Till Christ be formed in every heart.
after Galatians 4:19
Parish missions, retreats, and staff formation that turn a busy parish into one that makes disciples.
- Steubenville Youth and Adult Conferences
- Encounter Young Adult Conferences
- Men of Christ Madison
- Diocese of Tyler Men's Conference
- Sophia Institute for Teachers
- The Busted Halo ShowSiriusXM
- Son Rise Morning ShowSacred Heart Radio
- Pints with AquinasThe Daily Wire
- The Cordial Catholic
- Every Knee Shall BowAscension Press
Most parishes are built to maintain, and many pastors feel it.
The calendar fills with sacraments, programs, and meetings, so the staff runs hard just to keep the doors open. Meanwhile many Catholics in the pews have never heard the Gospel proclaimed clearly, and they have never been given a real chance to respond to it.
A parish in this position does not need another event that comes and goes. It needs an event that fits into its own life and leaves something behind, such as small groups that keep meeting after the weekend.
That is how a parish moves from maintenance to mission, which here means a parish that makes disciples on its own, week after week.
I have sat in the staff meeting, and I know how hard this work is.
I worked in parish ministry from 2005 to 2023, including ten years in youth ministry and seven years leading adult faith formation, before joining Paradisus Dei as a Mission Evangelist, where I lead parish missions and retreats and support That Man Is You!, its program for men. Along the way I have trained more than twenty parish staffs in evangelization.
I host the podcast Every Knee Shall Bow with Ascension Press, which has passed four million downloads across 358 episodes. I also co-host Catching Foxes, which has passed eight million downloads, and contributed video teaching to Ascension's OCIA program, Invited. I teach theology and philosophy at Campion Academy, a classical Catholic school.
Three steps from a first conversation to a parish on mission.
Start a conversation.
Write to me about your parish, what you already have going, and what you hope will change. We will talk through the options and settle on dates and a budget that fit.
Build on what you already do.
I place each event inside your parish's own life, so it serves your existing groups and their calendar. A men's conference, for example, can kick off the season for your men's groups. I call this missional continuity.
Send your people out.
Every event ends with a clear next step for your people: a small group to join, an initiative to start, a date on the calendar. We plan that step together before I arrive, so the fruit outlasts the weekend.
That ONE Thing
My three-day parish mission proclaims the Gospel to people who have put up barriers to God's love. It is a mission on repentance, and it closes by launching small groups or an evangelization initiative in your parish.
“I did not just hear confessions tonight. I heard conversions.”
Fr. Rocco · Blessed John XXIII Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
That night, for the first time in his priesthood, Fr. Rocco heard a penitent begin, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been thirty years since my last confession.”
We plan the next step
Before I arrive, we agree on the next step your people will be invited to take, such as a small group to join.
The Father
Confronts the false images of God the Father that people carry, including what we call Catholic guilt.
That one thing
Asks one question: what is the one thing, whether a sin, a wound, a label, or a fear, that keeps you from God?
Staying free
How to stay free of that one thing, and how to get involved in the life of the parish.
Your people step in
Small groups or an evangelization initiative begin, so the fruit outlasts the mission.
All three talks of That ONE Thing, recorded live at a parish mission.
Conferences and Events
I give keynotes at large conferences for youth, adults, men, and couples, and single talks at events within driving distance, such as Magnify at St. Mary's Catholic Center in College Station.
Weekend Retreats
I build each retreat around the theme your group needs. A weekend away gives people time to hear the Gospel and decide how they will respond.
Staff Formation
Most staff days happen on-site, because no one wants to leave their email behind. Two talks form the core:
- The Gospel of ChristSo every member of your staff knows the basic Gospel message.
- How to Have Healthy, Holy Conflict at WorkSo your team can have difficult conversations with one another that are not destructive or vindictive.
Theology of the Body
Many Catholics know the Church's conclusions on sexual morality but were never given the reasons. St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body supplies them, for adults, students, parents, couples, and clergy.
Can't bring me in person? I coach parish and school staffs by video, with the same formation in evangelization and discipleship that I give in person. Ask about coaching
Hear how I teach before you book.
I write most talks for the occasion, around your event's theme and your people. You can hear a full parish mission above, a sample of my podcast below, and hundreds more talks on SoundCloud.
Every Knee Shall Bow
A Catholic evangelization podcast. Each episode gives five weekly steps for sharing the faith with family, friends, coworkers, and strangers, and shares stories of conversion. More than 4.2 million downloads across 358 episodes.
Most downloaded: Be Unashamed of the Gospel · How to Give Your Testimony · How to Start Conversations about God · Common Reasons Why People Leave the Church
Hundreds of talks, free. My SoundCloud library has full parish missions, a parish staff retreat, Theology of the Body talks, and OCIA classes.
Go Home and Live as Missionary Disciples
A commissioning talk that sends men home with one concrete next step for leading their families in faith. Read the talk
Receptivity
Mary as the perfect model of discipleship.
My Soul Magnifies the Lord
Holiness and the reversal of the world's logic.
I also speak on evangelization, Scripture, apologetics, the Theology of the Body, men's formation, and the intellectual life, and I co-host Catching Foxes, a conversation on faith and culture with Luke Carey.
Tell me about your eventI have written here since 2010 on evangelization, parish life, Scripture, and the moral life.
Start with six favoritesApologetics: answers to common questions
I do not charge per talk, only for my time.
Because the Gospel should be freely given, I set my fee by the time an event requires, and I work within your budget. Online video coaching is available for staffs anywhere.
These are typical figures, not fixed prices. Travel is paid by the host and is not included. If your budget is smaller, tell me what you have and we will find something that works.
A good mission should still be bearing fruit a year later. When the Gospel is proclaimed and people have a way to respond, parishioners begin to pray and meet in small groups, and some begin inviting others. Without that follow-through, even a moving weekend fades. So every event I lead ends with a next step for your people, and I plan that step with you before I arrive.
Tell me about your parish or event below, or write to gomer@layevangelist.com.