ChristLife training sessions

CHRISTLIFE  Father Michael Sapo­rito, a board member of ChristLife, will conduct two days of training in the outreach at St. Paul Inside the Walls, Madison on Friday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 19.

St. Paul Inside the Walls to host training for ChristLife

MADISON  Training sessions in ChristLife: Catholic Ministry for Evangelization, which equips Catholics for the work of spreading the Gospel, will be offered to individual parishioners and parish teams in two sessions at St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Center for Evangelization at Bayley-Ellard here on Friday, Sept. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Father Michael Saporito, pastor of St. Helen Parish, Westfield, and a board member of the Maryland-based ChristLife, and his staff of 18 leaders will lead the training to prepare participants to help other people discover, follow and share Christ as members of the Catholic Church. The three-part ChristLife program “partners with parishes, clergy, religious and lay leaders who are seeking to answer the Church’s call for the New Evangelization through a proven method of parish evangelization and outreach,” according to its web site, www.christlife.org.

“We are excited to bring ChristLife to the Paterson Diocese,” said Allan Wright, St. Paul’s academic dean. “This ministry has staying power, because it draws people together in a way that is meaningful, joyful and gives them a sense of mission — inviting people to get involved in the Church. This extends the program and continues the mission. For those, who get trained in ChristLife, it will be worth the investment,” he said.

ChristLife training on Friday will include a welcome prayer, a presentation on “Re-launching Evangelization in the Catholic Church” and another talk on “What Is Discovering Christ and Why Does It Work?” The Saturday-morning training session will include introductions and prayer; a choice of breakout sessions on either “Preparing to Run a Fruitful Course” or “Facilitating an Evangelizing Small Group”; a video presentation on “What Is the Meaning of Life?” followed by small-group discussion; and a talk on “A New Pentecost for the New Evangelization.” The Saturday-afternoon training session will include a presentation on “Worshipping in an Evangelizing Environment” and another talk on “Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Making the Invite,” followed by table discussions.

ChristLife ministry consists of following three, seven-week series:

• “Discovering Christ,” which helps anyone — from baptized Catholics in the pews to the unbaptized person, who has never walked into a church — enter into or renew a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, experience the love of God and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as God’s children.

• “Following Christ,” which helps participants grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ through the grace of God by praying together, teaching and supporting one another in some of the basic disciplines and truths practiced by Christians since the early Church.

• “Sharing Christ,” which trains Catholics to be open to sharing Christ with others and invite them to be part of the Church anytime and anywhere in their daily encounters.

Father Saporito returns to St. Paul’s this month, after having spoken at the evangelization center’s “Making All Saints” program last year. Attending ChristLife training will be graduates of the diocesan Certificate in Catholic Evangelization program and Catholics who attended ChristLife training in Maryland in March, Wright said.

About two years ago, The Beacon visited St. Jude Parish, Hamburg, where about 50 parishioners had joined together for a session of “Discovering Christ,” the first part of the ChristLife series. They shared a meal and fellowship and had an opportunity to become enriched by the teachings and traditions of the Catholic faith as a way of deepening their belief in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. Through the series, participants explored topics such as “Why Does Jesus Matter?” “New Life in the Spirit: Being a Catholic Disciple,” “The Holy Spirit and You” and “Believing and Belonging: Why We Need the Church.”

“This [‘Discovering Christ’] has been a boost. It has deepened my faith and increased my spiritual growth and development,” said longtime St. Jude parishioner Marsilia Basile, after having discussed with others the importance of the Resurrection. “I’ve never felt part of a church community like this. We really should get to know each other, eating together and discussing our faith. This is really beautiful,” she said.

The cost of ChristLife training at St. Paul Inside the Walls is $35 per person or $100 for a parish team of three or more. Coffee and a morning snack will be provided. Bring your own lunch.

To register call (973) 377-1004 or www.insidethewalls.org.