What is the RENEW Process?

The RENEW Process is a method of implementing many small Christian communities in a parish. Our process is designed to be completely volunteer run, so it is not a burden on the pastor or parish staff. RENEW uses a proven methodology to parish leaders to invite new volunteers to form the RENEW Coordinating Community who will lead the process. RENEW will guide and prepare this new ministry team to invite as many people as possible to join a small Christian community for six weeks. We provide training for the volunteers, we accompany them during the entire process and we provide them with all of the resources they need for the small Christian communities.

3 Key Elements of the RENEW Process

The RENEW process is designed to build the small communities, the parish or diocese can choose different themes, such as discipleship, evangelization, stewardship, or even a theme customized for their needs! The three key elements of our unique process are:

Lay Leadership Training
Continued Accompaniment
Quality Resources for Small Christian Communities

About Us

For nearly 50 years, we have revitalized parishes and dioceses by building communities of communities. RENEW works with three distinct groups of people within the parish during the RENEW experience:

With the Pastor and Parish Leadership:

We help the pastor and parish leadership articulate and implement the vision of revitalizing the parish by recreating it as a community of small Christian communities.

We accompany the Pastor and Parish leadership through a process of surfacing new leaders to implement RENEW in the parish. We call this new ministry team the RENEW Core Community.

With the RENEW Core Community:

We invite this new ministry team to model what they will be bringing to the parish by becoming a small Christian community themselves so they experience firsthand what they will be inviting the rest of the parish to experience.

We provide strategies, techniques, and accompaniment to help the Core Community to be successful in their goal to invite as many parishioners as possible to join small groups or to become small group leaders when RENEW begins in the parish.

With Small Group Leaders:

We train small group leaders to be effective facilitators of their groups. RENEW offers lifelong leadership skills that carry over into all areas of parish life, ministry, volunteering and even in the secular world.

Small Groups

The core of the RENEW Method is small-group faith sharing. Groups of 6-8 people, led by a facilitator, gather to reflect on Scripture, pray together, and share their thoughts and points of view with each other.

Meetings

Meetings typically follow a format, starting with an opening prayer, and including scripture, sharing in response to open-ended topical questions, and a commitment to put faith into action.

Key Outcomes

The result of small-group faith sharing is ongoing spiritual development, community building between group members and the wider parish, and a commitment to put faith into action through acts of charity and service.

Small Groups

The core of the RENEW Method is small-group faith sharing. Groups of 6-10 people, led by a facilitator, gather to reflect on Scripture, pray together, and share their thoughts and points of view with each other.

Meetings

Meetings typically follow a format, starting with an opening prayer, and including scripture, sharing in response to open-ended topical questions, and a commitment to put faith into action.

Key Outcomes

One
RENEW
Process

Many
Different
Themes

Custom Focus for your Diocese

RENEW International has customized work for individual dioceses. Contact us to discuss your diocese's needs.

ARISE Together in Christ
A Focus on Discipleship

ARISE Together in Christ is a parish-centered process of spiritual renewal and evangelization that invites people to develop a closer relationship with Christ, deepen their faith, grow in community, and reach out in service to others.

Learn More

Be My Witness
A Focus on Evangelization

Be My Witness is a Christ-centered, Spirit-led approach to forming disciples for the New Evangelization. Engage and form your priests, staff, parish leaders, and parishioners to create an ever-widening circle of commitment to Christ's mission.

Learn More

Why Catholic?
A Focus on Adult Faith Formation

Why Catholic? Journey through the Catechism offers a concrete approach to help adults form their Catholic faith and connect its teachings to their everyday lives. With its thorough and systematic exploration of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this process encourages learning in a prayerful small-community setting.

Learn More

Grateful Living
A Focus on Stewardship

All we have—our lives; our talents, skills, and resources; the world around us—are free gifts from God. We show our gratitude for these gifts by giving them back through acts of generosity and hospitality, supporting and caring for the Church, the earth, our communities, and each other. This is stewardship. We don’t exercise it at random but with hearts open to the particular call God makes to each of us.

Learn More

FAQs

Does RENEW mean a lot more work for the Pastor and Parish staff?

How does RENEW help the Core Community understand their responsibilities?

Is this a "do it yourself" experience?

What Pastors Are Saying

The ARISE experience has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for the community of Holy Trinity Parish. The number one impact was the effect of faith-sharing on the daily life of the participants. They were able to express things in a safe and caring environment and share in other people's religious journeys; these sessions truly helped all participants be more open to salvation in Christ.

The greatest outcome of ARISE at Holy Trinity was the renewed sense of community experienced in the Eucharist. During this time of confusion about the nature of the Blessed Sacrament, a growing awareness of the centrality of the Eucharist has emerged and it serves our parish well. ARISE is a great tool for evangelization and catechesis in the twenty-first century.

Very Rev. Joseph R. Gibino

MA, STM, Ph.D

Holy Trinity Parish, Whitestone, NY

What Participants Are Saying

“ARISE has strengthened my faith through community, learning from others through our large groups, and also by reading the Bible more and just really interacting with God myself and building a personal relationship.”

Jane Becker

Saint John the Evangelist Parish in Altoona, PA

Check out other Parish Renewal Experiences:

Be My Witness

Learn More

Why Catholic?

Learn More

What is the RENEW Process?

3 Key Elements of the RENEW Process

With the Pastor and Parish Leadership:

With the RENEW Core Community:

With Small Group Leaders:

Elements of Small-Group Faith Sharing

Small Groups

Meetings

Key Outcomes

Small Groups

Meetings

Key Outcomes

One
RENEW
Process

Many
Different
Themes

Custom Focus for your Diocese

ARISE Together in Christ
A Focus on Discipleship

Be My Witness
A Focus on Evangelization

Why Catholic?
A Focus on Adult Faith Formation

Grateful Living
A Focus on Stewardship

FAQs

Does RENEW mean a lot more work for the Pastor and Parish staff?

How does RENEW help the Core Community understand their responsibilities?

Is this a "do it yourself" experience?

What Pastors Are Saying

What Participants Are Saying

Testimonial

Inquire Now

Check out other Parish Renewal Experiences:

Be My Witness

Why Catholic?

Stay Connected

Stay Connected

Keep informed and click the link to sign up for our newsletter.

RENEW INTERNATIONAL

RENEW INTERNATIONAL

What is the RENEW Process?

3 Key Elements of the RENEW Process

With the Pastor and Parish Leadership:

With the RENEW Core Community:

With Small Group Leaders:

Elements of Small-Group Faith Sharing

Small Groups

Meetings

Key Outcomes

Small Groups

Meetings

Key Outcomes

One RENEW Process Many Different Themes

Custom Focus for your Diocese

ARISE Together in Christ A Focus on Discipleship

Be My Witness A Focus on Evangelization

Why Catholic? A Focus on Adult Faith Formation

Grateful Living A Focus on Stewardship

FAQs

Does RENEW mean a lot more work for the Pastor and Parish staff?

How does RENEW help the Core Community understand their responsibilities?

Is this a "do it yourself" experience?

What Pastors Are Saying

What Participants Are Saying

Testimonial

Inquire Now

Check out other Parish Renewal Experiences:

Be My Witness

Why Catholic?

Stay Connected

Stay Connected

Keep informed and click the link to sign up for our newsletter.

One
RENEW
Process

Many
Different
Themes

ARISE Together in Christ
A Focus on Discipleship

Be My Witness
A Focus on Evangelization

Why Catholic?
A Focus on Adult Faith Formation

Grateful Living
A Focus on Stewardship