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Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish

Adult Faith Formation

Welcome to Adult Faith Formation at Assumption B.V.M. Parish.

In the familiar story of Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) we find the model for - Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us -, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops Pastoral Plan for adult formation. This passage from the gospel of Luke shows the need we all have for ongoing formation in faith. In it we see two adult disciples who, upon encountering the Risen Lord, grow stronger in love, knowledge, commitment, and zeal. As happened with the disciples then, so today. Those who are disciples of Jesus Christ need to be constantly fed by the word of God so that they may grow in their life as Christians.

The Catholic bishops of the United States call the Church in our country to a renewed commitment to adult faith formation, positioning it at the heart of catechetical vision and practice. (OHWB 6-12).



Arguably, one of the coolest pieces of Adult Faith Formation is special events. Events help feed our souls, encourage parish interaction, and are fun! It is a great reason to get off the couch and try something different. For a list of events, please visit our Calendar page!




Reading your Religion

The Parish BookCart is located in the gathering area of the church, near the scrip table.

The BookCart has books on prayer and praying, suffering and loss, Christian living, the Saints, our Catholic tradition, and spirituality. The cart also contains a current collection of Weavings, a spiritual journal with short reflections that focus on a variety of spiritual subjects. For those of us who might not feel up to reading an entire book, these journal reflections are just the right length. Check it out!

Summer is a great time to sit on the deck and treat yourself to a good book.

You are invited to use the books for prayer/reflection before Mass, or at any time you would like to stop into the church for some quiet time. You may also take a book home with you. Simply fill out the form provided on the BookCart’s clipboard, and return the book when you have finished.

The parish also makes available the Little Blue Books for Advent, Little Black Books for Lent, and Little White Books for Easter to help us pray during the different liturgical seasons of the church year.



Church Bulletin Announcements

Each week, the parish bulletin features an Adult Faith Formation Update. In the upcoming months, the column will shift gears and feature The Stewardship Corner, with articles on stewardship… prayer, financial giving, and service.

The Stewardship Corner will also spotlight a fellow parishioner from Assumption B.V.M. Parish or St. Stanislaus Parish in ……

CSI: Assumption/St. Stan’s. ®

" What? We have Crime Scene Investigators here at Assumption and St. Stan's? " you ask.
The answer is no.

This CSI stands for Church Stewardship Investigation ® . Our CSI's are constantly on the lookout for people suspected of being good stewards within our parishes and will keep you aware by posting an APB in our bulletin!



For more ways to grow your faith, visit our Links for Soul Surfers page. You'll want to dive in!



If you would like more information on these or any other adult faith formation activities, please e-mail Pam, lk2432@yahoo.com



Prayer

Pray at Your Computer

Sometimes it seems as if we can't find time for a few quiet minutes with God. Yet, prayer gentles us, encourages us, heals us, and stretches us. If you have access to a computer, this prayer website is a Godsend. Instead of choosing to play computer solitaire, why not take ten or fifteen minutes and go to www.sacredspace.ie. The site, sponsored by the Irish Jesuits, is Scripture-based and very user-friendly.

The Irish Jesuits offer a webpage with daily meditations and music, which can be downloaded onto your mp3 Player or Ipod. You may also pray the meditation at your computer on Windows Media Player. You can find the meditation and instructions at www.pray-as-you-go.org.

Music

Contemporary Catholic Music Site

OCP has a neat contemporary Catholic website, www.spiritandsong.com, with FREE MEMBERSHIP! Some of the perks include free mp3 music downloads of the latest Catholic/Christian music, artist podcasts, e-newsletters, and lots of other good stuff.

For the Young and Young-at-Heart!



Retreat Information

Retreat Centers

Listed below are the websites for several area and state retreat centers

 

Norbertine Center for Spirituality

The Norbertine Center for Spirituality, part of the St. Norbert Abbey facility in DePere, has a website that lists upcoming programs, retreats, along with a listing of various opportunities in which to join the Norbertine Community in prayer. The site offers online registration and contact information. The address is www.norbertines.org. The email address is norbertinecenter@yahoo.com.

 

Monte Alverno Retreat and Spirituality Center

1000 N. Ballard Road, Appleton (920) 733-8536 offers several opportunities for spiritual growth and adult formation. The retreat center’s website is www.montealverno.org. The email address is montealverno@juno.com

 

Mount Tabor Center (youth ministry)

Retreat Center, Located in Neenah. www.mttabor.net



Christian Lifestyle

Families On-line Internet Site

Looking for excellent resources for your family? Browse to www.familyandchurch.org website produced by Wisconsin Directors of Family Ministry; resources for parish staff use and downloadable pages for individual families. New topic, resources, activities and prayers each month.

 

Young Adult Internet Site

Looking for a good website to get information written for Young Adults... full of valuable stuff? Then check out www.bustedhalo.com BustedHalo is a web e-zine that speaks candidly on issues facing people in their 20's and 30's, which intersect with spirituality. Open to dialogue and to hearing the stories of young people, BustedHalo seeks to understand and to express the wisdom of Catholic and other religious traditions in a way that makes sense to the experience of those "spiritually seeking." The Faith Guides section provides basic snippets of Catholic information on the Mass, the Bible, prayer, saints, and a whole lot more.