One-year formation program will begin in June
Missionaries of Joy is a new initiative in the Archdiocese of St. Louis that seeks to form lay leaders to evangelize in their parishes.
The archdiocese has partnered with the Augustine Institute, which moved its headquarters to St. Louis last year, to offer a one-year formation program that will begin in June.
“Coming out of All Things New, people are looking for: What does evangelization in our parish look like, and how can we be equipped for that?” said Father Chris Martin, the archdiocese’s vicar for parish mission and vitality.
The program will provide a foundational theology and flexibility for parish-specific evangelization strategies, equipping parishioners to share their faith with joy, clarity and confidence. The coursework is inspired by Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel) and is aligned with Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski’s vision document, “Disciples Make Disciples.”
The 12-course online curriculum from the Augustine Institute will cover Scripture, Catholic doctrine and the Christian life. The Office of Evangelization and Discipleship will also lead quarterly in-person sessions.
The first semester will cover deepening personal faith, including the person of Jesus, discipleship, sacraments and prayer. The second semester will focus on understanding and sharing the faith through Scripture, Kerygma, social teaching and catechesis. Upon completion, participants will earn certificates in Catholic theology from the Augustine Institute and evangelization from the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
Missionaries of Joy is a response to a desire among pastors and parishioners to do more in the area of evangelization, Father Martin said. Fostering a culture of evangelization in each parish means renewing parish life from within, sharing the Gospel message with others in the modern world, and accompanying others in faith through discipleship, outreach and witness.
“There is no one-size-fits-all mode of evangelization, but there are universal principles,” Father Martin said. “We want to provide people with foundations in their own spiritual life and in theology, while allowing flexibility for them to be equipped for the mode of evangelization that they and their pastors think is best for their parish.”
Augustine Institute chief mission officer Ben Akers said the courses will cover fundamental aspects of the faith to give participants a foundation from which they can share the faith with others.
“The more people understand their faith, the more confident they are in living it and then inspired in charity to share it,” he said. “It is a well-founded hope of this program that it will help strengthen parishes” in building community.
The courses also will “help them grow in knowledge of who God is and His revelation to us,” Akers said. “As we learn who God is and how He revealed Himself in His son Jesus, we find there are more reasons to love Him and also to celebrate the gifts He gives us. Growing in knowledge allows us to grow in love” and then share that with others.
The Missionaries of Joy program succeeds the archdiocese’s Lay Formation program, an effort launched in 2013 to equip lay leaders to participate in the Church’s mission of evangelization as missionary disciples. Graduates made a three-year commitment of service to the parish upon completion of the program.
“As we come up to the 200th jubilee of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and we think about the missionary zeal that founded our great city, it’s an opportunity for us to rediscover missionary zeal in our own backyard,” Father Martin said.
Learn more
Cost for the program is $300, which will be shared equally between the parish and participant, each contributing $150. Speak with your pastor if financial assistance is needed. For more information or to apply, visit www.archstl.org/ missionaries-of-joy
