DISCOVERING CHRIST: Bringing Evangelization, Discipleship and Fellowship into Our Parish

When you visit our parish website, the first thing you will see is a friendly welcome, followed by a message that St. Francis Xavier “is committed to helping each person in Payne County: Encounter Jesus Christ, Grow in relationship with Him as a disciple, and to ‘Go, make disciples.’”

We want every person to experience all three of these valuable interactions with Christ. So, each year, we offer a series of programs through Christ Life. The sessions follow the three themes of discovering, following, and sharing Christ.

The first session in the series, Discovering Christ, begins on Tuesday, Sept. 7, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and continues each Tuesday for seven weeks in the Parish Hall. The seven-week session is followed by a Saturday retreat.

“We want to bring more evangelization and discipleship into our parish,” Fr. O’Brien says. “This program fits our mission. We want people to encounter Jesus, grow and go.”

Discovering Christ is for new Catholics, cradle Catholics, those just learning about the Church for the first time, and everyone in between.

“This is an opportunity to encounter Christ for anybody in the parish, and a way to intentionally move people deeper and help them grow as disciples,” Fr. O’Brien says.

The program is designed to help people learn how to evangelize. Our parish staff is very excited about the third year of the Discovering Christ program. Each session starts with a meal and a chance to get to know one another in a lowstress environment. Then, there is a time for praise and worship.

“St. Augustine says, ‘when you sing, you pray twice,’ and this opens up our hearts and breaks down the barriers we build up through the day to receiving and to praising God,” Fr. O’Brien says. “It’s a really good way to pray.”

Next, participants watch a video on a topic, and attendees break into small groups for discussion.

Part of the relationship building is with the facilitator. Facilitators receive training to walk with all attendees in their faith journeys.

“The facilitators are there to represent Jesus’ love in a way people haven’t experienced much in their lives,” Fr. O’Brien says. “We are a big community, so sometimes it’s hard to be a small community.”

Discovering Christ also kicks off the year for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults process, or RCIA — the seven weeks are the first classes. This allows students to meet other parishioners.

All parishioners are asked to consider inviting someone to Discovering Christ — a valuable way to engage in the stewardship pillar of hospitality while promoting fellowship in our faith community.

To get involved in Discovering Christ, please contact the parish office for more info. You may also attend the first class on Sept. 7.