It is with great joy that an enthusiasm that we would like to introduce Disciples in Mission. Disciples in Mission will beour Lenten evangelization program. It starts this year and will continue over the next three years. Please read over the following information and pray with us for the success of this Mission. Prayerful yours, Disciples in Mission leadership team How it works Disciple in Mission runs for three years in the parish. Each year follows the basic process presented below, and builds on the accomplishments of the previous year. Before Lent Prayer campaign in the parish and the diocese. Parish workshops for small group leaders. Lent Faith-sharing groups meet. Family activities carried out. Special homilies on evangelization given. Bulletin inserts based on Go and Make Disciples distributed. Easter Season The Parish reflection day affirms evangelizing ministries in the parish and surfaces new ideas for the future. Summer/Fall/Winter Attentive to the life and mission of Christ, the parish plans and carries out evangelizing activities. Late Fall Parish leaders reflect on their experience with Disciples in Mission and plan next year. How you can participate
Pray Each year the parish conducts a prayer campaign to ask God’s blessings on Disciples in Mission. Make a commitment to pray the Disciples in Mission prayer everyday. Join a small Group Groups meeting six times during Lent to discuss the Sunday lectionary readings. The word of God will come alive. You will be able to relate it to your everyday life. You will be able to learn more about scripture, take part in some interesting discussions, meet some wonderful people, and have the opportunity to build up the body of Christ. Joining a group is a great way to enter fully into lent and to prepare for Easter. Involve your Family Families with children from pre-school age to teens can listen to the word of God together, do activities, grow closer to God, and have fin in the process. This part of Disciples in Mission ensures that families– who often find it difficult to participate in parish programs– are an integral part of this evangelization experience. Attend the Parish Reflection Day After Easter, everyone in the parish will have a chance to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the parish as an evangelizing community, using the U.S. bishops’ plan Go and Make Disciples as a guide. Live as a disciple with a Mission Through discernment and planning, the parish affirms existing evangelizing ministries and undertakes new ones. Some parishes will begin Bible study groups or a home visitation program; others will continue their existing ministries with a new vitality. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in participating in parish activities. Also ask for the commitment and the courage to serve as a witness for Christ in your family, neighborhood, and workplace. Spiritual Renewal and missionary activity Two thousand years ago, the people who followed Jesus had an amazing spiritual awakening. They saw God's love when Jesus healed the sick and forgave sinners. They looked for the coming of God's kingdom when he preached, and they learned from him to call God Abba, Father. Today, Catholics can experience this same spiritual renewal as they follow Jesus. Jesus told his disciples: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:19). This missionary command still holds true for us today. We too are bound to go and make disciples so all people may find fullness of life in Christ. Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has said: "Missionary activity renews the Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive. Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!" The bishops of the United States tell us that our lives as believers are part of the story of salvation, and we are to share our stories and our faith with others. Disciples in Mission offers a way for people to experience spiritual renewal and engage in missionary activity. It brings an evangelizing perspective to everything the parish does. It provides a way for people to grow as dedicated disciples of Jesus. Disciples in Mission runs three years in the parish. It integrates prayer, the Sunday liturgies, faith-sharing groups, catechesis, family activities, planning, and other events into a coherent, parish-wide experience of evangelization. Parishioners become more committed disciples of Jesus. Equally important, the whole parish becomes truly missionary-- key to its ongoing revitalization.
Save these important dates February 1, 2009 - SIGN UP SUNDAY February 8, 2009 - SIGN UP SUNDAY February 15 – 22 2009 PREP WEEK February 23 - 27 2009 PROGRAM STARTS!
Please click on this link to sign-up online for Disciples in Mission Disciples in Mission Leadership Team Fr. David Gallegos Maria Barrientos Richard Doubledee Jim & Katie Dunean Philip Hardjadinata Mr. & Mrs. Hess Dave & Key Maynahan Katie O’Leary Agnes Rus If you are interested in becoming a facilitator for a small faith sharing group, please contact Philip Hardjadinata 714-672-0339 Home 714-728-4970 Cell Facilitator Orientation January 31 at 9AM in the Church
Facilitator Training February 14 at 9AM in the Hall
