The National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ invites parish leaders, initiation ministers, and regional or diocesan trainers to come together to explore the theoretical and practical aspects of initiation ministry. Through interactive sessions, meetings, and prayer opportunities, participants will understand more deeply that the vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the vision of the parish as a community of disciples.
The National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ will have two tracks. Parish Leaders and Initiation Ministers will deepen and enrich their work as they gain practical skills, discuss common challenges, and share best practices. Pre-conference distance-learning sessions will be available for new ministers and those interested in exploring the basics of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Regional or Diocesan Trainers will explore and discuss practical strategies for implementing effective training and formation in their local communities.
.The 2017 National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ has reached capacity. Please check back in early July to register for NGCI 2018.
Individual Registration, by May 12, 2017 $250
Includes breakfast and lunch on July 5th & 6th.
July 4th Opening Reception and Fireworks on the Riverwalk $25
Optional. Includes hors d’oeuvres and open bar.
July 5th Evening Reception $25
Optional. Includes dessert and open bar.
Registration is also available by mail. Please download, print, and send in the form found in our Registration Booklet or Registration Brochure to LTP at 3949 South Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60609.
A limited number of rooms are available at the Sheraton Grand Chicago hotel at a discounted rate of $149.00 per night. This rate is available for those who book before June 6, 2017 for the evenings of July 3rd - July 6th. A limited number of rooms may be offered at this rate for additional nights, based on hotel availability. To reserve a room at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Hotel, please call 312-464-1000 and mention NGCI, or visit https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/NGCI.
All cancellations and requests for refunds must be submitted in writing (letter, fax, or e-mail) by Friday, June 2, 2017 for a full refund or by Monday, June 19, 2017 for a 75% refund. Cancellation requests after Monday, June 19, 2017 will not receive a refund.
The 2017 theme for the National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ is Disciples Making Disciples. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults presents a vision for the Church that is constantly evangelizing, catechizing, and initiating people as Christian disciples. In Evangelii Nuntiandi Pope Paul VI said that “the Church is an evangelizer, but she begins by being evangelized herself” (15). The National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ invites parish and diocesan leaders to reflect on discipleship—to consider the skills necessary in forming disciples, the role of the parish in evangelization, and the mission of the individual as a disciple. Those who attend NGCI will be fed and nourished through prayer, experience fellowship in community, and learn from dynamic catechesis, all while recommitting themselves to the mission of the Church.
The National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ will have two tracks. Parish Leaders and Initiation Ministers will deepen and enrich their work as they gain practical skills, discuss common challenges, and share best practices. Regional or Diocesan Trainers will explore and discuss practical strategies for implementing effective training and formation in their local communities. The two groups will separate twice a day for deeper conversation as they focus on the needs and challenges of parish ministry and diocesan training and formation.
Each year, a different team of presenters will work together with an LTP representative to plan the major presentations and breakout sessions of the event. Team members have been invited, not only because of their understanding of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and the Church’s mission of evangelization, but also because of their vast parish and diocesan experience. As a true collaboration, the individual gifts and ministerial experience of each team member will shape the NGCI experience.
Why is the National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ important?
“Even though we have been implementing the RCIA for 30-plus years, we are still learning how to do it, what it means, how to adapt it for our times and places and people. For some it is still an entity attached to the parish rather than something at the core of parish life. We need to learn to see it as an integral part of being Church. We need to keep talking and listening to each other. We need to keep mining the wisdom of the Church as it is expressed in this document.”
What does “Disciples Making Disciples” mean to you?
“To quote (or perhaps misquote) Balthasar Fischer, ‘Shepherds don’t make sheep; sheep make sheep.’ To (mis)quote an African proverb, ‘The village raises the child.’ We preach Jesus Christ through our words, our actions, and our life in the world.”
Why is the National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ important?
“When we gather together with a common mission and a common passion, we have the opportunity to learn, to network, to discover new ideas and ‘other ways’ of doing things. When we gather together we are supported, encouraged, and affirmed in our efforts. When we gather together we realize that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, bigger than our own community, bigger than our own parish. When we gather together we are stretched — in our understandings, in our practices, in our established practices."
Why did you want to be a team member for the NGCI?
“Chicago was a pioneer in the implementation of the RCIA in the United States — one among three leading Archdioceses immediately after the Council. Liturgy Training Publications and the Office for Divine Worship, both of the Archdiocese of Chicago, together helped to ignite the fire that nationally swept the Church in this vision of evangelization, conversion, and building up of the Body of Christ. I am excited to revisit our roots in this opportunity.”
Why is the National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ important?
“The RCIA can and should be the heart and soul of a parish’s evangelization, faith formation, and worship efforts and practices. This day will help parishes to expand their understanding of the RCIA so that it can be truly life-giving for the parish.”
Why should parishes care about forming disciples in their communities?
“We can no longer just do things the way we’ve always done them. While our world has drastically changed all around us, much of what we do in the Church (as far as systems of ‘delivery’) relies on models from last century. We can no longer be sitting back and waiting for the doorbell to ring. We have to be proactive and intentional, and a huge part of that means that we need to do so much more than just ‘register’ people as parishioners. We need to articulate expectations and help them to live a life of discipleship.”
Why are you excited about the NGCI?
“Even though it's been a number of years now since I've been actively part of initiation ministry (except for presiding at Easter Vigils, sometimes with baptisms), I have seen how powerful it can be not only for initiands, but for team members, sponsors, and the parish community at large. It remains for me the most exciting development of the post-Vatican II church. As a pastoral theologian, the parish remains a kind of theological home for me, even though I left parish ministry myself in 1989. Through my work with the NA Forum and elsewhere, I have continued to ponder this question: what is the parish community presumed by the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults?”
Why is the National Gathering on Christian Initiation™ important?
“The flame! We need to keep the flame burning brightly. The Holy Spirit is at work in the Church and we are there to cooperate in the much-needed work. By gathering together those who are passionate about initiation ministry, the Spirit will excite and energize us to pass our faith to those we encounter — whether baptized or unbaptized. The National Gathering will serve to form us in in the vision of the baptismal catechumenate — through liturgy, catechesis, apostolic witness, and fellowship in community. I believe that the NGCI will serve as an ‘Upper Room’ moment for Christian initiation ministers — a chance to huddle together for a while, to be shaken by the Spirit, only to be sent out (on fire) to the corners of every land — proclaiming, preaching, and baptizing.”
How have you seen the power of the baptismal catechumenate played out in a parish community?
“Early in my ministry, I was blessed with the opportunity of serving as a pastoral associate of a small suburban parish. It was a special place that cared for outsiders as much as they cared for their own. We celebrated liturgy with joy and reverence. Catechesis inspired the heart as much as it did the mind. The feeling of hospitality and welcoming was warmer than anything else I’ve experienced — and they really knew how to party! What I did not realize right away — we were a community living in the vision of the baptismal catechumenate. We were a community that was nourished by Word and Eucharist so that we may be a radiant light in the world. By sharing our stories and experiences, my prayer is that we will all share our understanding of the baptismal catechumenate so that we may cultivate vibrant communities of faith and joy.”