Before the Mission Weekend
Preparing the Receiving Parish
A parish will likely need you to visit and meet with pastoral staff, an ad hoc committee or a group of interested parishioners. Share basic Christ Renews information and also how Christ Renews has worked in your parish. Please emphasize that Christ Renews is more than just a series of weekend retreats. Be knowledgeable of the four parts of Christ Renews.
A. Experience a Christ Renews weekend: take the next step in your spiritual journey
B. Be on the next team: team formation, preparation, and catechesis.
C. Host the next Christ Renews weekend: authentic experience of lay ministry in the parish.
D. Search for the Lord's call to what is next for each person. Facilitates sending people into ministries in the parish, community and diocese. A person is not “in” Christ Renews forever.
Please differentiate between the integral parts of Christ Renews and what you have done to flesh out the renewal process to best fit your parish history, ethos and worship practices. Recognize that the inquiring parish has a different history, ethos and worship practice than you do. If they start Christ Renews, they will flesh out the process to best fit them. Give them Christ Renews as it is in the handbook – no more. We call this: “generic Christ Renews.” This is very important.
Help the receiving parish determine whether it is best for them to start with a full retreat or an exploratory team (options described in Getting Started with Christ Renews)
The receiving parish, in cooperation with the Mission Team liaison, will need to:
1. Form a temporary core group to pray for parish renewal and take on the temporary ministry of starting parish renewal. Suggest six to ten people, both men and women. In conjunction with pastoral staff, carry out steps below. Members of core group should be on the first parish teams (men and women). It is a statement of pastoral priority if the pastor is on first team. It helps if each person on the core team has a Christ Renews handbook.
2. Next to the actions of the Holy Spirit, the most important factor in initiating Christ Renews is the active, visible, vocal support of the pastor, as expressed in verbal and written communications to all parishioners, personal invitation to select parishioners after a general invitation is made, and personal participation in the first weekend where possible. Afterward, the ministry of spiritual direction may be shared with others so as not to become a significant additional duty of the pastor.
3. Information and invitation process (minimum 8-10 week process is best) see Invitations section of Retreat Support
Develop a brochure telling parishioners about Christ Renews. Arrange for all parishioners to get one.
Bulletin announcements inviting all adult parishioners to be a part of the parish renewal process. Concurrently, general invitation to all parishioners from the pastor at the pulpit.
Continuing information and invitation. Posters in church. Christ Renews brochures to school kids, day school and parish school of religion to give to parents.
Special invitations to each parish group, inviting each group to be represented by members on the first parish teams. Follow-up call from pastor to leaders of parish organizations.
After general invitations issued as above, pastoral staff and core group personally invite specific adult parishioners to be on first men and women teams. The majority of first team members will come from this step. However, they will have been prepared by steps above.
Invite all parish groups to pray regularly for spiritual renewal of the parish.
All people coming to the first men and first women weekend should know that during the Christ Renews weekend, they will be invited (not obligated) to serve on the first parish men or women teams.
4. Preparations
See pages 8-10 of Part 1, Christ Renews Handbook. This lists in some detail the parish preparations for Christ Renews. Includes information not just on room needs, supplies, equipment, facilities, etc., but also information on prayer support (importance cannot be overestimated), liturgy, reconciliation, etc.
Suggest that one person from core group be appointed to coordinate physical preparations, another to coordinate food prep and service, and another to coordinate prayer support, liturgy and reconciliation. These people should keep in close contact with team leader of group coming to your location to start Christ Renews for your parish. Receiving parish usually provides for the food.
Discuss when to schedule your first weekend ministered by all local parishioners. Suggest that the parish start with men’s weekend. To start with women can give the retreat an identity as a woman's program, which makes inviting men all the harder.
5. Review costs
Licensing fee. Must be paid prior to discussing dates and ordering handbooks.
Handbook costs. $40 per copy. Each team member, pastoral staff and Continuation Committee member (formed in the future) should have one. Order needed number from Christ Renews office at least 3 weeks prior to weekend.
Equipment, supplies, food, etc., needed for parish weekends. Most items needed are generally available in a parish.
6. Ordinarily, it is best to have 19 people on first men and women teams, including the spiritual director from the parish who will be a participant on the first weekends for men and women. Parishes attempting to start Christ Renews with less than 15 people on their first teams may find themselves in difficulty.
7. People who have said yes to your invitation to come on this first Christ Renews weekend should receive a confirmation letter 14 days prior to the weekend, with some important information:
When to arrive. Normally Saturday morning 8:00 AM. Or in the case of a team formation weekend, Friday evening between 6:30 & 7:00 PM.
How to dress. Casually.
This weekend is important to the parish – thank you for your yes to participate.
Ending time is not exact - generally Sunday afternoon after 4:00 PM. Or in case of team formation weekend, Sunday night between 6-8 PM. Suggest participant call if ride home needed rather than having someone wait.
Please come. Do not cancel.
During the weekend, participants will be invited to become the team for the next weekend.
Sleeping arrangements – what are they? cots? mats? bedding? Whatever. Give the details so attendees may be prepared.
Emergency phone number for families to call if needed.
Any special needs i.e. diet, sleeping, etc., please call contact person.
Refer to the Support for Retreat section for more information on invitations and preparation.
Roles for Parish Liaisons at Receiving Parish
Invitation Suggestions for Receiving Parish