A St. John the Evangelist Parish group in Paducah that studied with Acts 2:42 this past year. COURTESY OF ACTS 2:42
Evangelization & Discipleship: A central task for growing our faith
BY DR. JEFF ANDRINI, OFFICE OF EVANGELIZATION AND DISCIPLESHIP
The Office of Evangelization and Discipleship is focused on equipping adults to live and share our Catholic faith. In conjunction with the Eucharistic Revival Committee, Bishop Medley and I developed our Acts 2:42 Small Groups. With 65 parish coordinators, 185 host team leaders and over 2,000 participants, this effort is producing abundant fruit.
As the 2020 Directory for Catechesis states, “The Christian Community is the primary agent of catechesis” (para. 218). The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote a document called “Our Hearts are Burning within Us” in 1999 and made two important statements. One, “Adult faith formation… must be the central task in [this] catechetical enterprise” (para. 5). Two, small groups are “powerful vehicles for adult faith formation, providing opportunities for learning, prayer, mutual support, and the shared experience of Christian living and service to Church and society” (para. 106).
Through programs like Renew, Arise, Cursillo small groups, and more, we have learned the value of gathering adults to grow and share our Catholic faith and to build meaningful friendships, support one another and vulnerably share life’s burdens. God is doing great things in our Acts 2:42 Small Groups. Consider joining a group this fall!
Dr. Jeff Andrini is the director of the Office of Evangelization and Discipleship for the Diocese of Owensboro.
Originally printed in the June 2024 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
