Christmas Traditions
Did you talk about Christmas traditions with your group this year? Here, Julianne Stanz talks about two Irish holiday traditions. If Julianne’s Braving the Thin Places wasn’t in your stocking, get your copy here.
Julianne Stanz
Pop-Up Prayer: Guest Julianne Stanz
We continue our summer series, Pop-Up Prayer—brief interviews on the topic of prayer with prominent people in pastoral ministry from all over the country! In this episode, Julianne Stanz talks about a simple strategy for praying with others and how this way of praying is a powerful evangelizing tool. Julianne is Director of Discipleship and Leadership Development for the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, a consultant to the USCCB Committee on Catechesis and Evangelization, a […]
Lent as a Thin Place: Embracing Our Brokenness
One of my favorite musical performers was the late Leonard Cohen, and one of my favorite songs by him is “Anthem.” In the refrain of this wonderful song, Cohen shares this profound truth: Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack, a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in Indeed, it is through the “cracks”—our brokenness—that the light gets in. It is this same truth that […]
Braving the Thin Places: A Webinar with Julianne Stanz
With the start of a new year, many of us make resolutions related to losing weight and getting thin. Well, I can’t help you in that department, but I can help you start off the year by experiencing thin places! In her new book, Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace, the amazingly talented Julianne Stanz shares her profoundly personal insights and draws on her Irish-Celtic heritage to help us […]
What Does Discipleship Look Like for Children?
When we talk about discipleship, we tend to have adults in mind—and rightly so, since all of our efforts at forming disciples should be oriented toward adult discipleship. At the same time, all of the children who have been baptized and have been welcomed to the Table of the Lord (the Eucharist) must be considered fellow disciples. But what does discipleship look like for children? Let’s explore this! I’d like to begin by borrowing from […]
Everyday Evangelization: Make Proclaiming the Good News a New Year’s Resolution
Too often, we think of evangelization as something done by either professionals or fanatics. We can’t see ourselves going door-to-door or walking up to people and asking them if they’ve been saved or have encountered Christ. But there are other ways of evangelizing in our everyday lives. In my book, Under the Influence of Jesus: The Transforming Experience of Encountering Christ, I talk about a evangelizing strategy that I refer to as “spiritual residue”—leaving traces […]
How We Can (and Must) Be Bearers of Hope
How are you holding up? Let’s face it, this pandemic is really taking its toll on us in a variety of ways. We know already that the holidays can be a time of despair for some people—a situation that will be made even worse with shelter-at-home orders that will prevent holiday gatherings from happening. More than ever, we need some hope! As catechists, we are called to be bearers of hope, bringing the hope-filled message […]
Start with Jesus in Your Parish
Serving parishes in her diocese as the Director of New Evangelization, Julianne Stanz has recognized a practical and motivational way to restructure a parish’s mission: start with Jesus. To help you do that, Julianne’s book Start with Jesus is about people, process, and culture, rather than an emphasis on quick fixes or unsustainable efforts. Embrace discipleship in your parish by reading the book and using the additional resources that accompany it: implementation tools for parish […]
Our “Why” Is a “Who”—Start with Jesus by Julianne Stanz
Popular author and speaker, Simon Sinek, made a splash a few years ago with his book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. His point is well-taken: people won’t truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the why behind it. For Christians, our “Why” is a “Who!” OK, I know this is beginning to sound like the old “Who’s on First?” bit by Abbott and Costello, […]
Mary, a Model for the Ministry of Catechesis (Video)
Mary, as the first and best catechist, provides a model for the ministry of catechesis. Julianne Stanz, author of Developing Disciples of Christ, says that three aspects of the life of Mary, drawn from Evangelii Gaudium, serve as a guide for our ministries. Read the complete post that inspired this video: Three Lessons from Mary, the First and Best Catechist. Find Marian resources here to help you honor Mary during May or throughout the year.