Evening of Discipleship

These notes supplement the instructions for Evening of Discipleship in the Christ Renews His Parish handbook.

Set up:

  • In witness room, approximate witness room set up. Bring CRHP manuals to gathering space for check out following commissioning. Reserve church.

  • In church, two circles with invitees on inside, team on outside.

Hand outs:

  • Team Commitment sheets

  • CRHP manuals

  • Extra pens, personal commitment sheets, name tags

  • Ceremonial candle for new Continuation Committee member

Begin in witness room.

7:00 Opening Prayer (Father or Weekend Co-Spiritual Director)

7:05 Introductory remarks (Father or Continuation Committee member)

  • Purpose of evening to commission next Christ Renews Team

  • Each person makes a prayerful decision about what God is calling her to do

  • Explain Continuation Committee, support for Christ Renews

o   Who is on the committee

o   Role of continuation is to make sure the process is followed; we use the manual as a reference guide, and to facilitate the process; make sure facilities and other support mechanisms are in place

7:15 Review of weekend and personal commitment (Weekend Co-spiritual director)

  • Most of you were touched very personally this weekend

  • You may have discovered a deep well of spirituality within you

  • You may have healed an old wound or hurt

  • You may have opened up a new relationship with Jesus

  • You may have learned new ways to pray

  • You may have opened up the Bible and found words of advice and comfort

  • You may have a new perspective on your life in the Holy Spirit

  • You may have met new friends

  • You may have gotten insights into how to contribute differently to this parish community

This personal growth requires a personal commitment…a commitment to continuing your discovering of God through his holy word and through prayer, and a commitment to discipleship and to ministry, whatever form that takes for you.

I’d like all of us to read together the personal commitment we made during the weekend.

7:20 Sharing of Renewal Experiences by Invitees (Weekend Lay Director)

  • Leads group in sharing, brief moments (go around the tables)

7:50 Team Commitment (Weekend Lay Director)

Reflection on meaning of team commitment

  • Personal growth

  • Participation in spiritual renewal of the parish

  • Support each other as a community of service and discipleship, specifically focused on next Christ Renews weekend

8:00 Sharing of Renewal Experiences by Team (Weekend Lay Director)

  • Start with Lay Director, end with Co-Spiritual Director

  • Share personal/ministerial experiences of past weekend

  • Reflect on opportunities to grow during formation

8:30 Team Commitment (Continuation Committee member)

Explain the Team Commitment Sheet

During the weekend you made a personal commitment to Jesus. Now you are being asked to prayerfully consider making a commitment to this parish, to each other and to the group of women who will make the weekend in the fall. I just want to read a short verse from Romans that I think sums up why a commitment to others is so important to our continued spiritual growth. This is in the New Testament, Romans 1:11-12.

“For I long to see you, that I many share with you some spiritual gifts so that you may be strengthened, that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith.”

It’s tough to be a Christian out in the world. Jesus knew that, and called together a group of Apostles to support and encourage each other.

Rick Warren, who wrote the Purpose Driven Life, puts it another way:
”You are called to belong, not just to believe…it may seem easier to be holy when no one else is around to frustrate your preferences, but that is false, untested holiness…We need more than the Bible to grow; we need each other. We grow faster and stronger by learning from each other and being accountable to each other.

If you look at the team commitment sheet you’ve been giving, you will note that you’re are being called to share, to support each other, to participate in whatever ministry God calls you to, to prepare and to continue your spiritual growth. In a few minutes I’m going to ask you to sign and date that sheet as a symbol of your commitment to this process and to the team.

But a few details first:

The next Christ Renews retreat is DATE.

If you feel called to Team X, you will begin meeting, probably weekly, to get to know each other better through Faith Sharing and History Giving. This does not involve giving a witness, simply sharing a bit of background on yourself and your faith journey. So don’t feel like you have to rush home tonight and write a witness!

Then you will be discerned as a team, through prayer coming to know the ministry in which God is calling you to serve. You’ll have lots of questions about that process and I can’t really describe it, just know that it will be prayer filled and God will direct it. Just ask any of the women from Team X…I’m sure they will agree that each was called to the right ministry.

After that you’ll spend the next five months leading up to the retreat growing in faith together, through sharing scripture, sharing prayer, listening and responding to witnesses. You’ll probably meet once a week for about 3 hours. It may seem like a huge time commitment, and it is. But if you put God first, the other commitments will work out.

One question you may have is on what night Team X will hold its formation meetings. If you are called to Team X, then the night will work out. (Announce night if it is set already.) And if you feel you need to discuss this with a spouse or significant other, you can do that but we’d ask that you let TEAM CSD know about your commitment by this weekend. And you are welcome to go to the commissioning even if you have not signed the commitment sheet.

Formation is not about planning a weekend. It is about continuing the spiritual growth you began last weekend. For those of us who’ve gone through formation, we can attest that it’s an amazing journey of faith. The words of one of my favorite songs kind of sums up formation:

“Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?

Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?”

And that spiritual growth will culminate in your sharing your faith with other women of the parish during the Christ Renews retreat in the fall. If the spark that you experienced last weekend is to continue, it will be you who keep the candle burning. We often say there are no professional Christ Renews putter onners!

For the next few minutes I’m going to ask you to prayerfully consider your response to God’s call to be on Team 3. Then I’ll ask those of you who feel called to sign the team commitment sheet.

9:00 Move to sanctuary for commissioning (Weekend Co-spiritual director)

  • Invite all to move to sanctuary for commissioning, even if you are still deciding.

  • Ask those going on with new team to gather around the altar, old team and others around them for support

9:05 Commissioning of New Team (Father)

  • Invite new team members to read team commitment together

  • New team prays “Renewal Prayer”

  • Old team extends hands over new team, invoke Holy Spirit (audibly, simultaneously)

  • Conclude with “Come Holy Ghost”

  • Old team applauds new team

9:15 New Continuation Committee Members Installed (Outgoing Continuation Committee member)

  • Outgoing member presents ceremonial candle to new member

  • Father thanks new member for service

  • Everyone prays for him/her

  • Everyone applauds him/her

Closing Song: Here I Am Lord

9:30 Set time and place for History Giving and Faith Sharing (New Co-spiritual director)

  • Announce time and place (Or agree on time/place if not already set)

  • Ask to write personal statement of commitment to team by next time

  • Remind team to bring name tag, Bibles, team commitment sheet to meeting

Hand out manuals in gathering space.