The bishops of the United States have emphasized that adult faith formation or lifelong formation must be the “chief form of catechesis. All other forms, which are indeed always necessary, are in some way oriented to it” (Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, no. 13). In the Archdiocese of Atlanta, there is still work to be done to organize our catechetical efforts around lifelong discipleship formation, so let us all press forward! Family faith formation or catechesis is an excellent opportunity to renew and reorient catechesis toward lifelong, adult discipleship, particularly through engaging parents, grandparents, and families together. Re-evaluating all ministries through the lens of evangelization and discipleship growth will be the key to renewing catechesis, and particularly adult faith formation, as a moment of evangelization.

Below are resources to assist leaders and others in advancing adult faith formation and discipleship. As can be seen, such formation takes a wide variety of forms.

For further information, contact our office.

  • Be An Evangelizer – Having a heart for evangelization is a great start, but we know that Jesus wants so much more for us. How do we ourselves become evangelizers? The information on Evangelizationatl.com will help guide you in taking the next steps as an evangelizer and as one who cultivates disciples for Christ. Leaders can also benefit from the ideas and resources available.
  • Christian Initiation of Adults – Helpful resources for those interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith. Contact your nearest parish for more information.
  • Ongoing Formation – Lifelong formation is critical to discipleship. It embraces the whole person, and it must be grounded in ongoing prayer and deeper conversion, in renewed encounter with the Lord Jesus and deeper reliance upon the Holy Spirit—all through the Church and her sacraments. Below are select resources that can assist the journey of ongoing formation.
    • The pastoral plan for adult faith formation from bishops of the United States: Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us (1999). For leaders, consideration of this document should be complemented by the 2020 Directory for Catechesis, Pope Francis’ magisterium, especially The Joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium), and Pope St. John Paul II’s Catechesis in Our Time (Catechesi Tradendae), among others.
    • Sacred Scripture: Daily prayer with and reading of the word of God in Sacred Scripture is essential for growing as disciples. There are various, solid Catholic translations of the Bible available through Catholic publishers. Ensure that the edition you have is an approved Catholic version—a list of approved versions by the USCCB is available here. Reliable versions include the New American Bible Revised Edition [NABRE], the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSV-CE], and the English Standard Version Catholic Edition [ESV-CE] (the latter two having approval from other bishops’ conferences outside of the U.S.). Daily readings from Mass and the Bible are available from the Bishops’ Conference here.
    • United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (2006, rev. 2019): An ideal guide and aid for individuals and small groups.
    • http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/, 2nd (1997, updated 2016 and 2019): Every home, every adult, should have a copy of or regular access to the universal Catechism as a faithful resource full of the richness of what God has revealed in Jesus Christ and handed on through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, faithfully guarded by the magisterium (teaching office) of the Church.
    • Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2005): A helpful, condensed version of the universal Catechism.

Other resources include:

  • Formed – The Catholic Faith. On Demand. Get thousands of movies, programs, audio, and books instantly.
  • The Ministry of the Wild Goose – A 14-part online video series on discovering a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit, and other series drawing you into a deeper relationship with Christ.
  • Word on Fire Catholic Ministries – Bishop Robert Barron’s ministry with podcasts, videos, books, etc. aimed to advance the Gospel and the Catholic faith.
  • Real Life Catholic – Various engaging Catholic resources and initiatives from Chris Stefanick.
  • Revive – A free online platform designed to help parish leaders but that may benefit Catholic adults generally, especially those interested in exploring lay ministry or other opportunities to serve.

Parents and Families

Contact Information

Michele McHale-Pickard
Catechesis and Certification
404-920-7625
mmchale-pickard@archatl.com

Patrice Spirou
Family Catechesis and Curriculum
404-920-7630
pspirou@archatl.com

Start typing and press Enter to search