XXVII Annual Conference for Catechesis and Ministry Saturday, October 4, 2014 Holy Family Catholic Church, Wharton Keynote Presentation by Gerry Straub 9:30 11:00 AM Poverty and Prayer During the 90- minute keynote address, Gerry will share the dramatic story of his going from a Hollywood television producer and atheist to making films on poverty. The films feature people in the worst slums on earth who are living examples of the self- emptying love of Christ. The presentation will feature scenes from many of Gerry s films, with a stress on Uganda, Kenya, Peru and Haiti. This compelling presentation will be especially appealing to those interested in social justice, as well as deepening their prayer life. XXVII Conferencia Anual para la Catequesis y Ministerio 4 de octubre 2014 Holy Family Catholic Church, Wharton Discurso Principal en español por Rita Martinez Patrocinado por Loyola Press 9:30 11:00 AM Qué es las Justicia? Quieres tener paz? Se una persona de justicia. Como podemos ser personas de justicia? Por hecho de nuestras simple acciones, tal vez, ya lo somos pero aun no lo reconocemos. Quiénes han sido algunos de nuestros héroes del siglo XX que son ejemplos de la justicia? Cómo podemos aprender de ellos y compartir lo que aprendimos con otras personas? Ven y aprende acerca de lo que es la justicia para recibir esa paz. Ven y aprende lo fácil que es ser una persona de justicia y paz y como puedes compartir este mensaje de Jesús, el maestro de la paz, con otros.
Conference Workshops Round A 11:30 12:30 PM A-1) Poverty & Prayer Overtime Gerry Straub Gerry Straub will expand upon the themes of his keynote address. Impromptu in nature, the workshop will present a few additional scenes from recent films, as well as allow a generous amount of time for questions and answers. A-2) Digital Disciples Janice Berger / Sponsored by RCL/Benziger Disciples today are learning digitally. How does this affect how we teach our Catholic faith to our students and reach out to our families? We will explore the latest brain research on how we learn; how technology has changed the way we learn and discover relevant classroom strategies that will engage the digital learner. A-3) The Gospel According to Mark: The Church s First Catechism Rev. Bob Knippenberg The Church s 3-year liturgical cycle will bring, in 2015, the Gospel according to St. Mark. Discover Mark s four principal concerns and how his gospel served as the Church s first catechism. A-4) Do You (Want to) Have What it Takes? Charleen Katra The ability to include every learner (ADHD, Autism, ) in faith formation takes many things; beginning with grace! Luckily, God provides the grace!! Come learn simple strategies that work to help make your catechetical ministry more effective and enjoyable for ALL learners. A-5) Activities, Blessings, & Prayers for the Liturgical Year Sandy Dunn In this workshop, you will learn practical activities, crafts, blessings, tips, and seasonal prayers for use in the classroom or home. Come and hear great ideas to help catechists bring faith alive in the hearts and minds of God s children. A-6) Partnering with Parents in Preparing for First Reconciliation & Holy Communion Bill Smith / Sponsored by Loyola Press We'll look at strategies for communicating with parents effectively, using parent meetings as formation opportunities as well as information sharing, and ways to motivate and involve parents in the preparation process in light of the guidelines from the National Directory for Catechesis.
A-7) Spiritual Formation of Music Ministers Maria Apac Smith Just as all other ministers who serve the liturgy are expected to be spiritually formed, so too music ministers are no different. It is important to remain spiritually grounded in our faith through prayer and reflection in order to be more effective in providing a meaningful worship experience for our assembly. A-8) Praying with Students Sr. Clare Underbrink How do I provide meaningful experiences of prayer to invite my students into a deeper relationship with God? In this workshop we will explore creative ideas and resources for engaging students in prayer, drawn from over 20 years of experience in teaching teens and pre-teens. A-9) Through a Child s Eyes: The Dangers of Social Media Detective Cody Breunig We have all heard a wolf in sheep s clothing, and when it comes to social media that is exactly what our children are being faced with. Join Detective Breunig as he gives brief case studies and discusses what our role should be in regards to the dangers social media presents to our children. AS-10) Tesoros Perdidios de Nuestro Iglesia Rita Martinez/ Patrocinado por Loyola Press Tenemos tantos hermosos devocionales de nuestra Iglesia, sin embargo, cuántos de nosotros conocemos la historia detrás de ellos? Devocionales como el Rosario, el Escapulario Marrón, la Medalla Milagrosa, el Escapulario Verde y la Medalla de San Benito? Hay tanta riqueza en nuestra Iglesia, pero está muriendo con nuestros abuelos. Ven y aprende la historia de algunos devocionales de nuestra iglesia y compártelos con sus parroquias y familias. Round B and C Workshops continued on the following pages.
Conference Workshops Round B 2:00 3:00 PM B-11) How to Study the Bible Rev. Bob Knippenberg Bible study is important because God is revealed through the Bible. Studying the Bible reveals God s message to people everywhere and his plan of redemption and salvation for people of all times. Learn how to make a realistic Bible study plan and then stick to it so that Bible study isn t something we do but who we are! B-12) Family: First School of Forgiveness Sr. Miriam Perez All members of the family, each according to his or her own gift, have the grace and responsibility of building, day by day, the communion of persons, making the family a school of deeper humanity (FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO, The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World, #21). We will focus on the importance of forgiveness within the family. B-13) Mary in the Communion of Saints Sr. Digna Vela Gospel portraits, vignettes, and incidents in Mary s life show her to be a true disciple and person of faith, one with people who struggle to survive under oppressive economic and political circumstances. Mary has given us a legacy still capable of igniting hearts with hope in the living God in the midst of a world of suffering. B-14) Ask Bishop Fellhauer Most Reverend David E. Fellhauer In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to ask Bishop Fellhauer questions about the Mass, sacraments, church law, canon law, catechesis, evangelization, or topics of interest within the Church today. B-15) Do You (Want to) Have What it Takes? Charleen Katra The ability to include every learner (ADHD, Autism, ) in faith formation takes many things; beginning with grace! Luckily, God provides the grace!! Come learn simple strategies that work to help make your catechetical ministry more effective and enjoyable for ALL learners. Repeated A-4 B-16) New Evangelization: Implications for Parish Based Catechesis Deacon Chuck Glynn The New Evangelization calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization calls all Catholics to be evangelized and then go forth to evangelize. In a special way, the New Evangelization is focused on 're-proposing' the Gospel to those who have experienced a crisis of faith. Faith, Worship, and Witness!
B-17) Teaching About God s Gift of Forgiveness in the Classroom Sandy Dunn In this workshop, you will learn practical ideas that can be used in religious education classrooms to teach about the importance of reconciliation. Prayer services, faith journals, discussion starters and craft ideas, which help to convey the gift of reconciliation in our lives, will be explored. B-18) Through a Child s Eyes: The Dangers of Social Media Detective Cody Breunig We have all heard a wolf in sheep s clothing, and when it comes to social media that is exactly what our children are being faced with. Join Detective Breunig as he gives brief case studies and discusses what our role should be in regards to the dangers social media presents to our children. Repeated A-9 B-19) Prayer Power for Kids Jeanie Janak / Sponsored by Heavenly Helpers As we teach children about our Catholic faith, we should continuously stress the power of prayer. We influence students by modeling many forms of prayer in our classrooms. Join us and discover simple and fun ways to teach kids how to incorporate prayer power into their own prayer life. BS-20) Formación Espiritual de los Ministros de Música Maria Apac Smith Así como se les espera a todos los demás ministros que sirven en la liturgia a formarse espiritualmente, se espera lo mismo de los ministros de música. Es importante permanecer espiritualmente fundados en nuestra fe a través de la oración y la reflexión para poder ser más eficaces en proporcionar una experiencia de adoración que sea significativa para nuestra asamblea. Round C Workshops continued on the following pages.
Conference Workshops Round C 3:15 4:15 PM C-21) Digital Disciples Janice Berger / Sponsored by RCL/Benziger Disciples today are learning digitally. How does this affect how we teach our Catholic faith to our students and reach out to our families? We will explore the latest brain research on how we learn; how technology has changed the way we learn and discover relevant classroom strategies that will engage the digital learner. Repeated A-2 C-22) Contemplative Prayer: Prayer Like Mary in a Martha World Sr. Digna Vela Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her" (Luke 10: 41-42). Contemplation is a prayer of the heart without words. Everyone is called to a deep personal relationship with God. Amid a demanding, active, noisy lifestyle, explore the possibility of living and praying contemplatively. C-23) New Evangelization: Implications for Parish Based Catechesis Deacon Chuck Glynn The New Evangelization calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization calls all Catholics to be evangelized and then go forth to evangelize. In a special way, the New Evangelization is focused on 're-proposing' the Gospel to those who have experienced a crisis of faith. Faith, Worship, and Witness! Repeated B-16 C-24) Partnering with Parents in Preparing for First Reconciliation & Holy Communion Bill Smith / Sponsored by Loyola Press We'll look at strategies for communicating with parents effectively, using parent meetings as formation opportunities as well as information sharing, and ways to motivate and involve parents in the preparation process in light of the guidelines from the National Directory for Catechesis Repeated A-6 C-25) Prayer Power for Kids Jeanie Janak / Sponsored by Heavenly Helpers As we teach children about our Catholic faith, we should continuously stress the power of prayer. We influence students by modeling many forms of prayer in our classrooms. Join us and discover simple and fun ways to teach kids how to incorporate prayer power into their own prayer life. Repeated B-19 C-26) RCIA 101: What s It all About Deacon Jerome Grahmann What is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)? Who belongs in the RCIA? How do you get the process started in the parish? Deacon Jerome will give an overview of the RCIA process, and answer these questions and more in this workshop.
C-27) Environmental Challenges and Church Teaching Sr. Mildred Truchard Will our grandchildren enjoy a flower s fragrance, a bird s song, pure water s taste, or have the satisfaction of breathing clean air and eating healthful food? It all depends on our care (or abuse) of our environment. Join us in examining some prevailing environmental challenges and current Church teaching. C-28) The Ministry and Spirituality of the Lector & Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion Rev. Ty Bazar The role of lector or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion is more than a job or function within the Mass. It is a privilege and a responsibility in which one is called by the Lord to fulfill. In this workshop, Fr. Ty will offer practical ways to stay focused on the ministry through prayer and spirituality. CS-29) Familia: Primer Escuela de Pérdon Hna. Miriam Perez Todos los membros de la familia, cada uno según su propio don, tienen la gracia y la responsabilidad de de construir, día a día, la comunión de las personas, hacienda de la familia escuela de humanidad más completa y más rica. (FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO #21) Enfocaremos sobre la importancia del perdón en la familia.