it difficult to participate in parish programs, can listen to the word of God together, do activities, grow close to God, and have fun in the process. |
| Listen to the Homily | Every Sunday, our clergy present homilies that address the weekly scriptural readings. These homilies support parishioners' reflections upon the Sunday readings in light of Jesus' evangelizing mission. |
| Live as a Disciple | Through discernment and planning, the parish affirms existing evangelizing ministries and undertakes new ones with a new vitality. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in participating in parish activities. Also, ask for the commitment and the courage to serve as a witness for Christ in your family, neighborhood, and workplace. |
For information, please contact the Parish Office, 673-1573, or email to Discipleship here - 
Additional
Related Web Pages |
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| Year 2009 Faith Sharing Groups of 2009 |
Year 2004 Parish Evangelization Profile Faith Sharing Groups of 2004 Parish Reflection Day of 2004 |
| Year 2006 Faith Sharing Groups of 2006 |
Year 2003 Faith Sharing Groups of 2003 Parish Reflection Day of 2003 |
| Year 2005 Faith Sharing Groups of 2005 |
Year 2002 Faith Sharing Groups of 2002 Parish Reflection Day of 2002 Coordinators' Commissioning |