How can we transmit a living, personal Catholic faith to future generations? By coming to know Jesus Christ, and following him as his disciples. These are times of immense challenge and immense opportunity for the Catholic Church. Consider these statistics for the United States. Only 30 percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are still practicing. Fully 10 percent of all adults in America are ex-Catholics. The number of marriages celebrated in the Church decreased dramatically, by nearly 60 percent, between 1972 and 2010. Only 60 percent of Catholics believe in a personal God. If the Church is to reverse these trends, the evangelizers must first be evangelized-in other words, Catholics-in-the-pew must make a conscious choice to know and follow Jesus before they can draw others to him. This work of discipleship lies at the heart of Forming Intentional Disciples, a book designed to help Church leaders, parish staff and all Catholics transform parish life from within. Drawing upon her fifteen years of experience with the Catherine of Siena Institute, Sherry Weddell leads readers through steps that will help Catholics enter more deeply into a relationship with God and the river of apostolic creativity, charisms, and vocation that flow from that relationship for the sake of the Church and the world. Learn about the five thresholds of postmodern conversion, how to open a conversation about faith and belief, how to ask thought-provoking questions and establish an atmosphere of trust, when to tell the Great Story of Jesus, how to help someone respond to God's call to intentional discipleship, and much more. And be prepared for conversion because when life at the parish level changes, the life of the whole Church will change.

How can we transmit a living, personal Catholic faith to future generations? By coming to know Jesus Christ, and following him as his disciples. These are times of immense challenge and immense opportunity for the Catholic Church. Consider these statistics for the United States. Only 30 percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are still practicing. Fully 10 percent of all adults in America are ex-Catholics. The number of marriages celebrated in the Church decreased dramatically, by nearly 60 percent, between 1972 and 2010. Only 60 percent of Catholics believe in a personal God. If the Church is to reverse these trends, the evangelizers must first be evangelized-in other words, Catholics-in-the-pew must make a conscious choice to know and follow Jesus before they can draw others to him. This work of discipleship lies at the heart of Forming Intentional Disciples, a book designed to help Church leaders, parish staff and all Catholics transform parish life from within. Drawing upon her fifteen years of experience with the Catherine of Siena Institute, Sherry Weddell leads readers through steps that will help Catholics enter more deeply into a relationship with God and the river of apostolic creativity, charisms, and vocation that flow from that relationship for the sake of the Church and the world. Learn about the five thresholds of postmodern conversion, how to open a conversation about faith and belief, how to ask thought-provoking questions and establish an atmosphere of trust, when to tell the Great Story of Jesus, how to help someone respond to God's call to intentional discipleship, and much more. And be prepared for conversion because when life at the parish level changes, the life of the whole Church will change.

How can we transmit a living, personal Catholic faith to future generations? By coming to know Jesus Christ, and following him as his disciples. As we emerge from a pandemic into a post-Christian world, these are times of immense challenge and enormous opportunity for the Catholic Church in the United States. Ten years after it was first published, Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Weddell is still helping scores of Church leaders, parish staff, and all Catholics transform parish life from within. Her book leads you through the steps that will help Catholics enter more deeply into a relationship with God and the river of apostolic creativity, charisms, and vocation that flow from that relationship for the sake of the Church and the world. This companion study guide will help you transform your parish or small faith community. Created by people who have experienced the transformative impact of discipleship firsthand, this study guide to the revised and expanded edition of Forming Intentional Disciples provides tools and resources to initiate conversations, share the story of faith, and begin walking the path of discipleship together.

"It is not the same thing to have known Jesus as not to have known him, not the same thing to walk with him as to walk blindly, not the same thing to hear his word as not to know it.... We know that with Jesus life becomes richer."-Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel In her first book, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus, Sherry Weddell, cofounder of the Catherine of Siena Institute, captured the attention of Catholics across the globe as she uncovered the life-changing power that accompanies the conscious decision to follow Jesus as his disciple. Now, in the groundbreaking Becoming a Parish of Intentional Disciples, she has gathered together experienced leaders and collaborators whose exceptional field-tested wisdom and enthusiasm for transforming Catholic parishes into centers of discipleship and apostolic outreach is both inspiring and practical. The authors consider: The role of intercessory prayer in parish transformation How "fireside chats" can help a pastor connect with his parishioners and call them to personal discipleship and mission The co-responsibility of lay people andpastors in the work of making disciples The revolutionary impact of a discipleship approach to youth ministry How one parish successfully fostered a culture of intentional discipleship, and much more As Sherry asks in her own chapter, "Are we willing to answer the call and pay the price necessary to become a new generation of saints through which God can do extraordinary things in our time?"

Are you ready to take your faith to the next level? If you yearn for a life that moves beyond believing and practicing your faith, if you want to radically live your faith, if you want a more profound relationship with Jesus Christ, then it is time for you to become an activated disciple. The Foundation of discipleship is imitation. True discipleship requires such a close relationship with God that every area of your life is transformed. It is about opening yourself to God and inviting him to dwell within you, becoming holy as he is holy, loving as he is loving, disciples of Christ become the instruments God employs to transform the world. - Move beyond simply believing and practicing your faith and begin radically living it! - Overcome obstacles that keep you from being the disciple you are made to be.
- Be a positive influence and an instrument of transformation in the Church.

As faith-filled Catholics, we are called to go out and spread the good news of the Gospel, build up the Church, and fuel its mission. We are supernaturally empowered by God to do this through the charisms we receive at Baptism. Learn about each charism, what they are, and how discipleship unleashes these powerful gifts to produce fruit that lasts.

What is keeping so many of us, and so many of our parishes, from becoming powerhouses of faith and evangelization is that we don't have a living relationship with Christ that transforms us into intentional disciples. Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus (Our Sunday Visitor, 2012) has become one of the most talked-about books of the decade in Catholic parishes across the country. Written by Sherry Weddell, co-founder and co-director of the Catherine of Siena Institute, Forming Intentional Disciples takes a cleareyed look at the state of the Church today. Based on more than a decade of research with Catholics from across the country, the issues and opportunities in this book connect seamlessly with Pope Francis' call for evangelization as we open wide the doors of faith! Now the book that is changing hearts has a study guide that will help you change your parish or small faith community. Created by people who have experienced the transformative impact of discipleship firsthand, the Forming Intentional Disciples Study Guide provides tools and resources to "break the silence," initiate conversations, share the story of faith, and begin walking the path of discipleship together. To purchase the book, click here. For a non-reproducible PDF of this pamphlet, click here. The PDF is meant for review only and should not be reproduced in any form.

DISCOVER AND LIVE YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE THROUGH YOUR LAY VOCATION! The Church's mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone. As lay disciples of the Savior, our shared mission is to bring the message of His saving life, death and resurrection to all men and women through our words and deeds. Your personal lay vocation is even more focused: God has created you for a unique purpose only you can accomplish for Him! As you read this book you will discover the intensely interesting history and theology of the lay vocation and how our Church's reemphasis on the role of the laity in our day is meant to help awaken this "sleeping giant." But this is not simply a book of history and theology-it's about your mission in life and your eternal destiny. Russell Shaw's insightful work makes a direct connection between the teachings of the Bible, Vatican II, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis I and your everyday life as a lay follower of Jesus. Here you will learn how to begin discerning your unique personal lay vocation and how to establish, deepen and maintain your friendship with Jesus while you live out your lay vocation in the "real world." Jesus told us: I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." Read this book and find that life through your lay vocation!

Don Everts and Doug Schaupp tell the stories of postmodern people who have come to follow Jesus. They describe the factors that influence how people shift in their perspectives and become open to the Gospel. They provide practical tools to help people enter the kingdom, as well as guidelines for how new believers can live out their Christian faith.

"I dream of a 'missionary option'... a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything..." Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium Do you have the same dream as Pope Francis? Would you like to see your parish, apostolate, or family flourishing in Christ like never before? In Making Missionary Disciples, Curtis Martin, founder of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), explores how to build a vibrant culture of faithfulness and fruitfulness. He doesn't just remind us how every disciple is called on mission to share the love and truth of Jesus Christ. He gives us practical ways to do this in our ordinary daily lives. • Know the three crucial habits of effective evangelization. • Grow in Divine Intimacy following the four essential practices to which the early disciples devoted themselves. • Learn the importance of becoming not only a disciple, but a missionary disciple. • Understand the three-phased "Method Modeled by the Master"--the approach to evangelization modeled for us by Jesus in the Gospels and rooted in Catholic magisterial teaching. Experience the transformation for which we all long--through Making Missionary Disciples.