Catholic coaching
How cool would it be to have a “Catholic coach”! I’m working with some Catholic men who are friends of mine. They are holy and very smart guys. We are trying to start a non-profit company that would help parishes to form families in the Faith as well as train staff and volunteers to do the same. Additionally, these specialists would be available to offer coaching to individuals who needed help to talk to their children (especially older ones) about faith, how to interpret Church statements or Scripture, and to know the best Catholic resources on social media, internet, and in print.
This all started when I told my friends about the need to better form Catholics who come out for the sacraments of Initiation- Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation – but not much in between. It’s a problem in every parish. The idea has been to meet people where they are, give them an on-ramp to the Church, and speak to them on the ground floor about the beauty and importance of the sacraments. There are creative ways to reach “unchurched” Catholics with the basics of the Faith, and to invite them to a personal experience. The specialists that my friends are would also train staff and volunteers from our parish (and hopefully others) to engage parents and children so that this outreach can happen for many years.
The idea has grown to also coach practicing Catholics who need help in some areas. There are many really good Catholic resources to help people today; specialists who are in the know can make solid suggestions. One of my friends did this with the leader of our parish men’s group, and now the group has an excellent plan for series and topics for the next several months. Coaching would be available, too, for individuals. The specialists can help answer many of the questions that people have about Faith, although it would not be as spiritual advisors or directors. It would be as navigator, consultant, and coach for personal formation and evangelization.
I’m very excited about this possibility in our parish and I hope you are, too!
