Investor
Why do we pray?
“For Starters, a deeper meaning in life, a sense of peace, connecting, with the infinite source of guidance and strength.”
Why do we work?
- Monsignor Tom Tank
April 7, 2024
Who will teach the next generation to pray?
How many Souls can we reach?
Journey: New Life in Christ offers parishes and parishioners an effective tool for renewal and evangelization.
Why? Because all of our resources invested in Him and His church are multiplied exponentially.
How? Afternoons of Reflections, Weekend Retreats and Small Group Resources
Proof of Concept 6 parishes hosted 24 weekend retreats in past year for a total of 503 parishioners served.
Projections 2024 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7 Y8 Y9 Y10 Total
Weekend Retreats 24 30 38 48 60 75 94 118 148 185
Parishioners Served 503 600 760 960 1,200 1,500 1,880 2,360 2,960 3,700 16,320
The above does not include the number of parishioners who might engage with a small group or afternoon of reflection. However, for the sake of this projection, we will project the numbers for those two offerings to be zero.
The above is based on active parishes hosting 4 retreats per year. If a minimum investment of $50,000 per year is obtained, it would enable us to minister to more than 15,000 souls over a 10-year period. There is no reason to believe that we can’t triple the above numbers once funded with the necessary revenue to fund a budget of $150,000 per year which would enable us to hire staff necessary to manage volunteers to minister to 48,960 souls over a 10-year period at a cost of $30.63 per soul.
Resources and Objectives
Journey offers 3 ministries: The Way (Journey Retreats), The Truth (Small Groups), and The Life (More Food for the Journey). Each ministry is completely functional on it’s own, although they build upon one another beautifully and the goal is to have parishes progress strategically through each.
The Way
Weekend Retreat
30 Hour Commitment
Spiritual Renewal
Volunteer Intensive
Desired Entry
The Truth
Small Groups
Resources for Individuals
Ongoing Support
Leveraging Technology
Add on for Retreat or Afternoon
The Life
Afternoon of Reflection
4 Hour Commitment
Spiritual Exercise
Minimal Volunteers
Optional Entry
Needs
Completion of website to include training videos, testimonials, and automation to allow self service by parishes and parishioners.
Hiring of Staff that might include an Executive Director and grow to two Ambassadors
Target Diocese: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph
The Journey Advantage
Summary
The first leg of the journey is an enhanced version of Christ Renews His Parish. Greatest enhancements are in the areas often described as invitations and continuation. The second leg of the journey is similar to Cursillo with an emphasis on continuing on the path with the support of brothers and or sisters in a small group and an annual event designed to bring everyone together to focus on the power of the Eucharist.
Leveraging Technology
The App, website and online manual and registration tools for the afternoon of reflection, small groups and weekend retreats are an advantage that other weekend retreat programs do not offer.
Daily Retreats
Whether a person is considering a retreat for the first time or has been on several, the daily reflection materials that can be found on the App or received via email are designed to enable renewal to happen each and every day.
More Food for the Journey
An afternoon of reflection begins a few hours before Saturday afternoon Mass and concludes with the receiving of the Eucharist at Mass. Benefits of this offering are, bringing alumni back together annually and to enable those who are unable to commit to a weekend to get a taste. This event can be delivered with as few as 3 volunteers.
Forums
Whether it is an afternoon of reflection or a weekend retreat, either experience will serve to inspire many to join a small group. Resources for agendas/best practices are provided, yet most importantly, a portal that allows individuals to have access to existing groups or start their own.
Invitations
The development of an “Invitations Toolkit” provides resources to enable targeted outreach to different demographics of the parish and equips parishioners to speak the language that might be best received by the different personas in the parish. The invitations toolkit enables a parishioner to be touched in multiple ways and all tools leverage a QR code or other technology to simplify access to testimonials and or register.
Continuation
The Transition Team is a more robust version of what many describe as a continuation committee. Functions such as invitations, the kitchen and chapel set up are incorporated into the Transition Team to leverage institutional knowledge and ease the burden of the team in formation. An Invitations Team works closely with the Transition Team and the team in formation to utilize all of the tools that Journey makes available to assist with invitations.
Role of the Pastor
With minor tweaks to the Mass schedule, if desired, a Deacon can serve as Spiritual Director for the ministry or a weekend. It is preferred that the Pastor be the Spiritual Director, yet every effort has been made to ease that burden. Tweaks to Mass schedule also serves as another resource to assist with invitations. This all said, the proof might be in the consistency of the number or retreatants to participate in Journey retreats to date.
Potential Financial Needs for 2024
Target Stipend
1. Ambassador: Small Group Launch 6/15/24 $15,000
Introduce Tool to 25 parishes / Obtain 75 groups
2. Ambassador: Pastor / Alpha / Mission Teams 10/15/24 $40,000
Onboard 4 parishes
3. Ambassador: Testimonials 1/15/25 $5,000
Produce 24 videos
4. Product: Training 8/15/24 $25,000
Produce 50 Videos
5. Product: More Food for the Journey 8/15/24 Volunteers
Finish / Automate Registration
6. Invitations: Tool Kit 8/15/24 $25,000
Finish
7. Invitations: Cultivation 10/15/24 $10,000
Develop Program for August Event and More
Source: CARA The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, sponsored in part by the Serra International Foundation