Gulf Coast Faith Formation Conference

A Future Full of Hope: What Current Research Says about Keeping Kids Catholic We have known for some time that young people are leaving the Church in alarming numbers. New research gives us insight into why they are leaving and how we can better build a foundation of faith that will promote lifelong engagement and […]

Engaging Parents in Sacramental Catechesis Part  2 We say it time and again, "How do we involve parents and families in catechesis?" Sacramental formation is a unique doorway to engage and involve families in the faith formation of their children. The question is how to get them through the doorway! Part 2 of this series […]

GO! Be Missionaries of Hope! Using as a foundation the Aparecida Document, written at the conclusion of the 2007 Congress of Latin America and Caribbean Bishops, as well as other missionary documents, we will see that in our encounter with Christ, hope is born!  However, how does one encounter Christ?  How does one keep their […]

HOPE: Real-world Solutions for the Interpersonal Challenges of Parish Service In order to be a true pastoral leader, one must have the right toolbox. Much like those who work in human resources, those who work in pastoral ministry must communicate effectively with clergy, other ministries, and parishioners - but always in the context of our […]

Young Adult Responsive Parishes:  Hope in Times of Uncertainty Young adults trying to form meaning amid the plurality and ambiguity of contemporary culture. Church leaders have an opportunity to embrace this spiritual quest by creating young adult responsive parishes.  This presentation uses the spiritual quest of young adults as a framework to help guide them […]

Meeting Teens on Their Turf: Utilizing Specialized Retreats to Inspire Hope By breaking out of the class retreat model, we are able to significantly impact the spiritual lives of teens through a variety of retreat settings. This creative approach allows opportunities for all students to meet Christ and develop a personal relationship with him. This […]

Shift Parents from the Parking Lot to Participation Why do some parents rely on religious education programs to be the primary providers of faith formation for their children?  How can catechists move parents from the parking lot to fuller participation?  This presentation will provide practical, applicable, inspirational and compassionate insights for “backdoor” evangelizing. Dr. Patricia […]

Spirituality of the Catechist: The Importance of Prayer, Liturgy and the Interior Life Catechists need to cultivate a lively spiritual life, rooted in the Word of God, if they are to be effective stewards of God's mysteries. Using stories and practical examples, I will explore the mysteries of grace, the Liturgy and the interior life […]

4 Steps to Jesus: A Field Guide on the Journey of Faith Talking and listening to Jesus, going to Him in the Sacraments and giving of yourself to others made in His image and likeness are the four critical steps that must be taken day by day to move forward in the journey of faith. […]

Saved by Hope The virtue of hope responds to our human desire and quest towards attaining true happiness. Christian hope does not exist in a faith that is purely informative, but genuine hope is performative. The one who has this hope lives differently! Hope brings about a transformation of our lives and a daily active […]

Forming Families of Faith and Hope: Catholic Social Teaching and the Domestic Church Saint John Paul II wrote that it was within "the family" that people receive their "first formative ideas about truth and goodness and what it means to love and to be loved, and thus what it actually means to be a person."   […]

Evangelization & Faith Formation in the Precatechumenate This session will unpack the period of pre-Catechumenate in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and the faith formation intended by the rite. We will explore the vision of the period – that evangelization and conversion of heart are primary to the context and make practical […]

The Wonders of Weird Throughout history ALL PEOPLE have issues with things in life that they feel hold them back from greatness, but when we look closely, what some people consider weaknesses really turn out to be great strengths.  Throughout our church history, God turned to flawed people to set in motion the greatest love […]

Celebrating the Liturgical Year in Your Classroom: Sing a Song of Seasons Celebrating the liturgical year doesn’t have to be a separate lesson, because it can be integrated each week in your faith formation class.  From Advent to Ordinary Time we remember and celebrate our Salvation story in the person of Jesus.  John will share […]

BEING a Catechist vs. WORKING AS a Catechist Enrich your personal commitment to Jesus and affirm your catechist-vocation. Consider the threefold aspects of your call: (1) witnessing (2) mentoring and (3) teaching. This presentation will consider Pope Francis as a pre-eminent catechist and it will offer practical, easy-to-imitate ideas. Dr. Patricia McCormack, IHM, is an […]

Saints for the World: Discovering Anew the Secular Mission of the Laity The Second Vatican Council offers the Church a radical vision of lay holiness rooted in the "secular genius" that is proper and peculiar to the lay faithful. While so much worthy emphasis has been placed on formation for priesthood, religious life and various […]

Actions SPEAK Louder than Words- Inclusion for those with Difficulties Communicating Through this interactive presentation, participants will focus on the inclusion of those who are non-verbal in meaningful inclusion in the church.  This program will provide essential resources & practical methods to build a foundation for communication, Catholic Identity development, expression, abstract concepts of Spirituality, […]

Generation A: Making Things Matter to the “Whatever” Teen The pervasive attitude among many teens is: I don't care. We should see “Generation A” not as apathetic, lazy, or useless, but as vibrant souls in need of a challenge. We are charged with engaging with and inspiring them to meet the Lord, who can transform […]

When Hope Doesn't Feel Good People can be anxious, depressed, and overwhelmed, especially our young people. Many are looking to escape the harsh reality of our world and our own problems by finding earthly distractions instead of pursuing true hope . Genuine hope requires that we abandon these "false" worldly hopes and entrust everything to […]

Parables of the 21st Century Once upon a time . . . Stories engage people! Jesus used stories to engage our minds and hearts! But ever find that the parables in Scripture are a bit out of reach for our students?  Come listen to the new parables of the 21st Century. These old and new […]