Aug 28 2024 The Power of an Invitation Five years ago, I was sitting in Mass listening to someone give an invitation to Discovering Christ. I thought: “I’m a cradle Catholic, I go to church every week, put money in the collection… Why do I need to discover Christ?” Of course, my wife said, “We should do that.” I’m not quick on my feet and our youngest had just gone off to college, so I didn’t have any ready made excuses, so I reluctantly said yes. The topic the first night is “What is the meaning of life?” Intellectually, I knew the answer. I learned as a kid from the Baltimore Catechism. Our purpose is to know, love, and serve God in this world and be with Him in the next. However, that question always left my heart restless. This was partly because my wife and I had four kids, the second of whom was born with profound disabilities. When we got Ashley’s diagnosis, it was easy to see God’s purpose for my wife. I could see God’s hand in calling her first to work with kids with disabilities, then leading her to get a degree in special education and then working as a Special Ed teacher, which is what she was doing when we met. God prepared her to be the mother of our child and later to have a tremendous impact on so many other families. But what about me? What was the purpose of MY life? What did God want from ME? That first night at Discovering Christ touched me. I found the video to be thought provoking and the small group discussion was very engaging. But the best part was the ride home. For perhaps the first time in our marriage, my wife and I had a deep discussion about our faith and that continued each week. That has been great for our marriage. By the end of the three courses, I knew what it meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Now I read Scriptures every day. I pray every day. I have a relationship with the God who made me. God has asked many things of me—some big, some small. I’ve said yes to being part of many things at the parish. I said yes when we were asked to help with the next round of Discovering Christ. I said yes to becoming more and more involved in ChristLife. I said yes to being the emcee one year for Discovering Christ. I even got to say the joke at the beginning each night. Though, for what it’s worth, they never asked me to do that again. Perhaps stand-up comedy is not in my future. Over time, I also learned to surrender. At one point, I told God, “You can ask me anything and whatever you ask I will say yes.” In surrendering to the Lord, I found my purpose. Two years ago, I attended a ChristLife training conference when someone at my table, who I had never met, asked me “Why aren’t you a deacon yet?” I thought it was kind of weird and told my wife. She said, “Funny thing. I’ve been meaning to talk to you for the last 6 weeks. Every time I go to Mass, I feel the Holy Spirit prompting me to ask you that very same question.” I had a lot of doubts. I’m too old. I would need a special waiver from the bishop. I certainly don’t think I measure up to the other deacons in our parish. I don’t think I’m a good public speaker. But I prayed about it and tried to discern what to do. About six weeks later, we held the one-day retreat associated with Discovering Christ. There is a video with Fr. Erik where he talks about how he was in college living out a typical college lifestyle when he first felt the call to the priesthood. He had a lot of doubts. Could he give up the life he knew? Could he really live out this new life? At some point, he heard the Holy Spirit tell him, “You provide the yes, I’ll take care of everything else.” I heard Fr. Erik say that on the video and I knew those words were for me. Now, I’ve just finished my first year in the deacon formation program and, if it is still God’s will, in 2028 I will put my hands in the bishop’s hands and say yes, and be ordained to serve His church. From my very reluctant yes to attend Discovering Christ, my life has changed in a dramatic way. I have had some amazing divine appointments. I am no great evangelist, but I am a great inviter. I am available, anywhere, anytime to invite someone to take the next step—come to Discovering Christ, attend an ACTS retreat, attend a parish function, or simply have coffee and listen to their story. I have been profoundly changed because someone invited me. I have been profoundly changed because Leo engaged me. I have been profoundly changed because the Holy Spirit spoke through Fr. Erik and said, “You provide the yes, I’ll take care of everything else.” Rob Meisner originally shared this testimony live at Equip 2024.
Aug 18 2024 Summer 2024 Founder’s Letter Recently we held our Equip training conference. Based on the evaluations, for many it was a time of encouragement, equipping, and renewal in the Holy Spirit. After the conference, as I reflected and spent time in prayer, I felt the Lord draw my attention to Mark’s account of the multiplication of the loaves. Specifically, to observe that afterwards the Lord went up into the mountain to pray (Mark 6:45-46). This struck me in a new way. I realized that after major events, the Lord frequently went off and spent time in prayer interceding. It reminded me of a privilege I had when I used to lead a renewal community and Pastor Richard Wurmbrand spoke to us. His story is recounted in the book Tortured for Christ. Immediately after speaking, Pastor Wurmbrand went off to a separate room and prayed before spending time talking to people. He recognized how important it was to spend time interceding for fruitfulness for the teaching that he had presented to us. After Equip, I experienced the Holy Spirit convincing me of the importance of intercession, not only before events or meetings, as we already practice, but also to follow on afterwards with committed intercession, praying that the Lord produce lasting fruit in the lives of those who participated. Through intercession we can partner with the Holy Spirit to bear fruit, “far more abundantly than all we could ever ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21) Brothers and sisters, if we are to continue to grow as disciples of our Lord Jesus, let us enter more fully into the life of prayer that he offers us in the Holy Spirit! Lord, teach us to pray! Dave Nodar ChristLife’s Founder and Senior Leader Read the Summer 2024 Newsletter
Jun 13 2024 Our New Website is Here! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I am writing to share a wonderful update with you. The new website our team has been working on is now available! Our goal is, first and foremost, to sincerely honor the Lord by providing a practical way of helping Catholics learn how to be and make missionary disciples. The website provides an entirely new way of delivering our ChristLife content as an important way to accomplish that goal, including an All Access Pass for parishes and ministries and free access for anyone to the ChristLife course videos. I want to personally thank our entire ChristLife team, and in a special way Jennifer King and Aster Evenson, who have invested enormous amounts of time and expertise to bring the website to fruition. In addition we couldn’t have done it without the work of Fuzati, our developer. Once again, thank you for all of your encouragement and financial support in the development and launch of the website. May many more be encouraged, equipped and empowered in the Holy Spirit to make disciples for our Lord Jesus! To God be the glory! Your brother in Him, Dave Nodar Founder and Senior Leader