The Growing Faith Project

Specific suggestions for using Growing Faith with catechumens and candidates in the RCIA process, for returning Catholics and those never confirmed...

The truths of the Catholic faith are rooted in the deepest recesses of what it means to be authentically human. When you invite people to explore these truths using Growing Faith you offer them a glimpse into the holy and into the human heart. This is a powerful experience

Keep offering. Keep the welcome strong and loud. Keep assuring folks that they will find here the seeds of eternity, the bread of life which satisfies the hunger in their hearts.

The normal process of inviting people to the catechumenate involves use of the local newspapers, outreach to family members, and other means.

Conduct your inquiry sessions in the RCIA as you normally would.

The Gathering

Once the inquiry period comes to an end and the process of learning about the Catholic faith begins, gather folks for this purpose.
Most of the time, these gatherings are rather small, perhaps ten or twenty in number. This is a perfect setting for using Growing Faith.
Make sure the room you use is welcoming and that each person who comes through the door feels that welcome. Use name tags often, wearing one yourself if you’re the leader. Have refreshments available as part of your hospitality, or perhaps even a simple meal.
Use a room that has in it symbols of our faith such as a crucifix, sacred art, an enshrined copy of our Sacred Scriptures, and so forth. The ambience and symbols create part of the teaching environment.

The Welcome

Let people come in as far as they can in this process, and stay as long as they want. No one can be forced to love the faith, or to join the church. Let each one’s individual journey of faith unfold. But make sure you welcome everyone, regardless their situation in life.

Break Open the Word

In the catechumenate especially, this activity is on-going and important because we know that, by sharing faith with each other, we ourselves experience a turning of our hearts, which is a conversion to Christ.

The Process

Follow the session plans presented in Part Three of the Facilitator’s Guide, allowing plenty of time for sharing. The PowerPoint presentation may be awkward to use if the group size is too small, but even in small groups, many people appreciate having various ways to learn. The session plans are written to work with or without the PowerPoint.
The best course of study for folks in this group is to begin with Growing Faith booklet one and continue to the end. This will provide a systematic and comprehensive presentation of the Catholic faith.
But take your time in presenting and processing the material in Growing Faith. It is a rich resource with many reflections and explorations.

Afterward

Many times, folks exploring their faith have personal issues to talk through, or events from their past lives which they may want to reconcile. Provide the means for this by offering contact through you. Have ready the connections you may need: to the pastor, to pastoral care in the parish, to outside counseling services, or simply to talk with you about what’s on their minds as their journey of faith unfolds.
Urge participants to keep a collection of these booklets, returning to re-read them often as they grow in their faith. Feel free to provide participants with a photocopy of the index provided in the Appendices of the Facilitator’s Guide.

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