The last two weeks of my catechumenate class we have focused on the history of conversion and the catechumenate in the church and conversion from the divine side. Alan Kreider’s The Change of Conversion and the Origin of Christendom has facilitated the exploration of this history emphasizing the intertwining elements of believing, belonging, and behaving […]
Last week I took a hiatus from blogging on the catechumenate course I am teaching at the seminary. The last three class periods, however, have provided some “eye-opening” moments. It’s not surprising that an experience that leads catechumens to the revelation of the mysteries of the rites of initiation should pop with eye-opening moments. In […]
Back from July 15-August 20, 2021 Rhoda and I ran a series of blog posts on Diana Macalintal’s aptly titled book published by Liturgical Press in Collegeville, Minnesota. Macalintal is one of the founders, along with her husband Nick, of TeamRCIA.com, A Roman Catholic group promoting best practices in the Rite of Christian Initiation of […]
At the conclusion of our introduction to Part I of our book Journey to Jesus, Rhoda and I write: “A visit to each of these four congregations on a Sunday would reveal differences in styles of worship, preaching, and communal expressions—all part of the contextualization of the ministry in these disparate congregations. But they share […]
Shortly after returning home from the Best Practices Ministry 2026, all the attendees (I assume) received an email from Jeff Schrank, pastor of Christ Lutheran in Phoenix, which hosts the conference. Jeff wrote: “Would you please be willing to reflect upon how this event impacts you, your team, your church? I will share these thoughts […]
I, Rhoda, also had the joy of presenting at a breakout session at Best Practices Ministry last week. After a brief presentation that began with the “grim statistics” of the decline in church membership in recent decades, moved to the need for adult faith formation, and zipped through a quick summary of the stages of […]
On Thursday at the Best Practices in Ministry Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, Kent’s breakout session room was full of pastors, musicians, and other church professionals to hear his presentation—I counted 70 people. Everyone was engaged as he presented, and the questions and discussion were lively. I had the joy of reconnecting with a number of […]
Kent and Rhoda will both be presenting at Best Practices in Ministry, “a conference hosted by Christ Church Lutheran [in Phoenix, Arizona]. For over 10 years we have offered this FREE conference to remind professional and lay church workers that you are loved, you are not alone, and you matter. And when we say free, […]
Since both Kent and I are alumni of Valparaiso University, we wish to remind our readers that the early-bird registration for the Institute of Liturgical Studies at VU ends on January 31. To save $100 on the registration cost, click here by Saturday, January 31. The Institute meets April 13 – 15, 2026. It’s a […]