Here’s an innovative way to build a community and build faith (h/t Sherry Weddell):
The parish community of St. Helen in Westfield, NJ has run the ChristLife series several times, hosting over 900 participants through the years! In preparation for the 2015 Christmas season, they created a video of beautiful Discovering Christ testimonies. This video was played at each Christmas Mass to accompany an invitation from Fr. Michael Saporito for their upcoming Discovering Christ course.
It’s not uncommon for in-church videos to pop up at the end of Mass during stewardship appeals; it happens almost every year in my diocese and in many others around the country. But instead of money, how about making a pitch for prayer? For faith? For a deeper engagement in the life of the parish and a more intimate connection to Christ? The Christmas season could be an ideal time for something like this, when stragglers find themselves again in the pews, and when indifferent or infrequent Catholics may have their eyes, ears and hearts more attuned to hearing the Good News of renewal and hope—and might want to do something to make a positive difference in the new year.
I’d be curious to know how this was received, and what sort of measurable success they might have achieved with it.
Meantime, check out the video below. It’s a creative form of evangelization. I’m sure it must have piqued the curiosity of at least a few people in the congregation.
Photo: St. Helen Facebook page
And today we celebrate...