To register or for more information
Fr. Dwight Longenecker
Chaplain of
St. Joseph’s Catholic School
Father Longenecker’s Website
864.234.9009, ext. 114
Send E-mail »
St. Mary's Center for Evangelical Catholicism
2005-2006 Monthly Course Schedule
The mission of the St. Mary’s Center for Evangelical Catholicism is to evangelize, establish, and equip Evangelical Catholics of Jesus Christ for their Baptismal vocations in the world.
As a means to help adult Catholics growth in their faith, the Center will offer a nine-month roster of courses beginning in September 2006. The courses listed below run for approximately one month each and are offered on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm in Sacred Heart Hall. Childcare will be available for children under five but reservations will be required. We encourage attendees to make a commitment to attend every session possible within a given month. This is also the required course of study for those enrolled in the RCIA program.
Evangelize
Christianity Pure and Simple: An Overview of Christianity(September) This course presents the basic themes of Christianity in a fresh, practical and inspiring way. Each class consists of thirty minutes of teaching, thirty minutes of personal reflection by invited guests, and thirty minutes of small-group sharing.
Because Scripture and Tradition Tell Me So: Unpacking the Word of God (October) This series will provide an overview of the Word of God as contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Using the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum) as the main text, the course will help you find ways to form yourself by God’s Word in your everyday life.
Why the Church? Exploring the Basics of Catholicism (November) This course is designed to help participants get a better understanding of the basic teachings and practices of the Catholic Church. Each class consists of thirty minutes of teaching; a fifteen minute personal witness; and thirty minutes of small-group sharing.
God’s Body Language: Understanding the Seven Sacraments of the Church (December) This course will explore God’s Plan of Salvation as mediated through the seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church. The focus of the series will be on understanding how God transforms us by giving us a share in His life through the Sacraments of the New and Everlasting Covenant.
Establish
Too Busy Not to Pray: An Introduction to the Spiritual Life (January) Prayer is the means that God gives us to experience communion with Him through Christ and the Church. Yet many adults feel inadequate about their prayer lives. Using the book Prayer Primer: Igniting a Fire Within by Thomas Dubay, SM, this course will help participants develop a serious prayer life with a focus on working with methods of prayer that fit one’s personality, temperament, and state of life.
Good News about Sex, and Marriage: The Theology of the Body for Beginners (February) Broken families, abortion, AIDS, Internet pornography, sex addiction — our Church and world are in the midst of a profound sexual crisis. Using a video series by Christopher West, this course will introduce you to Pope John Paul II’s "theology of the body," which offers the path to true fulfillment and authentic sexual liberation.
Discipleship 101: Eight Keys to Following Jesus in the 21 st Century (March) This course is designed to help parishioners learn the habits and practices of Christian discipleship, using A Simple Way of Life as the basic text. The focus is on practical life application and how to allow God to transform us through the spiritual disciplines. Each class consists of thirty minutes of teaching; thirty minutes of personal reflection from invited guests; and thirty minutes of small-group sharing.
Equip
How Should We Then Live? Developing a Catholic Christian Worldview(April) The world confronts us with an overwhelming array of problems: terrorism, stem cell research, poverty and injustice, abortion, racism, cloning, homosexual unions, capital punishment, etc. Rather than addressing specific issues, this course will help form you with the fundamental principles of Catholic Social Teaching as articulated in the recently published Compendium of Social Doctrine. Through this course, you will be equipped to think with the "mind of the Church" on critical issues as you seek to fulfill your vocation as parents, businesspeople, professionals, citizens, etc.
Evangelism for Normal People: How to Be Christ’s Witness without Being a Bore (May) The Church teaches that all Christians are called to share Jesus Christ with the world. Contrary to the experience and opinion of many Catholics, evangelism can actually be fun! This course will introduce you to the Catholic Church’s understanding of evangelism and teach you methods of evangelism that you can easily practice in the course of your everyday life.
Additional Training/Formation
(not on Wednesday evenings and not required for RCIA)
No More Lone Rangers: Christian Discipleship and the Need for Spiritual Friends (St. Barnabas Society Training Course) The mission of the St. Barnabas Society is to build an infrastructure of committed Christians in the parish who, through spiritual friendship, Christian hospitality, and example, help other parishioners grow in Christ-like spiritual maturity. The goal of the Society is to help train, motivate, and empower lay Catholics to reach out to other Catholics as spiritual friends and mentors. To facilitate this, the Center will offer an annual St. Barnabas Society Training Course which will provide in-depth formation and training in how to be spiritual friends and mentors. The Center will offer the first four-week training series in the Fall of 2006.
Called and Gifted Workshop and Discernment Series. The purpose of the Called and Gifted Workshop is to help adult Catholics identify and discern their spiritual gifts (charisms) and personal vocation as well as to find ways to utilize their charisms at St. Mary’s or in the larger community. First introduced at St. Mary’s in the Fall of 2003, the next Workshop will be offered in the Fall of 2006 and then continue on an annual basis.
Good $ense Financial Ministry On an annual basis, the Center will this 6-class weekly series to help individuals and families learn to be good stewards of their financial resources. Created by radio personality, Dave Ramsey, the program is designed to empower people to manage their money better, eliminate debt and build wealth.