Colleen Duggan: What I Learned From My Parish Priest's Criticism of Our Use Of NFP

This was so good! I wanted to share. We had many of the same experiences in the Protestant world, certainly not in confession but in conversations. But many Protestants, especially homeschoolers, have a conviction about God being Lord of the marriage bed and that means many children.

Colleen Duggan: What I Learned From My Parish Priest's Criticism of Our Use Of NFP

Relentless Pursual of God.

November 1, 2012

By Alan Harris

What is an ordinary life?

You're born

You have parents

You get dedicated or baptized

You go to school

You go to church

You play

You watch TV

You listen to music

You play sports

You relate to your siblings

You do a bunch of fantasy activities that aren't reality.

You start to like the opposite sex.

You become aware of your sexuality. Body matures

You start working

You start driving

You experiment with sin

You refine your adult attitudes and beliefs

You graduate from High School

You go off to college or maybe into work

You graduate from College

You get a cookie cutter job

You date

You get married

You buy a house

You may go to church (because you're supposed to)

You watch TV & Movies, sports

You have kids

They get baptized

The cycle continues

At a Catholic Mass they pray for vocations, for priests and nuns. That's one road to take. People who are sensing a religious feeling might do that. That's cool. We need to collect money for seminarians. I just go to church on Sundays, take communion and go home. Makes me feel like I did something good.

Lay missionaries? What's that? People should just live their life and show their faith by how they live.

What do you need to be a full-time missionary for? Get a job. Support your family. Work for a living.

My kids? They don't care about God. I drag them to church on Sundays. A youth retreat? They wouldn't want to do that unless their friends were going. I can't make them go. They're too busy with school activities and sports. We have a conflict. They need to get ready for college. Friday's a football night. We're going out of town. We're just real busy.

I was a Jr High and High School teen once. We were Methodist. My parents didn't force me to go to anything spiritual other than going to church and Sunday School. God still drew me toward Him. I was sensing that religious feeling myself. There were meetings and places I could go to get deeper with God. Somebody was there to minister to me. Someone had dedicated their life to impacting young people with the Gospel. First was my high school youth leader, then lay missionaries entered my story when I was older. God interrupted the status quo. My homeo-stasis. My ordinary life was altered. I haven't felt part of the rat race since. I began looking at the world through God's eyes.

How many people at my High School went nuts for Jesus? None of my friends. How many college friends are in serious ministry? There's a lot actually.

Now I'm part of the Catholic church. They're nice people. They are faithful about going to mass. I don't know a whole lot about what they believe on the inside. They seem to like their religion to be predictable and a have a steady routine. They like what they have. They might not take to people coming in with a lot of new or fanatical stuff. Their kids are raised in the church. They go to keep their parents happy. They're Catholic. That's what they are. They don't seem to be very emotional about their faith, from what I can tell. I don't hear God brought up in their daily life much.

Do very many at any church know Jesus? I'm not a saint. I'm a sinner. But I have a relationship with Jesus that began in my late teens. Like I said, there was somebody in my path intentionally trying to wake me up in the Lord. I am not out to run a youth group at the parish level. Lori and I operate on a regional level. We want to see discipleship training like we received, but for Catholics. Give them a chance to go deep with God. They don't have to become clergy. They might, but lets establish and nourish their personal relationship with Jesus first. Set them on fire, and God will direct their life's vocation.

That's what we do. Not part time. We have 63 parishes in our diocese. We are authorized to work with all of them. We know or have met most of the priests. They have an idea who we are now. We continue to plow the hard ground looking for places we can plant a few seeds. In my personal history, I was one of the few young people that woke up. We're not seeing masses of youth flocking to the Lord. We're seeing some. We must be RELENTLESS. (that's our new word this year) We must not give up pursuing the ministry of the Holy Spirit in these young people's lives.

We want to show them how to be relentless pursuing God and then be used relentlessly to touch their world.

Otherwise they will remain in the routine, or maybe blow God off altogether.

I don't want an ordinary life.

This is my quest. This is my passion. How can we reach them? What youth age is too old to still be captivated? How young to we have to dive down to before they are lost on the secular conveyor belt of life? What is the age of accountability? We are asking those questions. Will you help me find the answers? Here's how you can help.

1. Pray. Intercede. We have one elderly friend who prays for us twice a day – on her knees.
2. Do you want to come help us?
3. Will you commit to monthly financial support? We still have 3 children to get through school and bills to pay. We are sacrificing our 60 hour work week to the Lord. That is our job, our vocation.   

Catholics to Share Their Faith in London

CALLING ALL CATHOLICS! Share your faith on the streets of London! Join others who want to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.

2012 London Olympics Ecumenical Outreach

kerygmatexas.com

Mission/Outreach projects will include: Assisting with a local church outreach program. You will be assigned to Community Festivals in various Parishes e.g. entertaining kids with face painting and balloon sculpting, painting nails, washing people's feet,  serving food and drinks to the public and showing the Love of Christ to all you meet.

Joshua Camp to House Olympic Missionaries

With our Spring Break SST Mission Trip complete, we now turn a greater focus on the next adventure, the Olympics!  

What? We have been asked to lead a team, or teams to minister together at the 2012 London Olympics from August 1-13 this summer. The amazing project is finally coming into focus as we get closer to needing actual bodies to go with us.

When? August 1-13, 2012 It begins on the 1st, so we would obviously need to be traveling by July 31.

What is it? The Joshua Camp - a Catholic oriented ecumenical gathering working together to minister alongside Protestants around the Olympic sites.

Where? Our Kerygma Teams will be hosted at the Joshua Camp: 

Joshua Camp Accommodations

Our housing will be will be school classroom floors!

St. Bonaventure's Catholic School , Boleyn Road, Forest Gate, London E7 9QD

(Within walking Distance to the Olympic Village!)    You will have access to a shared bathroom and will need to provide your own bedding and towels. The cost includes breakfast and a packed lunch during the 13 days.

Who?

Anyone 18 and over  who wants to learn more about Jesus and how to share Him with others! (Must be 18 before August 2012)

·         Young adults will grow in their Christian faith as they work and
serve together

·         Those not so young to mentor and set an example to younger team members!

How Much?

Figure $2000 US per person, as of 3-25-12

$700 meals, housing, fees, ground transportation

$1300 air fare (Based on Dallas to London)

What will people do at the Joshua Camp?*

3 day International Catholic Festival (includes outreach training)

Mission/Outreach projects will include:

• Assisting with a local church outreach program you will be assigned to

• Community Festivals in various Parishes e.g.  Entertaining kids with face painting and balloon sculpting, painting nails, washing people's

         feet! Or serving food and drinks to the public

• Sharing in leading sports clinics/missions and holiday clubs

• Doing Street Evangelisation around

1. Christian Street Entertainment
2. NIGHT FEVER! 
   (Adoration and Music in the Churches around London)

1. BIG SCREEN Festivals (where the Games are being watched!)

• Giving out free bottles of water to thirsty tourists with the

          Salvation Army all around London.

• Being involved with a STOP THE TRAFFIK! Campaign against Human

         Trafficking.

• Performing Creative Arts - solo or as part of band, dance, or

         drama group, or doing street art at great venues around London.

• Prayer and Intercession for London and the Outreaches (Ensuring

the Olympics and Paralympics are peaceful events for all through our                          24/7 Adoration initiative and Prayer-Walking around London!)

*The role each volunteer plays will depend on their skills and experience.

All interested participants need to contact us. We need to meet you and spend time together to learn each other’s giftings, personalities, callings and to become a team. Please contact us at            (903) 343-3567      .  If you are in the East Texas area, we want to see you in person. We hope to have a training weekend very soon to pass out applications.

Please call today. If we’re going to be a team, then start talking to us!

If you are interested in going with us to the Olympics, please call             903-343-3567        (you can email too at info@kerymgatexas.com)