CONVOCATION SCHEDULE
8:00 - 8:30 Registration
8:30 - 9:15 Mass
9:15 - 9:30 Break
9:30-10:30 Keynote Address by Ron Huntley
10:30 - 11:00 Break
11:00 - 12:00 Breakout Session 1
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch [provided]
1:00 - 2:00 Breakout Session 2
2:00 - 2:30 Break
2:30 - 3:30 Summation and Sending Forth
7:00 - 8:30 Praise & Worship Event at St. Bronislava
with Ron Huntley
KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
From Babel to Pentecost
How the Holy Spirit creates harmony out of our diverse gifts.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Ron Huntley
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Co-founder of the Divine Renovation model of parish renewal
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Director of Coaching, Senior Leadership Team, St. Benedict Parish, Halifax , Nova Scotia
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Author, Unlocking Your Parish: Making Disciples, Raising Up Leaders with Alpha
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
A1. How Can I Keep from Singing? How many times do you leave Mass with the melody of one of the songs repeating in your head? The songs we sing at Mass stick with us, shaping our faith lives, and by extension, the kind of parish we become. This session will consider the various types of music and texts available to us as liturgical musicians and how each, in harmony with others, can contribute to making our communities vibrant, living reflections of Christ, while preserving the rich history of the Catholic Church. Presenter: Kim Mandelkow, Director, Office of Worship, Archdiocese of Milwaukee [MORNING SESSION ONLY]
A2. So I’m An Adult...Now What? Best Practices in Adult Formation. It's said, "Jesus taught adults and played with children, while today the Church teaches children and plays with adults." How did this happen? How can we remedy it? Fr. Pierce is older than most of you and will share what he has learned. Presenter: Fr. Mark Pierce, Director, La Crosse Diocesan School of Biblical Studies [MORNING SESSION ONLY]
A3. Tell Me More...I’m Listening! Stephen Ministers are parishioners who receive special training to provide one-to-one Christian care in the form of emotional and spiritual support to fellow parishioners experiencing challenges in life--grief, divorce, illness, job loss, and other life difficulties. Participants will learn about Stephen Ministry--what it is and how it helps hurting people-and have an opportunity to observe and practice the skills Stephen Ministers learn in their training. Presenters: JoAnn Chase and Sherry Boyce, Coordinators, Holy Spirit Parish, Stevens Point, Stephen Ministry [MORNING SESSION ONLY]
A4. Prayer, Presence, & Perseverance: A Journey to Justice. How are we as a faith community to respond to the signs of our times? Building, maintaining, and participating in social justice ministry requires faith, perseverance, humility, and courage. Come learn about Catholic Social Teaching, our Church’s rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society. Be ready to listen with your mind and heart to stories of challenges, successes, and lessons learned on this journey towards justice. Presenter: Joyanna Jacoby Dvorak, Associate Director, Vincentian Service and Formation Team within the Division of Mission and Ministry and Adjunct Faculty Member in Catholic Studies and Peace, Justice, Conflict Studies program, DePaul University [MORNING SESSION ONLY]
P1. Elizabeth Ministries: Hope, Help, and Healing for Issues Related to Childbearing, Sexuality, and Relationships. The story of the Visitation in Luke’s Gospel is one of the most profound examples of Faith-sharing in all of Scripture as the sanctity of life and the power of the Holy Spirit are revealed in the visit between Mary and Elizabeth. This session will offer insights on how parishioners can emulate Elizabeth, Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph to reclaim God’s plan for our most precious human relationships. Presenter: Jeannie Hannemann, Founder, Elizabeth Ministry International [AFTERNOON SESSION ONLY]
P2. Liturgical Ministry as a Ministry of “Being With” Another. Pope Francis has introduced into the Church and the world a new vocabulary for pastoral ministry. Catch-words like mercy, dialogue, encounter, field hospital, periphery, accompaniment, and others have echoed throughout the whole Church. In Evangelii Gaudium (169), Francis says, “The Church will have to initiate everyone--priests, religious, and laity--into this ‘art of accompaniment,’ which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Exodus 3:5).” This session will discuss how our parishes might use this command to become places of welcome and Christian hospitality. Presenter: Kim Mandelkow, Director, Office of Worship, Archdiocese of Milwaukee [AFTERNOON SESSION ONLY]
P3. Verso l’alto: Best Practices in Youth Ministry. Never afraid to push the envelope, Pier Giorgio Frassati’s famous line was Verso l’alto, "To the Heights". As we navigate Youth Ministry in this ever-changing world, we will be taking a look at best practices to take your Youth Ministry Program and teens “To the Heights” of the faith! Presenter: Andrew Brueggen, Director of Religious Education, St. Patrick’s, Onalaska; Northern Wisconsin Lifeteen Representative [AFTERNOON SESSION ONLY]
P4. What Are We Called to Do as Disciples in Portage County? Social justice ministry includes a broad range of activities, from direct service to community organizing--all rooted in prayer and responding to the needs within our communities. Come get started exploring the nuts and bolts of social justice ministry through meaningful dialogue. Presenter: Joyanna Jacoby Dvorak, Associate Director, Vincentian Service and Formation Team within the Division of Mission and Ministry and Adjunct Faculty Member in Catholic Studies and Peace, Justice, Conflict Studies program, DePaul University [AFTERNOON SESSION ONLY]
B1. Got Questions? Try Alpha! [PLEASE NOTE: THIS SESSION IS OFFERED BOTH MORNING AND AFTERNOON.] When Pope Francis affirms that "The Church exists to evangelize," he is following the lead of recent popes. St. Pope John Paul II urged Catholics to be bold in finding new methods of evangelization that can effectively reach contemporary society. Many Catholic communities around the world have discovered Alpha to be such an effective tool. Learn how Alpha can reinvigorate parishioners' faith, reach the unchurched, and bring home those who have fallen away. Hear testimony from local Catholics who have experienced the difference Alpha can make! Facilitator: Joe Tremblay, Director, Parish Evangelization, Diocese of Green Bay
