3:00 PM-4:00 PM | SATURDAY

8-01 How Effective Pastoral Councils Work – Room 201
– Michael Brough
(Invitation Only)
What best practices exist for effective pastoral councils? This session will focus on practical tools for forming your pastoral council and running effective meetings.

8-02 What is a School Board to Do? – Room 202
– Jim Lundholm-Eades
(Invitation Only)
What the best school boards do with their time and energy and how they go about it

8-03 I am Moving, Learning, Praising – Room K
– Sister Nodelyn Abayan, SSS
This session explores the importance of mind-body connections and the relationship between movement and early learning. It will also provide strategies and resources for infusing physical movement in religious instruction as a way to pray and praise God. (Word)

8-04 LGBT Catholics & the Church…Let’s Build a Bridge! – Room 209
– Aaron Bianco
This session will provide insight for how Catholics and the Catholic LGBT community can better understand one another and move forward with a new relationship of compassion and understanding. (Witness)

8-05 Stop the Game! Informed Communities are Key to Ending Human Trafficking – Parishes – Room 204
– CNEHT Parish Advocates
Think human trafficking is only an international issue? Think again – it is active in our local communities, too! Raising awareness in our parish communities is important in the fight against all forms of human trafficking, aka modern day slavery. Join us to learn strategies you may deploy to inform or help heal communities by raising awareness to disrupt and stop traffickers in their game. (Witness)

8-06 Loss – How Do We Respond When Everything Falls Apart? An Individual/ Communal Spirituality of Accompaniment – Great America Room 3
– Deacon David Ford and Lorie Ford
Tap HERE to Download the Handouts

As ministers we often find those in our midst who experience painful and sometimes traumatic losses: these include death, divorce, deportation of a family member, broken relationships, serious illness and aging, loss of employment, etc. What do we do and say, and not do and not say? We can feel inadequate before such pain. Deacon David and Lorie will explore competent and compassionate responses as individuals and communities (schools, parishes, etc.). They will teach from their faith experience utilizing stories and Scriptures regarding many avenues of help and support and also teach from their own experience of personal loss.

8-07 Connected and Authentic: Modern Youth Ministry – Room C
– Chris Mariano and Arthur Refuerzo
How do you make your faith relevant every day? We will speak on topics focusing on youth ministry – a strong youth foundation leads to a Christ-centered life, what Christian leadership looks like, and how to truly retreat and let Him guide us. What has worked before may not apply now – we’ll talk about current trends, events, and how they fit in with ministry. We’ll share what has continued to work for many communities in the Archdiocese of SF, and how you can connect with the youth of your community in a truly authentic way that will carry on with them. (Witness)

8-08 Taste and See: Using Scripture to Evangelize in Small Groups – Room 204
– Tom McGrath
People often get just enough confusing and disappointing exposure to the Word of God to turn them off for life. Tom McGrath will offer practical ways (complete with replicable handouts) you can use to invite individuals and small groups to an experience of the transforming power of Scripture. (Word)

8-09 Leading RCIA Dismissal Sessions – Room 206
– Michael Ruzicki
Pope Francis states that “all evangelization is based on the Word of God.” Sacred Scripture permeates the entire catechumenal journey and invites the catechumens and elect to reflect and discuss the Word of God. Dismissal sessions (from the Sunday Mass) help to develop the catechumen’s relationship with Christ, self, and neighbor by internalizing the Word, concentrating their prayer around the Scriptures, and becoming familiar with the teachings of the Church. (Worship)