Resources for Living a Christian Life

Adult Faith Formation: An interview with John Roberto

On April 18, 2013, SJEC Director Matthew Halbach conducted an interview with John Roberto, president of LifelongFaith Associates, editor of the journal Lifelong Faith, and coordinator for the Faith Formation 2020 Initiative. Each segment of the interview is approximately 12 minutes. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version... Read More

Adult Faith Formation: Vision Building

SJEC exists to help foster in adults a mature Catholic faith that is living, explicit and fruitful. We offer tools to help regional parishes build and grow their adult faith formation ministries. Here are a few resources you can access to help you get started. Our Director, Matthew Halbach, is also available to come to your parish to educate and energize your adult faith formation ministry. Websites Lifelong... Read More

Catechism Conundrums

Catechism Conundrums is an audio series featuring SJEC Director Matthew Halbach. Using an informal Q&A format, Halbach offers 10-minute audio segments to help listeners relate the Cathechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) and Scripture to confusing and difficult problems or questions (conundrums) in their lives. Topics in the Catechism Conundrums audio series are organized according the the four... Read More

Introduction to the Theory, Spirituality and Best Practices of Adult Faith Formation

The following slides are part of a presentation SJEC Director Matthew Halbach gave to AFF ministers from Sacred Heart, St. Luke the Evangelist, and St. Mary of Nazareth parishes on November 12, 2012. This presentation introduces the concept of AFF as adult evangelization, and as an umbrella ministry canvassing all other parish ministries which are adult-focused. In his presentation, Halbach also... Read More

Adult Faith Formation: Good News People

The GoodNewsPeople program is a dynamic parish-wide program inviting people to new ways of understanding their faith, themselves and the needs of the world around them. GoodNewsPeople is a fourteen-session program (seven sessions in the fall and seven sessions in the spring) designed for small groups (10 groups of 10 participants). The GoodNewsPeople Program emphasizes the privilege and invitation... Read More

Adult Faith Formation: General Resources

  Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32) Three major goals guide and direct efforts in adult faith formation: to invite and enable ongoing conversion to Jesus in holiness of life, to promote and support active membership in the Christian community, to call and prepare adults... Read More

Adult Faith Formation: Catechetical Resources

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”  (Mt 28:19-20) Catechesis is the act of handing on the Word of God intended to inform the faith community and candidates for initiation into the Church about the teachings of Christ transmitted by the... Read More

Year of Faith: General Resources

Pope Benedict XVI has dedicated 2012-2013 as the “Year of Faith,” whose opening day was October 11. The Pope intends this year to be a time for the whole church to reflect on the Gospel and recommit ourselves not only to gospel teachings and values but to the One who brings us the Good News: Jesus Christ, the cause of our hope and joy. Why recommit ourselves to Jesus? Faith, because its... Read More

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)

  For He has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of His will, according to His purpose which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:9-10) Each year on Holy Saturday during the Easter Vigil,  thousands of men and women are received into the Catholic Church in the United States.... Read More

Helping your parish learn to pray

    Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thess 5:16-18) Where does prayer come from? Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole man who prays. But in naming the source of prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or the spirit, but most often of the heart (more than a thousand... Read More

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