Gulf Coast Faith Formation Conference

The Road to Emmaus: Learning to Teach with Hope from the Teacher On the road to Emmaus, the two disciples encountered Jesus in a transformative way.  Their eyes were "opened" and their hearts "burned".  By rediscovering Jesus as the disciples did on the road to Emmaus, we can bring hope to a world that has […]

School of Hope: How the Catholic School can Communicate the "Hope that Doesn't Disappoint" to the World The Catholic School is central to the pastoral activity of the Church. It has a distinct but integral mission to the ministry of Christ, that of living and proclaiming the Gospel in the midst of the World. In […]

Different Gifts, Same Spirit: Creating an Hope-filled Inclusive Learning Community We all know how important it is to help people with special needs enter full participation in the Catholic faith—learning about their faith, developing their own relationship with God, participating in worship and liturgy, parish ministry, and Catholic social justice initiatives, but most of us […]

Catholic Identity through Religious Pluralism: Building Hope for the Future This presentation responds to Pope Francis’s call for Christians to become livings signs of hope by offering important educational strategies to religious educators that provide young people with experiences of deep communion. By creating spaces of encounter in Catholic secondary classrooms where adolescents can embrace […]

Lanterns Along the Narrow Path: The Saints as a Source for Ministry The saints are a rich resource for orienting our ministries toward the goal of holiness--in how they illuminate the universal call to holiness in a vast array of vocations and ministries, and in their relationships with and intercession for us. Aimee MacIver holds […]

Going, Going, Gone: The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics Saint Mary’s Press recently conducted extensive research with young Catholics who have left the Church. This session will identify the underlying dynamics that lead to disaffiliation, describe the factors that reinforce those dynamics, and examine the pastoral implications. We will hear about these issues from […]

A Culture of Hope: The Social Expression of Justice as Mercy What is a culture of hope? Hope, for our salvation and that of others, begins when mercy and justice are practiced. We see this in Abraham’s negotiations with God for the salvation of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham’s consultation with God “brings a new idea […]

Becoming a Prophet of Hope In the Old Testament, the prophets called for social change and a return to the Lord.  In our noisy culture, there are many distractions leading people away from the faith.  Technology and social media are just some of the things that people focus on more than God.  Come and see […]

Creating Hope and Changing Lives, One Song At a Time To effectively reach a culture, we must realize that the Church needs to focus on evangelization not because we need more numbers, but to let young people know they are appreciated and that their gifts are important to building the Kingdom of God.  This may […]

Hope for the World: Helping Kids and Teens Embrace the Fullness of Catholic Social Teaching Catholic Social Teaching transcends the boundaries of politics and secular ideologies. In a society that is highly polarized, how can we form children and teens to proclaim and live the beauty of Catholic teaching, from caring for all creation to […]

Forming Young People for Holiness and Hope The Culture of Ambitious Multitaskers and the Challenge to Forming Young People for Holiness “The more you can do, the better.” This maxim of our modern lives is one into which we form and educate our young people. But does our prizing of ambitious multitaskers actually work against […]

Praying Our Lives: Hope for the Restless Heart Do you ever feel like something is missing in life? Do you ever feel like you are on a hamster wheel trying to keep up with lifeÂ’s rapid pace? Do you wonder how will I find rest in the busyness of life? Do you seek a deeper […]

Too Young to Go Forth? Engaging Youth in Global Issues through Faith Young people want to go forth and change the world. This session will share methods and resources to engage young people as agents of Christian encounter who respond in faith to a world in need. We will provide practical ways for you to […]

Hope for a Confused Culture This presentation would focus on the need to lead teens to an understanding that their identity is based only in relationship with God. In a culture that continues to encourage teens to choose their own identity, it is important that we provide clarity. Theology of the Body shows us that, […]

Missionary Catechists: Sharing Hopeful Gifts for Ministry Catechists might not consider their classrooms missionary territory but so it is. The role and responsibility of the catechist to share the Good News with others requires the same gifts of the Holy Spirit that nudged the early disciples out of the upper room and into the world […]

Children of the Light: The Pre-Catechumenate Period with Children We, the Church, are to welcome and invite those children who have not yet been baptized, have come to an age of understanding, and are of catechetical age to be a part of the process of faith formation. This session for RCIA ministers, directors of faith […]

Hope In The Vision: The Power of our Catholic Identity to Transform Our Ministry In parish and school ministry, itÂ’s easy to get bogged down with logistics, losing sight of the vision which should be inspiring and guiding us. Through engaging stories, practical applications, and spiritual encouragement, this keynote presentation will highlight the power of […]

The Power of Unfounded Hope: A True Story This workshop/talk is a concerted effort to invite the listener into the life and world of someone who dramatically fought the downward pull of hopelessness with the manifested presence of divine grace, which gave birth to a newfound hope. However, the goal of the presentation is to […]