Before you read further…
I want to point out that this won’t be your ordinary, one-weekend, one-shot workshop. TeamRCIA has a rich trove of online free resources that we plan to link to this training. We will offer your parish RCIA leaders training before we arrive, training while we are there, and training after we leave. We really want this to make a difference in the level and quality of initiation ministry in your diocese.
What we will offer your teams
Over many years, we have developed and refined these institutes to be the most effective, engaging, and transformative training events you can offer your parish RCIA teams.
How we’ve structured this onsite training
We know your folks are busy, so we’ve compressed the onsite portion of the training as much as possible without minimizing the quality of the content. For most folks, a Friday evening — all day Saturday timeframe works. But the onsite training could be another evening and day if that works better in your area. (Note: The TeamRCIA Catechist School runs two full days. The RCIA Overview for Priests runs one day.)
>> TeamRCIA Making Disciples Institute
Show parish leaders how to form Christians for life
Why this matters
I don’t know about you, but thanks to all the great work Pope Francis has been doing, I’ve been hearing a lot more people talking about the Catholic Church lately. And a lot of these people are not Catholic! If more people are curious about Catholicism, our RCIA teams and parish formation teams could be a lot busier this year.
Is your diocese ready?
Do your RCIA teams know the basics of the conversion process well enough to evangelize and catechize those who might be seeking a deeper relationship with Christ? We can help. TeamRCIA has consulted with diocesan leaders throughout the U.S., Canada, and Australia to design a training process guaranteed to move your parishes to a deeper level of conversion and formation.
Here’s what we have come up with. Along with our pre- and post-institute resources and over the course of one evening and one day onsite, your parish teams will:
- Discover how the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a powerful conversion process that forms “missionary disciples”
- Learn how to apply the core principles of the RCIA across the entire parish to form even more missionary disciples
- Acquire the skills to build an evangelizing parish that involves the entire community in calling forth missionary disciples
- Understand the way of faith and conversion and how RCIA rites and catechesis work together to make disciples
- Discover how to use your parish as a personalized syllabus for the variety of people we meet in the RCIA
- Identify the steps for doing mystagogical catechesis that leads to conversion of disciples
- Gain the confidence you need to take the next steps toward transforming your entire parish into a community of disciples through the work of the RCIA
Schedule
Here is a step-by-step breakdown of what your parish teams will learn during the Making Disciples Institute:
| First evening (2.5 hours) |
Next day (7.5 hours) |
- How we tell others about Jesus
- The six core principles of the RCIA and how they apply to all formation
- The four pillars of RCIA catechesis that grow a community of intentional disciples
- The changes we can expect in our parishes once we commit to an RCIA-based conversion mission
- What an RCIA ritual looks like that hands on the heart of faith
|
- How to catechize from a rite in such a way that matters to real people’s lives
- The ritual and catechetical paths of the RCIA and how they work together
- Three levels of evangelization, how they help us respond to human need and lead a person to Christ
- A concrete pre-catechumenate process for discerning each person’s particular needs and path of formation
- How to use your parish as the catechetical curriculum for making disciples
- The unique nature of spritual formation in the Period of Purification and Enlightenment
- What the Period of Mystagogy is and isn’t
- Practical and doable next steps for implementing what we have learned
|
>> TeamRCIA Rites of the RCIA Institute
Why should RCIA teams care about rites?
I guess it’s obvious why RCIA teams should care about good liturgy. It falls under the same principle about caring about clean air or auto safety. Those things are important. But really, they are someone else’s job. RCIA teams want the rites to be celebrated well, but usually they don’t feel directly responsible for them.
I compare it to cooking. I love to cook. I’ve taken classes. I’ve got gadgets. I subscribe to magazines. I’ve got a shelf full of cookbooks.
My wife doesn’t like to cook. She can do it if she has to, but mostly she leaves cooking to me. What she does like to do is eat. And host guests. And decorate the table. And create an ambiance. And decide who sits where. And have coffee and long conversations after we eat.
If you will allow me to stretch an analogy, we might think of the food as the rite. And all the activity before and after we eat might be the catechesis about the food. Not catechesis in the sense of here’s how the potatoes were made and here are the nutritional facts about the salad. Rather, my wife helps our guests experience the deep mystery of relationship that goes far beyond just nourishing our bodies.
That’s how we think RCIA teams should think about liturgy. They aren’t the cooks. They are the ones who prepare the seekers for the rite and help them break open the rite after it has been celebrated.
We have designed the Rites of the RCIA Institute to help RCIA teams do that.
What we will offer your teams
We aren’t going to do liturgy planning or try to turn folks into liturgists. Instead, we are going to explore the deep structure of how the rites of the RCIA work to bring seekers to an intimate encounter with Christ. And we are going to give RCIA team members the skills they need to help seekers recognize that encounter and allow Christ to change their hearts.
At that the end of your time together, participants will walk away with:
- A simple process for preparing the assembly for full, conscious, and active participation in the rites
- A firm grasp of the twelve liturgical principles and the four elements every liturgy must have
- A repeatable, easy-to-implement, mystagogical process to catechize directly from the rites
- A clear understanding of when it is okay and even necessary to adapt the rites and when it is better to just follow the book
Schedule
Here is a step-by-step breakdown of what your parish teams will learn during the Rites of the RCIA Institute:
| First evening (2.5 hours) |
Next day (7.5 hours) |
- Evangelization
- Celebration: Adapted Rite of Acceptance
- Mystagogy
|
- Analysis of the Rite of Acceptance
- The twelve principles of good liturgy
- The four liturgical arts
- How to prepare a liturgy of the word with a blessing
- How to read a rite
- Spiritual preparation for a scrutiny
- Celebration: Adapted scrutiny
- Mystagogy on the adapted scrutiny
- Principles of rites with the baptized
|
>> TeamRCIA Year-Round RCIA: Create a Parish Plan
Content Summary
- Discover how the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is a powerful conversion process that forms “missionary disciples”
- Learn how to apply the core principles of the RCIA across the entire parish to form even more missionary disciples
- Acquire the skills to build an evangelizing parish that involves the entire community in calling forth missionary disciples
- Understand the way of faith and conversion and how RCIA rites and catechesis work together to make disciples
- Discover how to use your parish as a personalized syllabus for the variety of people we meet in the RCIA
- Identify the steps for doing mystagogical catechesis that leads to conversion of disciples
- Gain the confidence you need to take the next steps toward transforming your entire parish into a community of disciples through the work of the RCIA
| First evening (2.5 hours) |
Next day (7.5 hours) |
>> TeamRCIA Catechist School
Content Summary
- Learn the number-one goal of every parish catechist
- Learn the six principles that shape the entire faith journey (RCIA 4-5)
- Learn how to make sure the seekers are committed to learning (RCIA 42)
- Learn the power of good storytelling to communicate word and dogma
- Learn effective adult learning models that work
- Learn the four areas of Catholic life that every formation process must teach (RCIA 75)
| First day (7.5 hours) |
Next day (7.5 hours) |
- Overview of Six Principles of the RCIA
- How the Baptismal Catechumenate inspires all Catechetical Ministry
- Creating a Conversion Centered Liturgical Experience
- What makes an effective catechist?
- Evangelize as Jesus Did
- Creating Questions For Evangelizing
- The Period of Evangelization
- Art of Storytelling
- Sharing a Bible Story
|
- Celebration of the Rite of Anointing of Catechumens
- Mystagogical Reflection on the Rite of Anointing
- How to Do Mystagogical Catechesis
- Apprenticeship in the Catechumenate
- Overview of the Period of the Catechumenate
- Breaking Open the Word and Analysis of the Process
- Presenting a Doctrinal Session Flowing from Liturgical Year
- Multiple Intelligences
- Summary of Learning
|
>> TeamRCIA One-Day RCIA Institute for Priests
Content Summary
- Know why the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the best way we evangelize and create a conversion-focused community of Christian disciples
- Identify and remember the six core principles of the RCIA that inspire all catechesis
- Study the four areas of formation that grow a community of well-formed disciples
- Understand the way of faith and how the ritual and catechetical paths work together
- Differentiate the three levels of catechesis and how to apply them appropriately
- Gain confidence to lead mystagogical catechesis on the rites
- Learn how the three steps of evangelization work to draw and strengthen disciples
- Discover how to use your parish for a personalized curriculum for each RCIA seeker
- Clarify liturgical norms and laws and know how to honor the status of the baptized
| One-day schedule (7 hours) |
- Six principles of the RCIA
- Four pillars for forming disciples
- Overview of the RCIA process
- Celebration of an adapted Presentation of the Creed
- Mystagogy on adapted Presentation of the Creed
- Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate: Three steps of evangelization and five inquiry questions
- Period of the Catechumenate: How to make your parish the curriculum
- Celebrating the sacraments and honoring the baptized
|
Want something different? Contact us. If we can’t help, we’ll find you somebody else who can.
What people are saying about the TeamRCIA institutes
- “I’ve worked in the RCIA for 20 years and have been through many trainings, and I have not felt this inspired in a long time. Thank you!” —Diane Boggs, St. Joseph, Vancouver, BC
- “This institute was excellent. It was informative, gave both doctrinal and practical tips, plus it was fun!” —Lucy Hellier-Clarke, St. John Vianney, Vashon, WA
- “This institute should be a prerequisite for any RCIA team member.” —Ute Bender, St. Francis Xavier, Seaside, CA
- “Come and see — leave on fire.” —Corrie Cardon, St. Patrick, Watsonville, CA
- “This was most helpful for new RCIA team members as well as those who are experienced.” —AnnaLuisa Huffman, Sts. Peter and Paul, the Apostles, Bradenton, FL
- “I’m a beginner. This institute was excellent. It is the best way to get started on this mission.” —Ruth Lopez, Ft. Bragg, NC
- “It was inspiring and shows us how easy it would be to transform this ministry so that it can transform the community and evangelize better.” —Teresa Warnick, Lititz, PA
- “It’s an RCIA game-changer!” —Mel, Tiffin, OH
- “You may think you know everything there is to know, but there is so much more that helps to enrich your process. TeamRCIA encourages and gives confidence in leading the process. (And the handouts were exceptional!)” —Nina Rizzo, St. Michael the Archangel, Raleigh, NC
Costs
We want to make the finances as easy and as beneficial for you as possible. To do this, we’re providing this training for one flat fee.
Your flat fee covers:
- Speaker fees for two trainers (three trainers for bilingual institute)
- Hotel costs for two trainers (three trainers for bilingual institute; if we stay at your diocesan center, we’ll pay for our rooms out of the flat fee)
- Airfare for two trainers (three trainers for bilingual institute); up to $600 per trainer
- Meal costs while in transit to and from your city
- Onsite bookstore made available for your participants
- Institute booklet of handouts for each participant
- Set up of an information and registration page just for your institute
- Free advertising of your institute if you want participants from outside your area to attend
- Pre-institute training materials to prepare your participants for the event
- Post-institute training support and additional materials to solidify the learning and bolster the confidence of your participants
Your one flat fee covers all this! You determine where you want to host the institute, what you want to provide for meals and refreshments, and how much you want to charge your participants, if anything.
2022 Fees
TeamRCIA Making Disciples Institute
- English: $5598.00
- Bilingual (Spanish/English): $8598.00
TeamRCIA Rites of the RCIA Institute
- English: $5598.00
- Bilingual (Spanish/English): $8598.00
TeamRCIA Year-Round RCIA: Create a Parish Plan
- English: $5598.00
- (Bilingual coming soon)
TeamRCIA Catechist School
- English: $6598.00
- Bilingual (Spanish/English): $1,0248.00
TeamRCIA One-Day RCIA Institute for Priests
Adjustments to the standard institute structure or schedule may result in a higher flat fee.
What you charge for the event is all up to you. Any registration fees you collect over the flat fee is yours to keep to continue supporting your ministers.
Host responsibilities
As host, we ask you to:
- Secure a suitable space for the institute
- Oversee registrations and payments from your participants
- Create an environment where participants can do good work by providing people to assist with hospitality, onsite registration, and facilities support
- Provide meals and refreshments for your participants (typically beverages and snacks throughout, morning refreshments, and a light lunch)
- Assist the trainers in preparing basic supplies needed for the institute
How to sign up
Sign up for 2022
There are only a few dates left in our 2020 schedule! So request your dates now. Click here to save your spot.
