Bob will take his audience on a journey of leadership unlike any other! His lessons and stories are both inspiring and fun-filled. The goal of the session will be to grow as leaders so that we can pass the loving leadership torch to our students…it starts with us…the adults. Bob will motivate his audience to lead from the heart and create a dynamic classroom, school or team based upon research-based principles.

Many strategies from his book, “Learn to Lead with Love”…a field guide to building a team with heart, will be used in his presentation. Bob will blend concepts from the book “The Leader in Me,” by Stephen Covey, and share concrete ways in which our children can learn to Lead with Love.

Bob (Robert) Siegel has been married for 37 years to Jane. They have two children, a daughter Katie who is a social worker in Chicago Public Schools, and a son Rob who is married to Kathryn and has twin sons. Bob has been a teacher for 20 years in grades first – sixth and a principal in Rockford for 20 years.

Dimension: Spirituality

Also offered as A-21

THIS SESSION IS CANCELLED

When Catholics gather for Eucharist, we use our entire bodies to encounter Christ. We cross ourselves, stand, sit, bow, and kneel. This session will lead participants through all the postures and gestures we use at Mass, fostering a deeper appreciation for the sacred liturgy and the ability to teach people of all ages the meaning of our “Catholic calisthenics.”

Father Chris Rouech is pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Grandville. With a Master’s Degree in Liturgical Studies from University of Notre Dame, he served for eight years as interim director of the Diocesan Office for Worship.

Dimension: Spirituality 

Also offered as A-11

Join communication expert Mike DiCosola in a fast-paced session providing practical takeaways that will help you instantly improve your parish communications. Based on the popular Practical Parish Communication Workshop hosted across the US in 2017, you will discover easy-to-implement tips for everything from your parish bulletin and website to Facebook and your parish App. Throughout this session be inspired to recall your mission and heed the words of the Holy Father to “use wisely the means at your disposal” in engaging the faithful of your parish.

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Mike DiCosola resides in Rockford, Michigan is a parishioner at Our Lady of Consolation Parish and has been an active lay minister at all ages of formation for over 15 years. He speaks nationally on parish communications and evangelization as the director of the myParish App.

Dimension: Evangelization

Listening and being attentive to the voice of God within and reflecting in prayer on the way God is directing the human heart on a daily basis, makes the Examen prayer a daily opportunity for prayerful discernment. Praying this 5-step prayer is found at the heart of living the teachings of Ignatian Spirituality.

Elizabeth M. Gengle is a graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville with a Bachelor’s degree in Theology with a    concentration in Religious Education and a minor in Mental Health and Human Services. She is currently the Director of Adult Faith Formation and Spirituality and High School Youth Ministry for St. Francis Xavier Parish in Petoskey, Michigan. Elizabeth has also established Movements of the Heart Retreat and Speaking Ministry, dedicated to the teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. John Paul II.

Dimension: Spirituality

Evangelization, precatechumenate, acceptance, catechumens, candidates, purification, enlightenment, elect, scrutiny, mystagogy – what are these terms and what do they mean? In this practical workshop, Mary will offer an overview of the periods and rites of the RCIA and she will highlight key terms with which every person involved in the RCIA process should be familiar. Participants are encouraged to purchase or bring their own copies of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience in diocesan, parish and Catholic school ministry. She presents workshops, retreats, and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics to enjoy and to live their faith! In August of this year, Mary retired from her position as Project Manager for RCL Benziger, which included editing and writing for the Web-based RCIA products Apprentices in Faith and  Young Apprentices.

Dimension: Evangelization

In this session we will attempt to understand what happens to the human being at death and after death. The analysis will be conducted within the tradition of Catholic dogma and classic spiritual works concerning preparation for dying, the state of death and the nature of the after life. These Catholic analyses will be compared with those of other religious traditions (specifically Eastern Orthodoxy and Tibetan Buddhism). Some reference will be made to attempts to scientifically investigate the next life and to claims made by practitioners of “new age” religions.

Dr. Mark Pestana is a Professor at Grand Valley State University in the Department of Philosophy (teaching for 31 years). Born in Fresno, CA he was raised in Maine and Iowa. Educated at University of Chicago (PhD.), University of Kentucky (M.A.) and Colby College in Maine (B.A.) He is happily married to Mary Beth with daughter Stephanie and son Simon.

Dimension: Theology

In his apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel,” Pope Francis call us to be missionary disciples. The parish Ambassador program is one way to engage your active parishioners, staff and teachers in this mission. As an extension of a ministry of hospitality, this program will help everyone realize their personal potential to become missionaries for their Catholic parish and school communities, so that they can fulfill their mission of evangelization. We will share practical tips on how to reach out to families you encounter every day and bring them closer to Jesus Christ through the Church, schools and diocesan programs.

Luzia Leme Tartari, Stephanie Grey, Izamar Mandujano, and Gerllys Cabral-Mota work in the diocese’s Office of Catholic Schools as advocates for students and families enrolling in our schools. They support the Catholic schools’ leadership in their outreach to new families. Their mission is to bring families closer to Christ through an increase in participation of Catholic and non-Catholic families in the schools’ faith-centered curriculum. They work closely with Pastoral Services, including Hispanic ministry, to support our common goal of evangelization. The Parish Ambassador program is one joint initiative we are exploring and will share in our presentation.

Dimension: Evangelization