Catholic Leadership Institute | DMI Resources

Catholic Leadership Institute wants to help you find the resources you need to help you move the needle on the areas of opportunity your parish has identified. This page includes some possible resources including third party publications and programs focused on improving the frequency with which parishioners say they share their personal witness story. These ideas are a starting place, and we recommend checking with your diocesan staff to see if they have any additional insight or resources for you, or if there are any existing partnerships or affiliations with successful programs in your locality.

In this video, a CLI Consultant reviews what regression analysis has shown to be particular drivers for parishioners to say they frequently share their personal witness story.

Driver 1 - My parish equips me to share my personal witness story

The biggest factor that has an impact on whether your parishioners share their personal witness story is that their parish equips them to do so. A person who strongly agrees that the parish equips them to share their witness are twice as likely to have a high frequency of sharing that story.

Find resources to help equip your parishioners to share their personal witness story here.

Driver 2 - Frequency of answering questions about Church Teaching

The second most important factor to increase the frequency of sharing their witness story is a corresponding frequency of answering questions about Catholic teaching. Parishioners who say they answer questions about the Catholic faith frequently are 1.6 times more likely to share their personal witness story. When your people feel confident in their ability to talk about the teachings of the Church, they are more likely to share their personal story.

Driver 3 - Frequency of participating in spiritual direction

Parishioners who indicate they participate in spiritual direction are 1.5 times more likely to indicate a higher frequency of sharing a personal witness story. Spiritual direction helps people find God active and working in their life, preparing them to talk about their personal faith experiences.

Driver 4 - Frequency of inviting another person to attend Mass

Parishioners who feel comfortable inviting another person to attend Mass are 1.3 times more likely to indicate a higher frequency of sharing witness. A meaningful liturgy experience is important to help your community identify their own story.

Find resources to help improve the frequency that your parishioners invite someone to attend Mass.

Driver 5 - Belief in Scripture as the Word of God

Parishioners who strongly agree with Church teaching that Scripture is the Word of God are 1.2 times more likely to share their personal witness story with a friend. Lifelong faith formation is an important component to equip people to recognize and discuss how God is active in their life.

Publications

The New Catholic Answer Bible NABRE -edited by Dr. Paul Thigpen
	This popular Bible comes packed with 88 colorful inserts that deliver short, direct answers to many of the challenging questions that Catholics are asked about their beliefs. Click here to learn more about this publication.
The Activated Disciple - Jeff Cavins
	The Activated Disciple teaches you how to imitate God, so you can become an instrument for him to transform the world.If you yearn for a life that moves beyond believing and practicing, if you yearn to become an "activated" disciple, then this book is for you. Click here to learn more about this publication.
You Can Share the Faith: Reaching out One Person at a Time - Karen Edmisten
	Sharing the faith doesn't have to be complicated. After all, Jesus himself just started with one person. Here are practical pointers from the author's own story and those of many others to help you share your faith joyfully, casually, confidently—and with compassion. Click here to learn more about this publication.

Programs and Tools

St. Paul Street Evangelization
	The mission of St. Paul Street Evangelization is to train, equip, and mobilize Catholics for the urgent work of evangelization. Click here to learn more about this program.
Word On Fire Institute
	Bishop Barron has spoken about his dream of evolving Word on Fire from a ministry into a movement. The first step of that process is to form a community of evangelists who share the same mission and desire to proclaim Christ to the culture using beauty, goodness, and truth.This was the primary motive behind the establishment of the Word on Fire Institute, an easy-to-use digital platform offering members specialized training, community discussions, live presentations, and more. Click here to learn more about this resource.
Steubenville Youth and Adult Conferences
	Most people would say that their relationship with God is not where they would like it to be, but many also feel unsure of how to change it. The Steubenville Conferences offer six unique conference experiences to help youth and adults escape the spiritual desert and empower them to live every day as joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. Click here to learn more about this program.