The Diocese of Columbus will take the next step in the evangelization phase of its Real Presence Real Future (RPRF) initiative at its second evangelization leadership summit on Saturday, Nov. 12.
“Proclaim God’s Glory” will be the theme for the event, which will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ohio Dominican University, 1216 Sunbury Road, Columbus.
Liz Christy, associate director of missionary disciple formation for the diocese, estimates that 400 parish evangelization leaders will attend. About 275 were on hand for the first such event last year. The summit aims to equip evangelization leaders to be, and to form, missionary disciples in their parishes and communities.
“The summit provides an opportunity to encounter Jesus, to be empowered to draw others to Him and to be equipped as missionary disciples,” Christy said. “Attendees will leave with strategies to help them bring Jesus Christ to the people they associate with at work, at home, at church and in their social groups.”
Bishop Earl Fernandes will celebrate the opening Mass and will be the first of three keynote speakers, sharing his vision for evangelization in the diocese. The other keynoters will be Jason Simon, president of the Evangelical Catholic Reach More model, and Tim Glemkowski, executive director of the National Eucharistic Congress.
Simon’s talk, “Taking the Great Commission to the Secular World,” will look at how to use the circle of influence given to every lay Catholic. Often these lay Catholics are the only ones who can reach others with the Gospel.
Glemkowski’s talk, “An Apostolic Mindset,” will discuss six steps every Catholic can take to begin making missionary disciples. He will focus on how, in moments of crisis, God has always responded in a common way through men and women who live differently.
One goal of the evangelization summit is to bring to life the RPRF initiative’s parish toolkit, which offers in-person access to many resources listed under its six elements of missionary disciple formation. These elements include kerygmatic encounter (proclaiming the Gospel), ongoing formation in sacraments and prayer, mission training, discipleship small groups, ongoing catechesis and ongoing Scripture study.
In addition to the three keynote speeches, morning and afternoon breakout sessions will be held on topics such as essentials of evangelization, youth accompaniment, young adult re-engagement, family catechesis, evangelizing parents, building small-group ministry, raising up Church leaders, marriage ministry, inviting people beyond the Church, having conversations about the faith and more.
Representatives from The Rescue Project, Divine Renovation, Alpha in the Catholic Context, Evangelical Catholic, Totus Tuus Columbus, Pathways Faith and Family, Sacred Heart Congress, Covenant Eyes, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Damascus Catholic Mission Campus, Soul Core, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Go to Galilee, FOCUS, Young Catholic Professionals, the Gloo online church outreach program and more will be available to talk about their resources for evangelization.
Following Glemkowski’s talk, the event will conclude with a Holy Hour and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Breakfast and lunch are part of the program.
Sponsors for the event include St. Gabriel Catholic Radio, Alpha, SoulCore - Holy & Healthy Catholic, Gloo and He Gets Us.
A grant was also received from The Catholic Foundation for the evangelization summit.
Registration for the event is $50 per person. Priests and religious will be admitted free. To register, go to columbuscatholic.org/disciple. For more information, contact Liz Christy at [email protected].
