FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do you have a question about the ChristLife Series? Contact us!

My parish wants to begin using the ChristLife series. How do I get started?

The first step is to attend a training conference, view our training DVD, or connect with a ChristLife parish in your area. Visit our Get Started section for more information.


What is the age range for the ChristLife series?

The ChristLife series program was written to reach adults, 18 years and older.


What is the recommended schedule for running the ChristLife series?

Ideally the series should be run close together. Our recommendation is to have one or two months between each course. We find most parishes follow the school year schedule, taking the summer off. A sample schedule is: Discovering Christ runs October through November; Following Christ runs January through February; Sharing Christ runs April through May. When planning your courses, it’s important to work with your parish office to ensure space is available and that your courses do not conflict with existing parish activities.


How involved should the pastor be in the ChristLife series?

The most important thing is for the pastor enthusiastically support the course and encourage parishioners to attend. You can watch a video of Fr. Erik Arnold address this question in more detail. 


My parish ran the ChristLife series. What should we do next?

Do it again! Ideally parishes make the ChristLife series the core curriculum for evangelization and discipleship. This means the the parish staff plan the parish schedule to include the series annually. Allow “graduates” of the ChristLife series to become team members and evangelizers by starting over again with Discovering Christ. Also, look for programs that will provide continued discipleship formation. Visit our What’s Next section for a few suggestions.


How is the presentation of the kerygma in Discovering Christ specifically Catholic?

There are a few distinctly Catholic elements in Discovering Christ's proclamation of the kerygma:

  1. The speakers on the videos are Catholic: a layman and a priest. Though their vocabulary is familiar to people of all backgrounds, there are a number of Catholic references from their own faith stories (going to Mass growing up, learning to say prayers, being befriended by priests who were instrumental in their personal conversions, etc.) that would be appreciated by a Catholic audience. Both share personal testimonies of growing up "Catholic" but not knowing Jesus personally.
  2. There are a number of notable Catholics quoted throughout Discovering Christ that contribute to the presentation of the kerygma: including Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, St. John Paul II, St. Louis De Montfort, Frank Sheed, and more.
  3. The two talks on the Discovering Christ retreat: "Who is the Holy Spirit?" and "The Holy Spirit and You" encourage people to make/renew a personal commitment to Jesus as Lord and ask to be filled/renewed in the Holy Spirit. Addressing those who are already baptized, both speakers make the sacramental connection between a personal commitment to Jesus and baptism. In other words, a personal relationship with Jesus is not separate from the sacramental life of the Church.
  4. The final talk "Our Need for the Church" explains the necessity of belonging to the Church to grow in this personal relationship with Jesus. The sacraments are introduced as essential to our relationship with God. Unbaptized participants are invited to join the parish and receive the sacraments through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).

Both Following Christ and Sharing Christ include much more specifically Catholic content.