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Schools of Missionary Discipleship

Welcome to the Schools of Missionary Discipleship!  The purpose of these schools is two-fold: to be formed more deeply in your friendship with Jesus Christ (discipleship) and to be equipped with the skills for helping others come to encounter Jesus’ great love for them (mission).  The Schools of Missionary Discipleship draw heavily from The Catholic Leadership Institute’s Parish Missionary Disciples course and we are greatly indebted to CLI for training us and sharing their content with us.  Supplemental content for the course is taken from FOCUSEquip.org. 

Click the menu bars below to learn more about course content.  To register, please click the Register button below. 

Part 1, School of Discipleship

Part 1, The School of Discipleship

“Follow me…” 

Part 1, the School of Discipleship, will help you grow deeper in personal friendship with Jesus through prayer and personal conversion. Each session consists of: teaching, prayer, discussion and engaging activities that will help you practice what you have learned. 

Session 1: The Urgency of the New Evangelization
• Introduction to the Church’s vision for evangelization and missionary discipleship
• How to pray Lectio Divina, a simple way to hear God’s voice speaking to you through the Scriptures

Session 2: Who is Jesus and Why Did He Come?
• Rediscovering the kerygma, the core Gospel message of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
• Opportunity to examine your relationship with Jesus and pray about next steps to grow deeper

Session 3: Friendship with God
• Immersing ourselves in prayer and the interior life as the foundation of missionary discipleship
• How to pray fruitfully in front of the Blessed Sacrament

Session 4: The Cost of Discipleship
• How to cultivate a supernatural outlook on trials and suffering to make them fruitful
• The radical demands of the Gospel on our personal lives (morality)
• The healing power of Confession

Session 5: The Power of Intercession
• The missionary power of intercession
• The intercessory power of Our Lady
• The importance of spontaneous prayer for our spiritual lives
• How to pray spontaneously with someone

Part 2, School of Mission

Part 2, School of Mission

“…and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)
After participating in the School of Discipleship, participants are invited to register for Part 2, the School of Mission. These six sessions will equip you with the skills you need to go forth as “fishers of men,” seeking to win souls with and for Jesus. Each session consists of: teaching, prayer, discussion and engaging activities that will help you practice what you have learned.

Session 6: Intentional Accompaniment, Part 1
• The path of making missionary disciples
• The characteristics and needs of someone at each stage of becoming a missionary disciple
•  Making intentional invitations

Session 7: Intentional Accompaniment, Part 2
• Intentional friendships and investing in others
• Skills for proactive listening
• Best practices for transformative conversations

Session 8: Sharing the Gospel with Others
• A review of the kerygma (the core message of the Gospel)
• How to share the kerygma with others 

Session 9: Sharing Your Personal Testimony
• How personal testimony intersects with kerygma
• Crafting your personal testimony
• How to share your personal testimony with someone

Session 10: Going Forth
• Creating a discipleship action plan
• The Holy Spirit as the primary agent of evangelization
• Cultivating dependence on the Holy Spirit and praying with one another for the Holy Spirit’s gifts

Registration for next course:

  • Ten Wednesdays beginning September 18, 2024, 9:15 AM-12:15 PM (Mass available at 8:30 AM)
  • School of Discipleship: Sept 18, Oct 2, Oct 16, Oct 30, Nov 13
  • School of Mission: Jan 22, Feb 12, Feb 26, Mar 12, Mar 26
  • Location: Epiphany of Our Lord Parish, 3050 Walton Road, Plymouth Meeting, PA
  • Cost is $100 for all 10 sessions, including participant’s guides, coffee and snacks. Discounts are available for parish groups. Contact the Office for the New Evangelization for details. 
  • Click here to register for the course
  • Click here for the course flyer

This course is also available in Spanish. Please email Paola Herrera for details. 

The Schools of Missionary Discipleship are made possible through a grant from The Ambassador’s Fund for Catholic Education.