Invitations - Parish Teams

Parish Teams

Everyone in the parish must feel welcomed and invited to participate in a retreat weekend. It is critical to invite people in a general way through various communications channels and groups. All must be made to feel welcome. Parish bulletins, pulpit announcements, websites, emails, letters and handouts should be used to issue general invitations to the parish community. Reaching out through the various organizations can be an effective way to encourage participation, especially with new parishioners and new converts to the Catholic faith. A representative of the Continuation Committee will lead invitation efforts, supported by the team.

Once the groundwork has been laid through general communication channels, the invitations process relies heavily on one-on-one invitations. The best way to encourage participation is through people who have experienced the retreat weekend and have benefited from it.

The responsibility for invitations goes far beyond the Invitations Facilitator or even the team itself. The Continuation Committee and all past participants should take an active role in inviting others.

Steps for inviting parishioners to a JOURNEY retreat weekend

  • Use invitations worksheet to identify potential invitees (spouses of past participants, those new to the parish, RCIA participants, PSR.)

  • Emails/letter from Pastor (See sample)

  • Follow up calls (See sample)

  • All team members are inviters. Engage the entire JOURNEY community of past participants.

  • Promote the retreat through the usual parish communication channels (bulletin, pulpit talks, website, etc. – see samples)

  • JOURNEY cards in the pews and prayed in appropriate places in the liturgy (see sample)

  • Invite those who join the parish through the welcoming committee.                 

  • Contact and invite those who graduate from high school. Most parishes have graduation from high school as a minimum age for participation.

  • Reserve x seats for each active parish organization. 

  • Contact and invite those who have completed the RCIA program.

  • Contact and invite the teachers from the PSR.

  • Contact and invite the spouses/parents of those who have made the retreat, even if they are not Roman Catholic.

  • Once a year, hold a prayer gathering for alienated Catholics and then invite them to JOURNEY as a safe way back.

  • Internet – a JOURNEY info section on parish website and social media channels. This can be a way to reach younger audiences.

  • Pictorial displays in vestibule of church which are there when “visitors” are at the church.

  • Take advantage of Christmas/Easter when attendance increases significantly.

  • Direct mail to everyone in the parish boundaries.

Invitations Management

Develop and follow standard procedures for invitations, identify and reach out to key parish ministries to invite retreatants. Provide the team with whatever materials they need (brochures, emails, video) to invite people. Specific responsibilities:Maintain a list of those who cancelled for a previous retreat weekend and follow up for future weekends.

  • Provide update reports as needed, through the Invitations Coordinator.

  • Send confirmation letters.

  • Follow up with invitees on dietary issues, questions. Ask for suggestions as to who else to invite.

  • Provide a list of invitees for Spiritual Guide and Journey Leader so they can make table assignments.

  • Provide Support Coordinator with list of invitees (along with emergency contact) so they can solicit letters.

  • Provide list of invitees to entire team during last JOURNEY with Christ meeting so that support letters can be written in advance of the retreat weekend.

  • Provide a list of invitees in the chapel so that the invitees can be prayed for by name.

  • Provide a list of invitees to the Support Coordinator to be visible in area where sorting support letters during the weekend is happening.

  • Provide a list of all invitees and team members with contact information to everyone in attendance. Distribute Sunday before closing remarks.

Tips on invitations gleaned from many successful parishes

  • You Will Need 15-30 Men Invitees

    • 24 Considered Ideal for the Best Experience

    • Experience has shown 3-4 Men Invitees will be “no shows”

  • You Will Need 20-26 Women Invitees

    • 24 Considered Ideal for the best experience

    • Experience has shown 1-2 women will be “no shows”

  • Key Reasons for Invitees to Attend:

    • Become Involved in the parish

    • Get a spiritual booster—grow in my faith

    • To meet and get to know new people

    • Feel called by God or through prayer

    • Experiencing Personal challenges that requires a change

    • To share their faith and spiritual journey experiences

  • Secondary Reasons Invitees Say Yes (not ideal):

    • Spousal pressure

    • To “check the box” that they attended

  • Key Reasons Invitees Give for Not Attending (Objections):

    • “I’m not a retreat person”

    • “I’m not religious enough”

    • Don’t want to stay overnight in the church

    • Feelings of inadequacy about Christian knowledge or teachings

    • “It takes too much time”

    • “I’m too busy”

    • “I need my weekends for family time”

    • “Six months is too long!”

  • MEN

    • Focus on opportunity to become better Catholic men, husbands, fathers

    • Offer the opportunity to meet and know other men like you and to build a network

    • Explain the sense of brotherhood

    • Emphasize the retreat is for all levels of faith

  • WOMEN

    • Focus on the weekend as a spiritual booster shot.

    • Explain that you meet others like yourself and build meaningful new relationships while you grow in your faith

    • Emphasize the retreat is for all levels of faith

  • Get your priest’s endorsement

  • Create awareness and interest through parish communication opportunities

  • Use existing parish groups for likely leads

  • Consider doing a “pre-approach” with spouses who have attended JOURNEY to determine best approach

  • Match the message to men—and women!

  • Match the demographics of the invitee

  • Use other JOURNEY groups to assist as needed

  • Consider creating a men’s and women’s brochure as a leave-behind

  • Set a maximum number for retreatants (24)

Challenges with the invitations process

Sometimes a parish will experience a “lull” in response to the JOURNEY invitation. This frequently occurs around the third or fourth weekend retreat. Here are some things you might consider:

  • Pray more. Ask the Lord who should be invited. Ask the Holy Spirit for the right approach to those people.

  • Make sure people understand to what they are being invited. JOURNEY is an invitation to spend time with Jesus. It’s not a social event.

These insights may spur additional ideas on how to re-ignite invitations in your parish.

In a typical Catholic parish, studies have shown the breakout looks something like this:

  • Group A:  7% of registered Catholics are the dynamic Catholics.  Studies indicate that they contribute 80% of the volunteer effort, and finances to the parish.

  • Group B:  30% of the Catholics residing within the parish boundaries attend Mass regularly.  They may or may not be registered – this is a growing issue.

  • Group C:  That means that roughly 70% of the Catholics residing within the parish boundaries do not attend Mass regularly.  In reality, they have left the Church.  Some may come on Christmas or Easter – an opportunity to invite fuller involvement. 

  • Group D:   There are people within the territorial boundaries of the parish that are Christian, but believe differently than we do.

  • Group E:  There are people within in the territorial boundaries of the parish that have no belief in God as we understand Him. 

When we have announcements in the parish bulletin, have short pulpit testimonies, have handouts in the church, send home flyers with the kids of the school and the PSR, who are you reaching?  Group A and B mostly.

When a parish starts JOURNEY, most of the folks from Group A make the weekend and serve on teams.  The process is highly successful.  The parish invitation process reaches those who are in Group B and many or some make the weekend and serve on teams.  Information about JOURNEY and invitations to make a weekend does not reach people that do not come to church on Sunday.

One way to keep JOURNEY alive is to build on the typical invitation practices.  Finding ways to reach Groups C, D and E can be challenging. Again, personal invitations to people who are not part of mainstream parish life are invaluable – think about team members asking their neighbors and friends who are not active in the parish.