PARISH RENEWAL

Since 2017, St. Rita's Parish has been on a journey of renewal inspired by two passages of scripture:

THE GREAT COMMISSION Matthew 28:19

The renewal of the Church is to return to the mission of the Church which Jesus set in motion as our mission: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. 

EQUIP THE SAINTS Ephesians 4:11-13

And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for works of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.

If we are to make disciples, what is a disciple and how do you make a disciple? The following studies have been used at St. Rita’s parish to explore faith, grow faith and rooted in faith to equip our parish to become the missionary disciples we're all called to be. It's never too late or early to start. Just start! For more information email:  [email protected]

Exploring Faith

Alpha

What is faith? Who is Jesus? If God is real, why is there evil in the world?
If you or a loved one have big questions about life and faith, try Alpha!

Are you new to the community? Or have questions on faith and life? Start with Alpha. Alpha is a casual, non-judgmental place for atheists, agnostics, non-Christians, fallen-away Catholics, and those who have questions about faith to have open, honest conversations about God. Our next Alpha session will begin FEBRUARY, 2023. Each session begins with a meal, followed by an engaging video followed by an honest dialogue about life, faith, and meaning. Come to the first night, or come every week; there’s no pressure, no cost, and no commitment. It's best when you bring a friend.

GROWING IN FAITH

Christ in Our Neighborhood

Christ in Our Neighborhood is an invitation to break open the scriptures for each Sunday in a small group setting. Through the weekly study of Scripture and conversations, participants come to know Christ and make Him known. What better way to prepare for Sunday Mass than to study the scripture before each mass. 
For more info: http://christ-ion.com/

Study guides for each week of Advent:     First Sunday     Second Sunday     Third Sunday     Fourth Sunday

Register for these sessions using this form above.

Catholic Christian Outreach

CCO faith studies help students learn more about their faith and how they can live it out. The material references Scripture verses from the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and other Christian writings. They also employ analogies, useful in sharing spiritual realities in common terms. The studies are intended to fuel discussion in a comfortable, small group setting. The five studies are called Discovery, Source, Growth, Obedience, and Commission.

ROOTED IN FAITH

	Divine Renovation: Bring Your Parish from Maintenance to Mission by Fr. James Mallon Based on the norms of today's secular world, Christendom no longer exists. We are in a new Jerusalem. Divine Renovation provides 10 building blocks, 10 steps to help parish culture shift from maintenance mode to mission. Fr. James Mallon's presentation at the 2017 Religious Education Congress in Los Angeles was the catalyst that set St. Rita’s on a path of renewal and discipleship.  https://www.divinerenovation.tv/programs/dr-part-1_-the-crisis-of-identitymp4?categoryId=18479 For more information, visit https://www.divinerenovation.org/
Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Weddell Sherry Weddell has interviewed over 100,000 Catholic bishops, priests, and lay leaders. The interviews have provided clarity on the stages of conversion and evangelization for intentional discipleship. Fifty copies were given to members of the English and Spanish ministries and were invited to a parish book read in the summer of 2019. This book is being updated to include new statistics of the Church and Sherry's continuous field studies. The first chapter to be updated is "God Has No Grandchildren."  The new edition will be utilized for a future parish book read.
	Unlocking Your Parish: Making Disciples, Raising up Leaders with Alpha  by Ron Huntley & Fr. James Mallon Alpha is a safe place for people to explore their faith and ask questions about life and God. This book shows how Alpha transforms culture as the Holy Spirit inspires disciples and leaders to take an active role in the Mission of the Church. Since September 2018, St. Rita’s Parish has provided the Alpha experience twice a year even taking it from in-person meetings to Zoom gatherings due to Covid. Alpha has been a fruitful experience opening the doors to new studies to equip the holy ones for ministry.
Rescued: The Unexpected and Extraordinary News of the Gospel by Fr. John Riccardo Fr. John Riccardo, Executive Director of XXIX in Detroit, provides a 21st Century view of the Great Story, the Kerygma through a biblical lens that is so relatable as we face a more secular world. This book shows how Jesus rescues us each and every day to bring us back to God our creator.  For more information, visit https://www.actsxxix.org/
	Rebuilt – The Story of a Catholic Parish  by Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran Nativity Parish in Timonium, MD is the basis of this book in how they brought their parish to be on a mission. The Rebuilt movement has opened its doors to St. Rita’s members in their efforts of Making disciples by helping parishes make disciples. With radical hospitality they have welcomed us into their small group sessions to help us in the major principles: Growing wider by welcoming outsiders Growing deeper by providing a clear discipleship path Providing an evangelizing weekend experience  Building a community of leaders For more information, visit https://www.rebuiltparish.com/

Revive Parish

Revive Parish is a FREE online platform designed to help parish leaders learn, grow and renew their parishes. They provide fifteen courses and are master classes on topics such as parish renewal, evangelization, stewardship. The presenters are at the top of their ministry in the U.S. Catholic Church which includes Patrick Lencioni, Christ Stefanik, Katy Prejean McGrady, and Julianne Stanz. Their passion shines through the knowledge they share. Study guides are provided for each of the courses. Every course is great and if you're new and want to explore, start with Tim Glemkowski's course on Parish Renewal.

For more information, visit: https://reviveparishes.com/

COMPLETED TRAINING 2022