1. Welcome
Introduce yourself
Introduce the Effective Catechetical Leader series as a joint effort between Loyola Press and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL)

2. That’s SO last millennium!
The Effective DRE
Explain that the original collaboration was titled The Effective DRE series and that it was published in the late 1990s
Talk about how the Church, society, and the world have experienced significant changes in these past several decades leading to the need to revise the series
NCCL approached Loyola Press about collaborating on a revision several years ago and the new series came to fruition in 2017.
That’s SO last millennium!

3. The Effective Catechetical Leader
Do a brief overview of the titles and their authors:
Called by Name: Preparing Yourself for the Vocation of Catechetical Leader – Joe Paprocki (National Consultant for Faith Formation, Loyola Press)
Catechetical Leadership: What It Should Look Like, How It Should Work, and Whom It Should Serve – Adrian Alberto Herrera (Associate Director for the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston)
Developing Disciples of Christ: Understanding the Critical Relationship between Catechesis and Evangelization – Julianne Stanz (Director of New Evangelization, Diocese of Green Bay)

4. The Effective Catechetical Leader
Cultivating Your Catechists: How to Recruit, Encourage and Retain Successful Catechists – Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy (Director of Religious Education, Diocese of Honolulu)
Excellence in Ministry: Best Practices for Successful Catechetical Leadership – Tom Quinlan (Director of Religious Education, Diocese of Joliet)
All God’s People: Effective Catechesis in a Diverse Church – Donna Tolliver Grimes (Assistant Director for African American Affairs in the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

5. Developing Disciples of Christ
Understanding the Critical Relationship between Catechesis and Evangelization
By Julianne Stanz
Introduce the focus of this presentation:
Developing Disciples of Christ: Understanding the Critical Relationship between Catechesis and Evangelization - This book centers on the inseparability of evangelism and catechesis, and gives catechetical leaders a proper understanding of their interconnectedness.
Julianne Stanz is a nationally known speaker, retreat leader, storyteller, and the Director of New Evangelization for the Diocese of Green Bay and a consultant to the USCCB Committee on Catechesis and Evangelization. Julianne is married with three children and spends her time reading, writing, teaching and collecting beach glass.

6. What, on earth, are we doing?
When it comes to faith formation, are we just going through the motions?
Discuss what it means when something becomes “routine” – it becomes something we consistently do the same way with little or no thought.
Explain that, in many ways, our approaches to faith formation have become routine.
Invite participants to identify ways in which our approaches to faith formation have become routine.
Explain that the current challenges we face in proclaiming the Gospel to the current generation requires that we re-think our approaches and seek more effective ways of reaching people’s hearts and minds.

7. Evangelization is our deepest identity as Church
“The Church exists in order to evangelize.”
Paul VI – Evangelii Nuntiandi
Explain that, in light of the challenges we currently face as a Church, we have been forced to rethink precisely what our purpose is.
Point out that such efforts have led us to embrace our deepest identity as a Church that exists in order to evangelize.
Point out the quote from Pope Paul VI from Evangelii Nuntiandi.
Photo credit: Ambrosius007 at English Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 ( or GFDL ( via Wikimedia Commons

8. Evangelization Is Not:
Rooted in the person of Jesus Christ and his Body, the church.
Spreading an idea, philosophy, or ideology.
Sharing your heartfelt understanding of how your life has been touched by God and your response to his love.
Having a neat and coherent response to every question that we may be asked.
Living the joy of the Gospels each day so that others may wonder  about the source of our joy.
Memorization of rote texts or Scripture verses so that we can pepper our conversations with them.
Continually growing in an understanding of faith.
Dependent on our ability to regurgitate what we may have been taught in the tenth grade.
Invitational, open, and dialogical.
Aggressive and seeks to condemn or ridicule.
Dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit.
Dependent on our own work.
Guiding people to see the light of Christ.
Imposing moral judgments.
Encouraging people to look deeply and to seek beauty, truth, and goodness.
Slick marketing or promotional efforts.
Understanding that the Lord already precedes us as we are made in his image and likeness. He has already saved us.
Making assumptions and being condescending towards others.
Cover the points on the slide that indicate what evangelization is and what it is not.
Invite participants to identify which points resonate most with them; which they find most challenging; which they find most inspirational
Consider using chapter 5 printout, “The Process of Evangelization” to further discussion.

9. What is the New Evangelization?
A “re-proposing” of the encounter with Jesus Christ, his Gospel, and the Church, to those who no longer find the Church’s message engaging.
New ardor
New expressions
New methods
Point out that St. Pope John Paul II called for a New Evangelization. Explain that the “old evangelization” was characterized by “specialists” (missionaries) bringing the Gospel to foreign lands.
Point out that the New Evangelization calls on EACH of us to bring the Gospel to those around us in our own communities.
Explain that the New Evangelization is a “re-proposing” of the encounter with Jesus Christ, his Gospel, and the Church, to those who no longer find the Church’s message engaging and is characterized by new ardor, expressions, and methods.
Consider using chapter 2 printout, “New Ardor, New Methods, New Expressions” to further discussion.
Photo credit: By The Catholic news agency of the Bishops' Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Katolička tiskovna agencija Biskupske konferencije Bosne i Hercegovine) ( [Attribution], via Wikimedia Commons

10. (General Directory for Catechesis #105)
What is the relationship between evangelization and catechesis?
"Catechesis is nothing other than the process of transmitting the Gospel, as the Christian community has received it, understands it, celebrates it, lives it and communicates it in many ways."
(General Directory for Catechesis #105)
Point out that evangelization and catechesis are inseparable realities and that it is difficult to identify where one reality “ends” and the other “begins.”
Explain: Evangelization aims to put people in touch with Jesus Christ, and catechesis builds upon this relationship and “formalizes” it. The two are inseparable.
Share the quote on the slide of a definition of catechesis from the General Directory for Catechesis.
Re-emphasize that our evangelization efforts must be shored up by good catechesis and that our catechetical efforts must always be evangelizing!

11. The Kerygma
The first proclamation of the Gospel to those who have not yet encountered the Lord, is a simple, basic, to-the-point, inspiring proclamation of a person – Jesus Christ – designed to transform hearts and minds and make disciples.
Ask if anyone has heard of the word kerygma.
Explain that the kerygma refers to the first efforts of the Apostles to evangelize and catechize those who had not yet encountered Christ.
Share the definition of the kerygma on the slide: a simple, basic, to-the-point, inspiring proclamation of a person – Jesus Christ, designed to transform hearts and minds and make disciples.
Look for examples of the kerygma in the Acts of the Apostles: 3:12-26; 17:1-3. Invite participants to characterize what they hear in these kerygmatic speeches.

12. The Kerygma
Our present reality is broken but there is a new reality – a new way of living: the Kingdom of God!
Jesus Christ – the Son of God – is the embodiment of this new reality.
Jesus Christ is no ordinary man – he did/does amazing deeds.
Most amazingly, he laid down his life for us by dying on the Cross.
Point out that, in many ways, the strategy of the kerygma is not unlike that of a marketing strategy – especially TV ads – whose aim is to transform hearts and minds about the product or resource they are selling.
Go over the steps found in the kerygma that are outlined on the slide.
Think of TV commercials that follow this same approach: pointing out a need or a problem, proposing a solution, touting the “amazing-ness” of the product or service being promoted, etc.

13. But he overcame death by rising from the dead and HE LIVES!
The Kerygma
But he overcame death by rising from the dead and HE LIVES!
The Risen Christ invites YOU to follow him.
In order to do so, you will need to repent – literally, “change your mind”
This new way of life is sustained by a commitment to Jesus’ Church
This new way of life is called discipleship.
Continue going through the list of the steps of the kerygma that are outlined on the slide.
Again, point out how TV ads mimic this: “but wait, there’s more!”; invitations to let go of old ways and purchase this new product; make a commitment; become a “customer evangelist” telling others about how your life is changed/improved because of your purchase
Consider using chapter 3 printout “The Kerygma Experience” to further the discussion

14. Discipleship is an Apprenticeship: Learning from the Master
A Personal Relationship
Prayer
Commitment
Worship
Study
Openness
Participation
Service
Generosity
Evangelization
Point out that the ultimate goal of evangelization and catechesis is to make disciples.
Explain that a disciple is an apprentice who learns from a master. Review this list:
A Personal Relationship. A disciple has a personal relationship with Jesus, can articulate it, and introduces others to Jesus.
Prayer. A disciple prays regularly.
Commitment. A disciple has a commitment to Jesus, his church, and the kingdom.
Worship. A disciple worships regularly.
Study. A disciple studies sacred Scripture and other Christian writings.
Openness. A disciple is open to the Holy Spirit and to where the Lord is leading him or her.
Participation. A disciple participates in the community and in the sacramental life of the church.
Service. A disciple serves others in the name of Jesus Christ.
Generosity. A disciple shares his or her personal gifts, time, and treasure with the Lord and his church.
Evangelization. A disciple evangelizes the world through word and deeds.
Invite participants to talk about people who mentored them into a life of discipleship.
Talk about what faith formation would look like if it employed an apprenticeship approach to discipleship.
Ask participants to share examples of apprenticeship occurring in their parishes.

15. The Six Tasks of Catechesis
Knowledge of the Faith
Liturgical Education
Moral Formation
Learning to Pray
Education for Community Life
Preparation for Missionary Witness
Explain that, in catechesis, there are six major tasks to be accomplished:
Knowledge of the faith – knowing our faith Tradition
Liturgical Education – understanding Catholic worship
Moral Formation – knowing moral principles
Learning to Pray – developing approaches to deepen one’s relationship with the Lord through prayer
Education for Community Life – learning to contribute the building up of the Body of Christ
Preparation for Missionary Witness – knowing how to go out into the world with the Good News of Christ.
Consider using chapter 6 printout “Addressing the Six Tasks of Catechesis with Children” to further discussion.

16. Divine Pedagogy: Teaching as God Teaches
Emphasizes God’s love for each person and his or her free response to God.
Accepts the progressive and gradual nature of revelation, the nature of the Word of God, and its adaptation to differences in cultures and persons.
Places Christ at the center of all catechetical efforts.
Point out that the word pedagogy refers to the “method” or “approach” used to teach
Explain that God employed a distinct pedagogy in revealing his plan of salvation over many millennia.
Point out that we refer to God’s approach as “Divine Pedagogy” and that, in our catechesis, we strive to imitate God’s approach to revealing the Good News.
Go over the points on the slide that identify various aspects of Divine Pedagogy.

17. Divine Pedagogy: Teaching as God Teaches
Values the community experience of faith.
Is rooted in interpersonal relations and the process of dialogue.
Uses signs that link word and deed to teaching and experience.
Bears witness to the truth and draws power from the truth revealed by the Holy Spirit.
Continue leading participants through the list on the slide of various characteristics of Divine Pedagogy.
Invite participants to share how these elements of Divine Pedagogy can and should be manifested in our faith formation.
Talk about implications and ramifications for following Divine Pedagogy in our faith formation efforts.

18. (Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us)
Adult Faith Formation
Adult catechesis is “the principal form of catechesis, because it is addressed to persons who have the greatest responsibilities and the capacity to live the Christian message in its fully developed form.” (Catechesi Tradendae, 43)
Goal 1. Inviting and enabling ongoing conversion to Jesus in holiness of life.
Goal 2. Promoting and supporting active membership in the Catholic community.
Goal 3. Calling and preparing adults to act as disciples in mission to the world.
(Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us)
Ask participants to indicate if Adult Faith Formation is part of their current role.
Explain that all catechetical leaders – even those exclusively in charge of a children’s program – will be involved in adult faith formation since catechists and parents are part of the equation.
Talk about how, on an airline flight, adults are instructed to place their own oxygen mask on first before assisting children. Explain how this same principle should apply to our approach to faith formation.
Go over the list of goals for adult faith formation listed on the slide from the document Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us.
Consider using the chapter 8 printout, “The Principles of Adult Faith Formation” to further the discussion.

19. Your Catechetical Bookshelf
Point out that all catechetical leaders have the backing of many valuable Church documents that outline strategies, approaches, models, and guidelines for effective catechesis
Invite participants to share their knowledge of any of the documents listed/pictured on the slide. Add your own insights and understandings of these catechetical documents. Point out that many, if not most, are available online.
Consider using chapter 10 printout “Key Church Documents on Evangelization and Catechesis” to further discussion

20. Available for iOS and Android in the app store.
The ECL App
Available for iOS and Android in the app store.
Make reference to the ECL App and note that it is FREE.

21. More Resources
Continue to train and equip your catechists with The Catechist’s Toolbox Series.

22. More Resources www.LoyolaPress.com
Visit our home on the web for resources for catechists and lesson plans.
Sunday Connection
Catechist’s Journey