(_*Establishing* is the second “E” of the Four E’s of Evangelical Catholic Ministry.)
After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith (Acts 14:21-22).
Jesus Spent Time with His Disciples
While Jesus spent time ministering to the multitudes, He took a great deal of time and effort to establish his inner circle in the habits and dispositions they needed to continue following Him. He knew that like plants, they would wither and die (Lk 8:4-15) without roots. Regular, individualized formation and encouragement must be given to people in order to establish them as disciples of Jesus. This is necessary so that the fruits of evangelization and conversion are not lost. This is an all too common occurrence in the Church, as seen, for example, when people have a powerful retreat experience and return to their parish unable to find a vital community that will help them live the daily the life of faith. Unless someone diligently follows up after a person’s initial conversion, that person will likely fail to progress in faith and begin to starve spiritually. At what point is a person ready for establishing? Though the outward signs will vary among persons, those who have experienced interior conversion will demonstrate readiness by their interest in growing spiritually.
Formation Has First Priority
The goal of establishing is to help those who have responded to Christ’s invitation to life to become his disciples. Imparting knowledge about Catholic theology, ecclesiology, and Church history is valuable, but not the first thing they need. What the newly evangelized need to know is how to grow in their faith — how to follow Jesus. Time spent learning about Jesus and the Church is essential, but it cannot substitute for the relationship itself. No one would suggest that classes on marriage substitute for marriage itself; nor would one suggest that learning about one’s spouse substitutes for time with one’s spouse. In the establishing phase, formation will not exclude, but, rather, take priority over theological education for awhile. Disciples have a lifetime to learn! The priority must be on helping them learn how to sustain their life in Christ when the high of a conversion experience wears off.
The Importance of Vibrant Christian Community in Establishing
Establishing is most likely to be effective if it is handed on in the context of personal relationships within authentic community. The foundation for a good formation begins with a community that is living the faith with fervor. Within the community, the newly evangelized will find companions to help them become mature disciples of Jesus.
If you do not have even one small, healthy community in your parish that is ripe for this approach to ministry and the Christian life, don’t despair. We have found that gathering interested people is the seed for such a community. At times, we find that bringing people from outside the parish who understand and live an evangelical Christian lifestyle into contact with a new group can be helpful in modeling and establishing community.
Of course, you can’t force authentic Christian community. It happens as its members grow in conversion and discipleship. You can foster it by providing occasions for people to grow in faith together as well as providing social activities and service opportunities.
Individual Attention is Key to Establishing
A planned, flexible and individualized formation process is most likely to ensure spiritual maturity because it meets the different needs of different people. In a community of established and trained lay people, you will have a group of “discipleship companions,” who will be able to help and encourage the newly evangelized. This, as we have already mentioned, is the engine that drives Evangelical Catholic Ministry. Without a team of lay people working alongside you, it will not be possible — with all of the other demands of a ministry position — to provide this kind of individualized pastoral care on a widespread level. One-on-One and Discipleship Training Groups are ideal for such individualized attention, with Small Groups providing a backbone of weekly, communal encouragement and support.