Catholic Discipleship: Helping Others Grow in Faith

I think Catholics are becoming more aware of our need to evangelize. In a world that is increasingly secular and increasingly embracing evil, we are coming to realize the greater importance of inviting people into the faith and into the truth. The new evangelization reveals an increased awareness as well that not everyone in the pews has a real relationship with Jesus. Evangelization needs to happen both inside the Church and outside. We may not be comfortable doing it yet, but we know it has to happen.

Catholic Discipleship: The Missing Link

But very few Catholics are talking about the next step. What do we do for people once they are evangelized? So we’ve done our job. People are falling in love with Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit. But what do they do next? How do they grow in their faith? How do they discern their vocation and mission? How do they really live as a disciple of Jesus?

What we’re missing is the stage of faith development called discipleship. Catholic discipleship is when a new believer walks alongside an experienced believer and learns how to live the faith. Right now in the Church, new believers are left on their own. But if we are living our mission, not only should we be evangelizing, we should also be nurturing the faith of others through discipleship.

Teaching HOW and WHY

Part of the problem is that within the Church we rely a lot on catechesis. Catechesis is teaching WHAT we believe. It’s good and Important. No Catholic should ever stop learning their faith. But catechesis alone is not enough to help someone have a real relationship with Jesus.

We also need Catholic apologetics and Catholic discipleship. Apologetics teaches us why we believe what we believe. It’s often considered part of evangelization, but it’s also an important part of faith development. Discipleship teaches us how to live what we believe.  It teaches how what we believe connects to a relationship with God. It also teaches us how to deepen our relationship with God and what it means to follow Jesus.

The Importance of Mentorship

New believers need someone to walk by their side and show them how to approach Jesus and how to cooperate with grace. They need someone to teach them the significance and the importance of what the Church teaches. They need someone to show them the concrete steps of growing in their relationship with God. New believers need us to take them under our wings and to make them our disciples, just as St. Paul made new believers his disciples and led them to Jesus.

There are a number of specific times when a Catholic mentor could be especially powerful

• New Catholics: the period after a new Catholic is baptized or brought into full communion with the Catholic Church is called mystagogy. This should be a time when they are trained to enter more deeply into the mysteries of the faith. Unfortunately, this training doesn’t always happen. We tend to think our work is done once somebody enters the Church. Consider offering discipleship to new members by inviting them to study groups, taking them out to eat and talking about your prayer life, or inviting them to come to Mass and then out to brunch with your family.
• New Married Couples: Sacramental marriage is not about having a nice ceremony and reception. It’s about entering the Mystery of a Sacramental and covenantal union. That’s something that takes a lifetime to master. Consider being a marriage mentor who meets with a newly married couple throughout their first year of marriage, answers their questions, and encourages them to live the Catholic married life more fully. At least consider inviting newlyweds to marriage enrichment opportunities, whether it be a marriage retreat or a video program to learn more about what it means to live out the Sacrament.
• Parents having their children baptized: Catholic parenting is not for the faint-hearted. A Catholic parent’s task is to lead their children to the love of God through the love of the family. But parents have to guide their children through a fallen world that does not support or encourage a life of faith. Parents need training, but they also need support. They need willing ears to listen to their challenges, and sometimes willing hands to help them through as well. And of course, they need our prayers. How could you walk by the side of Catholic parents in your parish?
• People in times of bereavement: anybody who has experienced a tragedy may wonder where God is through it all. You could be the answer to that question just by offering your presence and support to someone who is mourning or who is facing difficulties. Prayer support and social support are so important in times like these. You may be part of Jesus’ plan to bring healing as well as strengthened faith to someone who is suffering.
• College Students: we have programs that connect the youth to adults in the parish. We have Newman Centers and FOCUS to minister to college students on campus. But we don’t really have a way to connect college-aged young people to adults in the parish. Mentoring a young man or woman might include being a sounding board as they make decisions about their career and vocation. It might mean supporting them in their challenges and encouraging them to seek their strength in God. It might mean letting them know that they are loved when they start to feel isolated and lonely.

These are just a few examples of specific people for whom you might consider being a mentor. Any of these would be a great opportunity for Catholic discipleship. Do any of them sound exciting to you? Or maybe you can think of other people that could use a mentor in the faith. Either way, this kind of mentorship is part of the mission in the Church that is seriously lacking. And it’s part of the mission that is perfectly proper for the laity to take up. So if you’re looking for your mission, consider an area of mentorship and guide people to live their relationship with Jesus ever more deeply.

I Almost Forgot . . .

Oh – I almost forgot to invite you into my own discipleship! I’d love to walk by your side to develop your lay spiritual life. The offer below shows a way to take your next step with me. You might learn your faith with online courses or articles, or you might live your faith through an online spirituality program. You can ask questions and get the support you need as you take your next steps toward holiness. Join me today!

Brought to you by Jeffrey S. Arrowood at From the Abbey, dedicated to helping you rediscover the JOY of learning and living your faith so you can grow in intimacy with God.

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