Evangelization
“The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized.” The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis I, n. 120
Christ Life: Discovering Christ, Following Christ and Sharing Christ
ChristLife is a three-part evangelization series; part one is called Discovering Christ, part two is called Following Christ and part three is Sharing Christ. The objective of Discovering Christ finds its expression in the second goal of the U.S. Bishops’ evangelization plan, Go and Make Disciples: “To invite every person in the United States to come to know Jesus in the fullness of our Catholic Faith” (53). Discovering Christ intends to ambitiously meet this goal by equipping Catholic individuals and parishes with a simple set of tools to invite others to hear and embrace the Gospel.
I feel Jesus wants us to invite him into each and every part of our lives. The Christ Life series helped me to see this. Invite him to the party as well as to the time to clean up afterwards.
Parents who are attending GIFT are especially invited to participate in ChristLife. “This experience invites every person, baptized or unbaptized, to encounter the love of God the Father, enter into or renew a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as God’s children (ChristLife).” We feel that, especially for parents, this personal relationship with Jesus must be developed and nurtured so that it can be modeled for, and passed on to their children.
All are welcome to attend. Do you know anyone in your life, community or even at St. Matthias who wonders about the meaning of life? Discovering Christ creates this open door for anyone who is searching for deeper meaning and provides an opportunity to share the Good News and nurture their personal love of Jesus Christ. Following Christ helps participants understand Jesus’ desire for us to be disciples, and Sharing Christ is designed to give participants the courage and skills necessary to go out and share the Good News!
The most impactful thing about Christ Life has been a recognition that we are called to evangelize – to share Jesus with others in our daily lives and that the series gave me the skills and confidence to do this effectively and without fear.
All three parts of the ChristLife series will be offered this year beginning on September 18, 2019 at 7:00 pm with Discovering Christ. To find our more about Christ Life, contact Sabrina.
Welcome Ambassadors
Members of our Pastoral Council serve as Welcome Ambassadors for new preschool and parish families. A call or email is extended to welcome new members to our community and introduce them to our programs and services.
Greeters
A group of parishioners are taking turns serving as Greeters at the 10:30 am Mass. Their duties include being familiar with our Pastoral Plan, Shaping Our Future, and the various ministries and services provided at St. Matthias. They arrive fifteen minutes early, read the bulletin to become familiar with upcoming events, greet parishioners and guests as they enter the church, and direct new parishioners or people with questions to the parish office. After Mass, they handout bulletins and thank those who’ve worshipped with us.