LIFE STORY CONVERSATIONS: HOW TO SHARE MY FAITH IN JESUS
Service to the Word Field Education
Evangelization
Jerry T. Souta, Jr.
Candidate Year One: Institute for Diaconal Studies.
May 6, 2017
Father Ken Fleck
St. George Church, Tinley Park, IL
Service to the Word:
Evangelization has been my passion and it has been woven into the tapestry of my faith journey. In my ministry, with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I was a trained consultant in Evangelism and Church Growth, and facilitated consultations with many congregations.
On my journey to conversion to Roman Catholicism, I read with great interest Catholicism’s commitment to the New Evangelization. In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (On Evangelization in the Modern Word), Pope Paul VI wrote that Evangelization is in fact, the grace and vocation most proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize … to be the channel of the gift of grace, to reconcile sinners with God, and to perpetuate Christ’s sacrifice in the Mass, which is the memorial of His death and glorious Resurrection (Hahn; p. 20).
At Saint George Church, I have been fortunate to engage in conversations about Evangelization through RCIA, the Men’s Spirituality Group, and the Parish Pastoral Council. I also was invited to do a presentation for the PPC on Evangelization. There have also been ongoing conversations with our Priests and Deacons. In of all these conversations, a common theme evolved:
How do we nurture and or equip ourselves, as Christian disciples, to share a personal witness of our faith in Jesus Christ? How then does that witness help us to fulfill Jesus’ commission “to make disciples”?
The Word Project I proposed to Father Ken Fleck, our parish Pastor, sought to answer these questions. Before I address the Project itself, it is important, in the context of an emerging New Evangelization in Catholicism, to describe the current landscape of the Roman Catholic Church, and the current landscape of St. George Church in Tinley Park, IL.
The Landscape of the Roman Catholic Church
In the book, Forming Intentional Disciples, the path to knowing and following Jesus, Sherry Weddell, paints this landscape of the Roman Catholic Church. Weddell characterizes this landscape as “climate change”:
In the Catholic Church, specifically, an average 41,000 new Catholics were born into or entered the universal Church on every single day of 2010 (Weddell, p. 17).
She then cites Christianity: Conversions and Defections, Worldwide, 2010 (ibid, p.17):
16 million converted- 43,800 converted every day
11.6 million left- 31,780 left every day
In reference to these statistics, Weddell offers this for our consideration:
The spiritual winds blow both ways in our postmodern world: into and out of the Church. Our spiritual climate provides us with real opportunities and very definite threats if we do not adjust our evangelizing, catechetical, and pastoral practices to the unique challenges of the times in which we live (ibid, p. 18)
One of the fasted-growing demographics in the United States are those persons who claim to be “unaffiliated” or aka “nones”. Weddell then cites these statistics of persons “living in the land of the ‘none’:
16.1% adults are “unaffiliated”- 1/3 “just have not found the right religion”
24% of 18-29 year olds are “unaffiliated”
Weddell offers for our consideration that for the “religious unaffiliated” religion is important or very important but that they are not affiliated with any religious tradition or community and characterize themselves as believers who didn’t regard themselves as belonging anywhere yet were still open to finding for themselves a religious identity of some kind (ibid, p. 20 & 21).
Weddell then describes the ‘ebb and flow’ in Catholicism (ibid, p. 24-26)
“Only 30 percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are still practicing … for the Catholic Church in the United States, fully 10% of all Adults are ex-Catholics, while 2.6% are converts to the Church. In other words, nearly four times as many adults have left as have entered the Church … the annual number of adult converts received into the Church dropped over 35% between 2000 and 2009.
Weddell further describes what she calls the “Coming and Going”, citing these statistics of Catholic adults in the U.S. (ibid, p. 26).
2.6% entered Catholicism- 178,533 adults entered in 2000 while in 2009 115,194 entered and 10.1% have left Catholicism.
Weddell then cites ‘the going somewhere and going nowhere’, specifically these statistics which account for persons becoming Protestant [or Why I Left Catholicism] (ibid, p. 28):
71% “My spiritual needs were not being met”; 70% “I found a religion I liked more”;
21% Sexual Abuse Scandal; 3% Separation or Divorce
Weddell then offers for our consideration these statistics about Catholics who leave, leave early (ibid, p. 33):
Catholics who became “unaffiliated”: 79% left by age 23; 48% left by age 18; 71% left by age 23. Catholics who became Protestant: Of the 66% left Catholicism by age 23; 39% were Protestant by age 23; 43% by age 35; 60% became evangelicals.
Weddell offers other sobering statistics on Mass Attendance and Marriage (ibid, p.35; 36; 38). She also, offers for our consideration that changes of faith are, for most people, a journey and a search, not an instant simple and painless abandonment of belief. She then identifies that there are people, including ex-Catholics, who are “scanning the horizon for spiritual alternatives” (ibid, p.42-43).
In formulating this Word project, it was important for me to consider, if it would plant seeds to reverse these trends citied by Weddell, and to offer spiritual food for those who are spiritually searching for a new spiritual home.
The Landscape of St. George Church, Tinley Park, IL.
I reviewed the reports that St. George Church turns into the Archdiocese of Chicago: Strategic Planning and Implementation (Status Animarum-parish profile). These Reports were from the years, which ended on June 20, 2014; June 30, 2015; June 30, 2016. Kathy Rubino, the Administrative Assistant at St. George further shared that since April 1, 2014, 191 families have registered with St. George, and commented
“Of course, it could be a little higher. I cannot account for the people who did register in the last three years and who are no longer at St. George.”
As portrayed in these Reports, this is the landscape of St. George Church.
Parish Population
Registered Families (estimate): 2014 (3200) 2015 (3200) 2016 (3138)
Registered Persons (estimate): 2014 (11.200) 2015 (11,200) 2016 (10, 983)
Not Registered Families (estimate): 2014 (1000) 2015 (1000) 2016 (1000)
Not Registered Persons (estimate): 2014 (3500) 2015 (3500) 2016 (3500)
Sacraments
Baptisms under 7 years: 2014 (42) 2015 (51) 2016 (41)
Baptisms 7 years and Older: 2014 (0) 2015 (6) 2016 (0)
Reception into Full Communion: 2014 (0) 2015 (0) 2016 (2) (Under 18 Years)
Reception into Full Communion: 2014 (2) 2015 (3) 2016 (0) (18 Years and Older)
First Communion under 18 Years: 2014 (*52) 2015 (59) 2016 (41)
First Communion 18 Years and Older: 2014 (2) 2015 (0) 2016 (3)
Confirmations under 18 Years: 2014 (73) 2015 (70) 2016 (49)
Confirmations 18 Years and Older: 2014 (2) 2015 (3) 2016 (3)
Catholic Marriages: 2014 (15) 2015 (7) 2016 (14)
Interfaith Marriages: 2014 (12) 2015 (6) 2016 (2)
Deaths: Here, I am going to summarize the numbers which account for Burial of Body and Burial of Cremains in the Archdiocese of Chicago Cemetery:
Body/Cremains: 2014 (101) 2015 (98) 2016 (100)
Body Burial Elsewhere: 2014 (12) 2015 (14) 2016 (25)
Other Cremains: 2014 (20) 20154 (19) 2016 (26)
In reviewing the landscape of St. George Church, I offer that there is hope to change the landscape. This hope is grounded in Sherry Weddell’s contention that the traditional Catholic retention strategy needs to be changed, and to prepare ourselves to evangelize people who are seeking faith in Jesus Christ (Weddell, p. 34; p. 254-255) {in my Conclusion, I will expound further on Weddell’s contention about the retention strategy and about the people who are seeking faith in Jesus Christ}
The Service to the Word Project
Two years ago, I did a presentation for the Parish Pastoral Council on Evangelization. A heartfelt discussion triggered by it focused on the need to learn how to share our faith. Since this presentation, my Pastor Father Ken Fleck and I have had discussions about providing members an event, where one could learn how to share one’s faith in Jesus Christ and share how that faith helped a person navigate a life challenge or crisis. Father Ken and I have also had discussions about my prior service in the Presbyterian Church, where for 15 years, I served congregations through my ministry as an Evangelism/Church Growth Consultant. Putting all of this together, Father Ken and I concurred that this Service to Word Project would focus on Evangelization, and providing an opportunity for people to learn how to share one’s faith in Jesus Christ.
The Key Concepts for this Project are: Evangelization; Faith in Jesus Christ; Christian Witness/Outreach
I would name the proposal for my project: LIFE STORY CONVERSATIONS: HOW TO SHARE MY FAITH IN JESUS
There are three components to this Service to the Word Project.
@ Host a one day retreat, Life Story Conversations (through it people would learn how to share their faith story with other persons)
@ The Weekly Bulletin (recruit persons to write a brief Life Story in which he or she shares a time when faith in Jesus Christ helped them navigate a life challenge or life crisis)
@ Home Visitations: Recruit teams of two persons to visit St. George families (They would present a loaf of bread [Fth. Ken’s bakery] with a scripture verse attached to it- “Jesus is the Bread of Life”; the visit would be a “check-in” as to the status of that family). The Life Story conversations workshop would be a preparation for these visitations.
In consultation with Father Ken, we concurred that these families would be the focus for these visitations: inactive members of St. George; families whose children are in catechesis but who do not attend Mass; recently married couples; newly registered families.
As a focal vortex for this Word Project, there is the Mission Statement for St. George Church:
We, the faith-filled community of St. George, nourished by God’s Word and His Sacraments and renewed by the Holy Spirit, accept the call to continue the mission of Christ by living in, sharing and transforming our world.
This Mission Statement guides the ministry and mission of the Parish Pastoral Council. This Council, through four Divisions (Worship and Spiritual Life; Service and Outreach; Parish Life; Education) oversees 64 parish ministries.
In consultation with Father Ken Fleck, and to inform this Word Project, I chose these three ministries for Interviews and Visitations: The Kingdom Retreat; Adult Faith Formation; Evangelization
My first Interview and Meeting was with Linda Whitaker, the Coordinator for the Evangelization ministry. Linda reviewed and discussed with me, St. George’s Marketing Plan for the New Evangelization.
In support of this Plan, she named activities which are facilitated by this ministry: Direct Mailings to Homes; Door Hangers for Homes; Advertisements which are included in a Valpak (a general mailing to homes in the community which also includes coupons for such things as restaurants and home improvements); St. George Family yard signs; Resources on the table in the Sanctuary (Holy Cards/CD’s/baskets of Rosaries with pamphlets & bumper stickers); In the Narthex, there is a magazine rack with various journals (e.g. Emmanuel, Eucharist Spirituality), a counter and bulletin board (brochures & or flyers on events such as the Marian Conference, Pastoral Leadership Conference; Newspapers such as the Archdiocesan Diocesan Catholic New World); providing a Welcoming Packet to New Members (in the packet are a Crucifix; Rosary & related pamphlet; Holy Water; Mass information; St. George Church Bulletin; Father Ken’s Cookbook; a fresh baked item from Father Ken).
We discussed my Word Project, in the context of St. George’s Marketing Plan for the New Evangelization. When I met with the members of her ministry, we discussed it in the same context and they strongly supported the facilitation of it, especially the Life Story Conversations Retreat and the Home Visitations. Everyone liked the thought of parishioners sharing their faith story in the weekly bulletin, but offered that if a person did it, he or she would benefit from meeting with a Priest or Deacon to discuss it, before submission to the Bulletin.
My second Interview and Meeting was with Maureen Cetera, the Moderator of Adult Faith Formation. She shared, that their purpose is to foster cohesiveness for the faith formation of St. George Church. In support of Adult Faith Formation, Maureen named these ministries: Catholic Women Sharing Faith; Prayer Shawl Ministry for the sick and shut-ins; Youth Ministry; Pro-Life; Religious Education; St. George Kingdom Retreat; Fall Parish Mission; Advent Novena to the Immaculate Conception; Acts of Faith hosted Father Michael Pfleger addressing the Christina Witness to Violence in the Inner City; a monthly Book Club, currently Silence by Shusaku Endo; hosts a monthly movie, currently The Way; The Men’s Group (currently hosting a three-year program-That Man is You!). Maureen further shared that Adult Faith Formation hosts First Sunday fellowship gatherings for St. George families (there is food and activities for children, youth, & adults); a Lenten Day of Reflection; a week night Lenten Soup & Theology; at Christmas, an event through which Christmas Cards are sent to Prisoners; Daybreak (monthly a group of children, youth, & adults go to a homeless shelter in Joliet to provide meals for the homeless.). We discussed my Word Project, in the context of her work with these ministries, and from her conversations with parishioners.
Maureen strongly supported it, and shared that the Life Story Conversations Retreat and the Home Visitations were critical components of adult faith formation. We also discussed, that persons who had participated in the Kingdom Weekend Retreat, shared their faith stories through it. Maureen and I discussed, that sharing of one’s faith story, in the Bulletin, would offer an opportunity for Kingdom alumni to share their own, as experienced through the Retreat.
My last Interview and Meeting was with Sheila Swillum, who oversees the Planning Committee, for the Kingdom Weekend Retreat. The Kingdom Retreat has been offered to St. George parishioners for seven years. There are eight faith-based topics covered through the retreat, and the person who leads a presentation integrates a personal story from his or her own faith journey. Through experiencing the weekend, the hope is that participants will recognize how much one is loved by God, and that one can now share their own faith story. Sheila shared that two words guide the planning for this Kingdom retreat: Witnessing and Discernment.
Following the Kingdom Retreat, persons meet for a reunion within two weeks of it, and throughout the year, there are three other gatherings with Kingdom Retreat alumni. I shared with Sheila (from Sherry A. Weddell’s book: Forming Intentional Disciples, the path to knowing and following Jesus), Weddell’s contention that we need to provide more opportunities, like the Kingdom Retreat, so that parishioners can have experiences that correlates to one’s personal interior faith journey, and second, if that is offered to them, then what normally happens is that there are no opportunities offered afterwards which will allow a person to build on what he or she experienced, other than to “invite them to join a ministry such as Youth Ministry, Minister of Care, Lector, Eucharistic Minister, etc.” In the context of Weddell’s second contention, about failing to offer such opportunities, we discussed how an event like a one day retreat Life Story Conversations, can serve as a building block to what a person has experienced on the Kingdom Retreat. In regards to sharing faith stories in the Bulletin, I shared my conversation with Maureen Certera about it, and Sheila also agreed that it would offer the opportunity for Kingdom alumni to share their own, as experienced through the Retreat. We also discussed, that an experience like the Kingdom retreat, offers persons the opportunity to discern their gifts and calling for facilitating Home Visitations, and that the Life Story Retreat included a component for role-playing Home Visitations. Sheila told me that she would report, on our meeting, to her Planning Committee for the Kingdom Retreat. She later told me that everyone agreed that the Life Story Retreat, would be a wonderful ‘follow-up’ opportunity to build on what persons experienced in the Kingdom Retreat. Sheila also told me that they would share at the Retreat, information about the Life Story Conversations Retreat, and that there were plans for offering it to parishioners.
In my Interviews and Meetings with Linda, Maureen, and Sheila, we discussed how St. George’s ministries are supported by the Diocese, Vicariate, and Deanery. Parishioners serve on the Vicariate and or Deanery Councils and provide communications to the Parish Pastoral Council, Parish Staff, and Parishioners on activities sponsored through the Diocese which support Evangelization. We also discussed how the Parish Pastoral Council, through St. George’s ministries, promotes and supports special programs, like To Teach Who Christ Is and the annual Diocesan Leadership Conference. The support and resources from the Diocesan Office of Evangelization & Missionary Discipleship are also utilized.
Implementation of The Service to the Word Project and Critical Analysis
I met with Father Ken Fleck to discuss my Interviews and Meetings with three ministries: The Kingdom Retreat; Adult Faith Formation; Evangelization. Through this consultation, we came to this agreement about the implementation of this Word Project.
@ To offer parishioners, in the near future, the one day retreat, Life Story Conversations.
This retreat would be sponsored by the Kingdom Retreat, Adult Faith Formation, and Evangelization ministries, and planned with persons from them. The Planning Committee would determine the costs for this retreat (printing of handouts; lunch; beverages and snack; promotional materials.)
It was also suggested to me, that as the Archdiocese of Chicago has initiated the project Renew my Church, that this retreat be offered to the parishes in our cluster. Father Ken and I concurred, that we first offer it to our own members, as a “pilot program’, and then, based on its receptivity at our parish, offer it to those parishes in our Renew my Church cluster.
@ The Weekly Bulletin (recruit persons to write a brief Life Story in which he or she shares a time when faith in Jesus Christ helped them navigate a life challenge or life crisis)
Father Ken and I discussed the merits of it. We both agreed, for several worthy reasons, to put this project on the “back burner”. I had shared with Father Ken, a story from my own faith journey, as an illustration of what could be shared in the Bulletin. With Father Ken’s blessing, it was published in the Bulletin on Mercy Sunday, April 23, 2017. This is that faith story, The Road to Emmaus.
My name is Jerry Souta (Jr). I have been a member of this parish since 2013, and am currently in formation for the Diaconate. On my prodigal faith journey, I have experienced Jesus’ presence and friendship, and through it, his grace and mercy was woven into my life. This is one of those stories. I was living in Rochester, NY and going through stressful transitions- loss of employment and loss of residence (non-renewal of a lease). It was as if a dark cloud hovered over me and all light was eclipsed. Hope was elusive. With the setting sun baptizing me, I went for a walk along a river near where I lived. I left the pathway to walk along a city street, and came to an Episcopal parish. The marquee announced that a Healing Service with Communion was being hosted that evening. I went to the service with no expectations. Coming forward for prayer and anointing, I felt the heavy burden of hovering darkness. I kneeled, bowed my head, shared my story. With warm hands, I was anointed, and comforted when they were laid on my head, and a blessing pronounced. I felt the hovering darkness leave me, as tears baptized my face. When the Host and the Cup were offered to me, joy flooded my heart and soul. The lesson learned that night and one that is experienced over and again on my prodigal faith journey: No matter what may come our way and wreak havoc on our humpty dumpty lives, there is nothing which ever separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ! (Romans 8:37-39)
@Home Visitations
Father Ken and I agreed that persons need training and need to discern their comfort level for conducting home visitations. I shared that Home Visitations was a component of the Life Story Retreat, and included role-plays. I noted, that the retreat offered the opportunity for persons to discern their comfort level, and their commitment to it. We also concurred, that we inform persons at the retreat, who felt called to a Home Visitation Ministry, that there would be further training with me and Father Ken. I also told Father Ken that I would prepare a Manuel for Home Visitations.
Conclusion
As an affirmation and confirmation of this Service to Word Project, I committed myself to further education about the New Evangelization. The seeds for it were planted when I watched Bishop Robert Barron’s Catholicism: The New Evangelization. In the course of doing this Project, I read books by Sherry A. Weddell, Scot Hahn, and George Weigel. I also read articles.
In the course of doing my research for this Word Project, in consideration of the Catholicism landscape, and St. George’s landscape, I found myself challenged to take seriously Sherry Weddell’s contention that “when what worked before doesn’t work anymore” (Weddell, p. 34-35):
Since the later sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, the Catholic retention strategy has been (a) childhood catechesis and (b) sacramental initiation. Four hundred years ago, CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) and the Catholic school system were cutting-edge responses to the crisis of the Protestant Reformation … The assumption was that a carefully nurtured religious identity acquired in childhood would endure throughout life … But the evidence suggests that what worked in the seventeenth century does not work in the twenty-first … Pew researchers found that attending CCD, youth groups, and even Catholic high schools made little or no difference in whether or not an American Catholic teens ended up staying Catholic, becoming Protestant, or leaving to become “unaffiliated”.
Weddell offers that Normative Catholicism involves three concurrent spiritual journeys, that in practice, are often treated as separates (ibid, p. 54):
(1) The personal interior journey of a lived relationship with Christ resulting in intentional discipleship
(2) The ecclesial journey into the Church through reception of the sacraments of initiation.
(3) The journey of active practice (as evidenced by receiving the sacraments, attending Mass, and participating in the life and mission of the Christian community.
Weddell offers that what has happened in our Catholic Churches is that “many Catholics think one needn’t ask about the first journey if the second and third journeys are in place. She then offers this for our consideration:
Personal discipleship will inevitably be treated as a kind of optional accessory in a Catholic community where less than half are confident that they can have a personal relationship with God and nearly 30% don’t believe in a personal God at all. (ibid p. 54 & p. 55).
Weddell challenges me to ask myself “How, for instance, in Religious Education, Cathechesis, and Homilies, do we focus on this personal interior personal journey of a lived relationship with Christ resulting in intentional discipleship?”
Weddell offers this for consideration as we consider how we are implementing the New Evangelization (ibid, p. 254 & 255):
In order to evangelize our own within the Church and those whose lives we touch outside, we need to deliberately form a wide range of Catholic disciples to: ask where people are in their relationship with God and their profession of faith that ‘Jesus Christ is my personal Lord and Savior’; share with persons the basics of the Great Story in a way that invites intentional discipleship; challenge one another to make the decision to follow Jesus as a disciple; respond helpfully to one another’s current spiritual needs.
In my calling to be a Deacon, I offer that my gifts and talents support the Church’s Ministry of the Word: The Deacon as Evangelizer and Teacher. It is my prayer and hope to be instrumental in helping St. George Church fulfill the vision of the New Evangelization.
I close with these words from Blessed Saint Pope John Paul II, from his encyclical Redemptoris Missio (cited in Hahn, p. 24):
“I sense that the moment has come to commit all of the Church’s energies to a new evangelization … No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples.”
Bibliography
Allison, Grady & Fairchild, Roy. (April 1981-7th Printing). Lifestory Conversations (New Dimensions in a Ministry of Evangelistic Calling & Lifestory Conversations Training). New York, New York. Evangelism Program of the United Presbyterian Church.
D’Inville, Emeric Amyot C.M. (1995). “Parish with a Powerful Missionary Vitality, with Parish Evangelization Cells”. Vincentiana: Vol.39: No.4, Article 12.
Barron, Bishop Robert. (February 21, 2017. “Evangelizing through the Good”. Word on Fire Website (WordOnFire.Org).
Cummings, Fr. Michael (October 3, 2016). “Dear Young Adults: 6 Reasons Why You Need the Church”. Word on Fire Website WordOnFire.Org).
Hahn, Scott. (2014). Evangelizing Catholics, a mission manual for the New Evangelization. Huntington, Ind. Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division. Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
Tomeo, Teresa. (September 13, 2016). “No More ‘Nones’- when Catholics ignore this growing group that has rejected religion, we do so at our own peril”. Our Sunday Visitor Newsweekly.
Wagner, Nick. (2016). “Journey to the source: Five things you need to know about the RCIA”. Team RCIA. (Team RCIA.com).
Weddell, Sherry A. (2012). Forming Intentional Disciples, the path to knowing and following Jesus. Huntington, Ind. Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division. Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.
Weigel, George. (2013). Evangelical Catholicism, deep reform in the 21st-century Church. New York, New York. Basic Books (a member of the Perseus Books Group).
