A new program about our faith isn’t the answer…
it’s an improvement in our parish culture.
Is everything we do a chance
to share the Kerygma?
Knights of Columbus
Christmas tree sales – is it simply a fund raiser or
an opportunity to evangelize
(why not both)
Women’s Group
Donut Sunday – is it a social gathering or
planting a seed of evangelization (eg. give 2-3 minute testimony)
(why not both)
Welcome Ministry
Do you have one? Do we mail them information or
do we truly make them feel welcome and special?
Additional examples below
relit trains and teaches the skills so that everything everyone does is “designed” to lead people to encounter Christ, thus creating a culture of evangelization!
(Watch the two sample videos below)
Session 16: Transcendentals – Truth, goodness, and beauty (the fingerprints of God) are found in all things that exist. Most people are more in tune with one than with the others. By understanding which one resonates more with a person, we can bring the Gospel to them in a “language” that they can more easily receive.
Session 12: Conversion, Discipleship, & Mission – The Cycle of Evangelization moves from Witness and Proclamation to Conversion, Discipleship, and Mission. We will look at these latter three dimensions and see how understanding them is vital to ensuring
we evangelize effectively.
A Practical Example from Session 16 (Transcendentals):
Have you ever heard someone say that they are a visual or auditory learner? It doesn’t mean that they can’t learn by either style, but one is more dominant.
It’s a very general way of understanding how others see God, but in a similar manner, how people see God and how God reveals himself to others is called Transcendentals aka Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.
Just like some people learn from a visual or auditory style, people mostly see God from a Truth, Goodness, or Beauty perspective. So, if you are Truth person, you lean heavily towards theology, but a Goodness person would look for something like a strong community and friendly people. Whereas a beauty person would see God in liturgy, nature, artwork, etc.
Its safe to say that most people are visual learners so listening to a lecture isn’t the best way to “capture” their attention. The same could be said for evangelizing. Most people are in the Goodness realm so giving them a theology book or getting into apologetics wouldn’t be the best way to reach them either. Even though this is the Truth, this isn’t the way they best “see” God. Learn more about the Transcendentals in session 16.
Next time your speaking to someone about the Church, think of how the Transcendentals could play an impact in your conversation.
relit’s philosophical training helps you create a culture of evangelization within your parish so you can begin planting seeds and identifying opportunities you may be overlooking.
(Click Image to See Some Examples)
Sacramental Prep
Faith Studies
Rel. Education
Homilies
Bulletins
The Door is Open!
How relit works…
Beginning…
with your core team (parish staff, ministry leaders, priests, etc.) receives training on practical examples (such as Transcendentals, Thresholds, etc.) and theological philosophies so you can reach new parishioners that have never been involved before.
Next…
through the training, as well as after, you will begin identifying areas, where you can make the most impact. relit allows you to decide what changes need to be made based on the uniqueness and size of your parish, no matter how small or large.
Then…
with your core team, you will begin creating a plan, which involves much of what your parish is already doing, that will create evangelistic opportunities throughout your parish.
Finally…
with a newly developed lens for evangelization, your parish can begin to not only convert new souls, but provide you the much needed:
~ increase in volunteers
~ increase in parish event participation
~ increase in % of people tithing
The message is there, but it isn’t being heard. relit can help us with that.
Bishop David Malloy, Rockford Diocese
relit directly addresses the needs of the parish.
Msgr. Daniel Hermes
It’s just given us a new lens through which we view everything that we do.
Fr. Jon Bakkelund
Who attends relit?
Primarily parish staff, ministry leaders, priests, etc. To run effectively, begin with this core group. Look at it this way, if you were to bring in a consultant about where you evangelize well and where you need assistance, who would you invite to that meeting? Hopefully your core group of the parish decision makers.
Start here first, get a plan in place and then share relit within the rest of your ministries. Through time, it will announce like an echo!
relit schedule options
In as little as one weekend, gather you core group (parish staff, ministry leaders, priests, etc.) and begin revitalizing your parish!
Weekend retreat format (click to view)
3 weeks format (6 sessions each Saturday)
6 weeks format (3 sessions each Saturday)
You choose what works for your!
Order information
With a familiar DVD-based format, the relit leader’s kit includes:
~ facilitator guide
~ 3 DVD disk set
~ helpful evangelization tips and a New Evangelization prayer card
~ Ultimate Relationship booklet
Both the participant (sold separately) and facilitator guides are filled with practical information and thought-provoking questions that enable your parish to offer relit without any additional leadership training.
Call 1-800-348-2440 for more details and ordering!
From our partner
Our Sunday Visitor
What others have said
This is an excellent resource for training for the New Evangelization. This is a comprehensive, clear and practical series that will really help Catholics wondering what the New Evangelization is all about and how to overcome the widespread reluctance to share our faith.
Dr. Ralph Martin
The content and the presenter were both very good and dynamic. Mixing in of stories allowed the materials to be presented in a very practical way, accessible to a wide variety of people.
Brad McKinnon
Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth
The relit video is an excellent resource for those who want to further their knowledge and passion for the mission of the Church.
Corey J.
Diocese of Montreal Canada
relit is a great training tool to educate, inspire and motivate. I appreciate the real-life stories used throughout the sessions and the multiple examples of testimonies provided to show how we can use words to share what God has done in our lives….It will impact how I evangelize one-on-one from now on knowing that I fall into the ‘Goodness’ category!
Katie D.
Diocese of Fargo North Dakota
About the Author
Michael Dopp, STL
Michael Dopp graduated from St Augustine’s at the University of Toronto with a Master of Divinity (MDiv) and earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL), with a concentration on the new evangelization, at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Michigan. Michael has been involved in a variety of ministries dedicated to evangelization and mission projects in Europe, Africa, and North America. He is founder and president of Mission of the Redeemer Ministries, founder of The New Evangelization Summit, and co-director of The Summer Institute in the New Evangelization.
Michael has presented for 18 dioceses and over 50 parishes and apostolates, as well as Catholic ministries such as CCO, NET, and Cursillo. He has led presentations for priests, deacons, university students, prayer groups, RCIA, sacramental preparation groups, adult faith formation, and more.
Want to do relit live?
To invite Michael Dopp to present relit live to your parish or to book him as a speaker, click here.
Downloads & Resources
Once you’re ready to bring relit to your parish, here are some helpful resources to help you prepare. Note: Some users might need to use Adobe Reader in order to use the editable features of PDFs.
Flyer (Full Page)
Participant Survey
Bulletin Announcements
Personal Invitation Letter
Poster
Signup Sheet
Session Summary
Cycle of Evangelization Chart
Flyer (Half Page)
Certificate of Completion
