Engage your parish staff and leaders
Parishes are called to be “centers of constant missionary outreach.” When parish leaders recognize that evangelization truly matters — and then focus on what matters — they create a vibrant parish culture for encountering Jesus and making disciples.
Be My Witness is a unique, practical approach to equipping staff, pastoral councils, and key leaders to address this vital challenge.
In the first six months, RENEW International guides your parish leadership through the transformation process with training and consultation:
- Video-based learning modules with leader guides inspire, inform and provide planning activities and best practices
- RENEW parish assessment identifies opportunities to become more evangelizing
- RENEW's training and consultation supports success in each parish
Small Group Process
Be My Witness invites all parishioners to become partners in the New Evangelization using parish-based small groups — a proven way to encounter Christ, reawaken faith, and motivate missionary outreach.
In this small group process, members explore key insights from The Joy of the Gospel and develop the attitudes and behaviors of missionary disciples.
- Participant books deepen understanding of the call to be evangelizers
- Companion DVDs present real-life Catholic witness stories and insights on how to be an evangelizer in daily life
- Scripture and prayer offer a rich spiritual foundation
- Recommended action steps encourage living and reaching out as Christ’s missionary disciples.
RENEW International trains a dedicated team of lay leaders to invite parishioners and foster small groups.
- Training and leader guides provide step-by-step direction
- Downloadable publicity resources support the rollout
- Available in English and Spanish
Experience
The Church calls us to transform our parishes into “centers of constant missionary outreach,” sending disciples to carry the Gospel to the margins of society through witness and through acts of charity, justice, and mercy.
A mission-directed parish—whether it is large or small, rich or poor, urban or rural— has three characteristics:
- A vision that focuses on evangelization as the parish’s chief purpose
- An intentional process for identifying and responding to the needs of the community and the world beyond
- Many missionary disciples who enthusiastically embrace this vision and participate as partners in this process.
Through the experience of Be My Witness, staff, leaders, and parishioners become more open to using their personal gifts to build a mission-directed culture in the parish and beyond—an environment in which the evangelizing spirit is the energy behind every parish activity. This type of parish is recognized as a beacon of hope for everyone within its reach who has spiritual or material needs.
We at RENEW International are ready to assist you in this endeavor.