South St. Louis County parish finds fruits from seven-week video series meant to answer some of life’s deepest questions
Imagine you’ve been asked to start a new church in a neighboring town. You have no money or paid staff, no church buildings, no religious orders, theologians or seminaries, almost no written Scripture beyond hard-to-access Old Testament scrolls and a culture that’s largely indifferent and sometimes hostile to Jesus.
How do you do it?
What you do have is exactly what the early Church had — the living teaching of the apostles, a shared communal life, the sacraments, prayer, a personal encounter with Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
And that’s been enough for God to grow His Church across the world, Father Raymond Buehler said.
The senior associate pastor at Assumption in south St. Louis County led participants through that scenario on June 30 as part of The Search Continues, a follow-up to their participation in The Search, a seven-episode video series from the Augustine Institute that the parish offered in May and June that explores life’s deepest questions, including the meaning of human existence, science, faith and what happens after we die.
Assumption is among 22 parishes in the archdiocese that have used the program for evangelization efforts. The program is among several examples of Assumption evangelizing its parishioners in recent years and building disciplemakers to go out into the world, Father Buehler said.
The exercise of starting a new church showed that evangelization does not depend on money, buildings or experts but on a real encounter with Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, shared community life and a clear proclamation of the Gospel — or kerygma. It’s about creating an apostolic mindset, Father Buehler said.
“It takes that willingness for us to put aside numbers, put aside growth plans, put aside timetables and just simply start saying, OK Jesus, may I be renewed in my encounter with you today?” he said. “Jesus, how are you sending me out right now? Who are you sending me out to right now? Not ever asking the question — Are you sending me out? — because that question has already been answered. The answer is yes. Every one of us is being sent out, but who is it today that I’m called to share Jesus with?”
The Search and its follow-up sessions have focused on meeting people where they are in their faith journey and helping them take a concrete step closer to God, said Dave Baranowski, who was part of the evangelization team that helped organize the series.
Turnout was a greater success than anticipated. Originally, organizers expected no more than 100 people, but they received 300 registrations and shifted their meetings from the parish center to the gym. At the first session, then-pastor Father Thomas Keller said he recognized about half of the people in the room. That meant they were drawing in people who weren’t the usual faces.
The series has been an easy entry point for those who may be returning to the Church, searching for more or unsure where to begin. It invites them into a deeper relationship with Jesus and His Church, Baranowski said. The goal is to form small faith-sharing groups and eventually create disciple makers who can share their own stories, walk with others and go out to spread the Gospel.
“We’re trying to help people to get to heaven,” he said. “We’re trying to help them take one step further. We’re trying to do things to help people wherever they’re at in their walk with God, that we can keep them moving forward.”
Rick Huelsing
As a lifelong Assumption parishioner, Rick Huelsing said his participation in the program deepened his faith that he had previously approached with a “doubting Thomas” spirit. As someone in a science-related career, he often thought that faith and science were at odds.
The Search renewed in him the belief that Jesus is a real, historical person and that Scripture is a living source of truth that he wants to study more intentionally, possibly with a spiritual director.
Church and the sacraments are essential, and it’s important to have a faith community, Huelsing said. He also said he feels called to evangelize — whether that’s with his golf partners, his adult children and grandchildren or extended family and neighbors.
“We’re not just a bunch of cells flying around,” he said. “We’re created in the image and likeness of God. People say, well, I’m spiritual, I don’t need religion and everything, you know? We do need a church … we can’t get to heaven on our own without the Church and the sacraments to help us.”
Margot Huber
Margot Huber admitted that she was initially hesitant to participate. A friend encouraged her to sign up for the series, and she was drawn in by what she described as powerful videos. The small-group table discussions left her “stumped” in a good way — full of questions and with a desire to keep learning. Through the sessions, she began to see her faith not as something inherited, but as an ongoing journey of seeking God more personally in Scripture, prayer and community.
Now 61 and assisting at two parishes, Huber said she feels called to go further in her faith. She plans to attend an ACTS retreat, continue helping at Assumption in various ways and keep “searching” so she can better live and share her faith with others.
“When you’re hungry for it, you just keep going,” she said. “I pray that God will show me the way, show me what I need to do to learn and be more faithful to (Him). What do I need to do to be a better Catholic and to continue spreading the good word?”
Sarah and Sydney Adamec
Sisters Sydney, 25, and Sarah, 21, Adamec received an invitation to participate in The Search. Both were hesitant to try something out of their comfort zones, but they walked away with a greater appreciation of their faith and a desire to grow in their relationship with Christ.
The two have formed new friendships with the people they sat with during the weekly sessions. A group text chat has formed, and they’ve gone to dinner together before one of the follow-up sessions.
Sydney recalled a quote from one of the sessions that resonated with her: “‘Take the love story out of the Bible and what you’re left with is a to-do list.’ And that’s what I’ve struggled with over the years — losing that relationship with God and going through the motions, not really paying 100% attention at Mass.” Hearing that has inspired her to increase her time in prayer and focus on the sacraments, particularly confession.
The same goes for Sarah, who recently went to confession for the first time since eighth grade. She also has been going to adoration more, reading the Bible and praying. “It was understanding the sacraments are gifts from God to grow closer to Him,” she said.
