Catholic Today - Story

A light in the darkness

Catholic Today A Light in the Darkness Next Steps Copyright © 2018 by The Catholic Guy INC. All rights reserved.

CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television & Media Network This is a visionary plan to create a unique and powerful multimedia organization that is Christian, but at the same time real and in the everyday mainstream of life, so that it reaches people and inspires them to be responsible and productive members of their family, community, country and the world. It will be contemporary, informative, inspirational, entertaining, appealing and will motivate people to live the amazing life that God calls every person to live.

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

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CHRIST OUR LIGHT

This is a living document. It is about a calling to Proclaim Jesus Christ in the modern world. It is a response to the Popes in recent decades who have called the Church to a New Evangelization.

It is the STORY of gathering people called to this task to bring their gifts, talents and resources to proclaim Jesus Christ in as public a manner as possible. Increasingly today, people are disconnected from God and the Church. The aim of this ministry CATHOLIC TODAY is to take the Message of Jesus and the Church to people, whether it be in their: HOMES through television and radio or in their HANDS through new forms of media online and to do it in such a manner that it touches their HEAD HEARTS HANDS

– how they think – how they feel – how they act.

The goal is that people would come into an ever deepening relationship with Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit living in the love and presence of the Father. This Proclamation will be done by all of us who help in this endeavour whether they be; A Church worker who brings their study A Pray-er who brings their devotion A Carer who brings their compassion A Donor who brings their resources A Giver who brings their time and talents In proclaiming Christ, we ourselves will be changed as we worship, glorify and honor God through whatever our contribution will be.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CATHOLIC TODAY is the ethos of a dynamic new style television & Media Network aimed at proclaiming the Gospel to people who have ceased attendance at Church and to those people who have remained committed to their local faith community and yet seek further spiritual and faith development. It is in response to the Popes of recent who have the Church and all Catholics to a ‘new evangelization. It seeks to do this by creating an innovative Media Network that is, ‘in the world but not of it’ through the creation of a ‘For Profit’ commercial Network that has ‘some’ strategically placed life application Christian programs in the mix of what is otherwise a wide range of Inspirational Lifestyle programs. It will derive its major income from advertising revenue while the Christian programs can generate funds through a traditional 501(c)(3) Not for Profit Christian television approach. In addition, time will also be available to be purchased on the channels and platforms by programs that meet the ethos and production values of the channel. By having both a ‘For Profit’ legal entity and a ‘Not For Profit’ legal entity it will allow initial investors to receive a return on their funds The programming will be available via Over the Top Platform Streaming Services and On-Demand platforms where viewers can choose when they consume the content they desire. This is the future method of delivery of media. It will consist of Linear Television via cable and satellite, website-based channels and through existing and new social media outlets. Initially only 8 hours of content will be produced or purchased a day which is standard for new channels and this repeated. Over time this will increase in time. The programming will be distributed via secular and religious channels of distribution. It will project wholesome values and seek to be a unifying, positive force in society. CATHOLIC TODAY will be open to all people from any background, secular or religious. The younger generation who are under forty five years of age and are not attending Church currently view positive, inspirational and motivational material but not on Christian television or via Christian media outlets. Their feedback consistently is that Christian television looks different to commercial television, with the first difference they say, being that there are no advertisements like on a normal channel.

The other point of difference is that CATHOLIC TODAY will not be wall to wall preachers, but rather a channel that would be more like NBC, CBS and ABC with a range of programming and commercials that has in the mix some Christian preaching and programming aimed at taking ‘faith to life.’ It will therefore be about life application Christian living. This way it is, “in the world,” and easier for family and Christian values to be communicated. On the whole, Catholics dismiss Christian television because it is regarded as disconnected from real life and does not look like what people are familiar with. CATHOLIC TODAY will reach the 71,000,000 registered Catholics in the USA besides the many Evangelical, Protestants and non-Church attenders who have viewed The Catholic Guy television program, which is presented by the channel’s founder Bruce Downes, on TBN and other channels nationally in the US and around the world. It will have a potential market of the entire Catholic Community of 1,300,000,000 people world-wide. Programs that educate, inspire and entertain must be the staple of the media produced along with programs that present Christianity in a manner that people can relate and respond to. On top of existing production, administrative and financial staff, additional staff will be hired that will include a Marketing Manager and team, Content Manager, Communications Director, Development Officer and technical staff plus various presenters of programs. Recording facilities in the USA and in Sydney, Australia, will commence being fitted out first and production of Catholic Today’s own programs will commence being recorded. CATHOLIC TODAY is truly unique in its approach and focus. Christians are called to be a light on a hill and not what we have become, a group in a room that has slipped from the consciousness of society. We are called to be witnesses within society to the Kingdom of God. We are called to be leaven in society that inspires people by the lives we live and the values we hold that will cause the nations we live in to be bold under God. CATHOLIC TODAY seeks to affect the F.A.B.R.I.C. of our world.

Faith Attitudes leading to fullness Behaviors of life in Relationships Jesus Christ Integrity Conversations

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VISION - What We See Proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.

MISSION - What We Do

“Holy Spirit Come”

Build a modern and contemporary multimedia ministry organization that causes people to encounter Jesus Christ and live amazing lives of power, impact, freedom and purpose.

CORE VALUES - What We Hold To Be True • • • • • • • •

We value relationship with God as the supreme task of life. We value people who believe and or feel disconnected from God and the Church. We value passionately our calling. We value servant living. We value the truth in our message. We value and aspire to high quality production. We value creativity, innovation and passion. We value the poor, the weak, the hidden and the hurting.

PERSONA - Who We Seek To Be • • • • • • • • 6

Bold for Christ Authoritative Confident From real life Accessible in many ways Humorous Professional quality Expectant atmosphere

• • • • • • • •

Surrendered to Christ A modern and contemporary brand Blue is our brand color Energised Welcoming Smart casual with an edge Entertaining Knowledgeable

OUR COMMITMENTS CHRIST

• We are committed to being a Proclamation Ministry where every member of the T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone At Mission) knows the love of our Father. In this Ministry the reality of the sacrifice, victory and friendship of Jesus Christ is experienced as a daily certainty and the prompting gentle voice of the Holy Spirit guides our every step in life.

TRUTH

• We are committed to living in accordance with the truth of the Church found in Scripture and the Tradition of the Catholic Church.

PRIESTS

• We are committed to serving Catholic Priests through proclamation that connects people to their sacramental community the parish.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

• We are committed to raising leaders and training and developing numerous people in all areas of our operations and Ministry.

MULTIPLICATION

• We are committed to establishing Proclamation Ministries that will reach the disconnected and grow the connected.

PROMOTION

• We are committed to promoting other media ministries engaged in the proclamation of the Gospel and supporting them in their mission.

DISCIPLESHIP

• We are committed to forming people to live their Christian life fully in the place where they live their daily life.

WORSHIP EXPRESSIONS

• We are committed to a variety of worship expressions that glorify God and are the touchstone through which the deep realities and mysteries of God are made real in people’s lives and in the lives of those around them.

MODERN CONTEMPORARY • We are committed to using modern and contemporary methods of communication. EXCELLENCE FUN COMMUNITY

• We are committed to conducting all areas of operation and presentation with excellence. • We are committed to a spirit of fun amongst our T.E.A.M and in our Ministry. • We are committed to creating authentic community amongst our T.E.A.M. and in our Ministry environments.

THE VISION of CATHOLIC TODAY Proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. ENCOUNTER JESUS The CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network I see impacts people’s lives through an encounter with Jesus Christ where they fall in love. An encounter that so transforms their view of life, the world and their future, that they live lives of power, impact, freedom and purpose. ENCOUNTER EVENTS I see CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network being known for its lifechanging proclamation through television, the media and events that cause people to yield their lives to Jesus Christ. FULL CHRISTIAN LIFE I see CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network through its programs calling people to live a full Christian life according to their understanding and ability as they seek to grow closer to Jesus Christ and the Church. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT The CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network I see is committed to raising leaders of influence, ministry workers of impact and men, women and children to mature Christian living and knowledge of God through its programming and events. WITNESS TO CHRIST The CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network I see is a ministry that cannot be ignored due to its prominence in society, size, vibrancy of life and the fruit of its work of proclamation and therefore is known throughout the nations of the world. GLOBAL The CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network I see will spread across the globe into cities, towns and villages through its media and events outreaching to the lost and connecting them to Christ and their local Church.

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TEACHING A METHOD I see CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network impacting the broader Church throughout the world by creating programs that highlight effective ways of reaching people who once were involved in Church through its people, activities, media, resources and methods. FOR ALL Yes, The CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network I see is open to all people from any background. It seeks to be a source of unity for Christians while those who have no other contact with the Church may see it and experience it as their only Church connection. CREATIVE The CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network I see seeks to create high quality media and events as seen in the broader community and that will cause the broader community to respond and engage. It therefore is powerfully creative and imaginative while being operated by the highest of business standards to steward every resource and opportunity to its maximum potential. IN THE WORLD The CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network I see is a business and ministry using the latest methods and technology in proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ around the world in imaginative ways so that it is attractive to those who seek truth in their lives and therefore transforms the modern world. WORSHIP ENCOUNTER I see CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network whose worship through the Sacraments, worship gatherings and different types of media glorifies God and is the touchstone through which the profound realities and mysteries of God are made real in people’s lives and the lives of those around them. DAILY GOD ENCOUNTER The CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Television and Media Network I see is an organization where the love of our Father is known and experienced. At CATHOLIC TODAY the reality of the sacrifice, victory and friendship of Jesus Christ is experienced as a daily certainty and the prompting, gentle voice of the Holy Spirit guides every step in life.

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No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples. Saint John Paul II

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The story begins in Australia This is our growing family

Like all parents, Rosemary and I want our family to be safe and happy, to be productive members of society, to grow as people in the use of their gifts and talents and to be able to take up life’s opportunities. BUT MORE THAN THIS We want our family to have faith in God and a relationship with God that is the constant throughout their lives in the inevitable highs and lows that will come. We cannot give them anything better than faith. Today, where they live in Australia, just 10% of all Catholics attend Church on Sunday. Some people say that less than 5% of Catholic young people (our children’s ages in the picture above) attend Church. What will it be for our grandchildren in the future? The ratio of Catholics to the entire population in Australia is nearly the same in the United States and in both countries Church participation continues to fall.

We want them to have faith, but who will share faith with them and how will our Catholic faith be delivered to them? 11

ARCHBISHOP MARK COLERIDGE

Archbishop Mark Coleridge was appointed to the Holy See’s Secretariat of State at the Vatican. He was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture and Chair of the Roman Missal Editorial Committee of the International Committee for English in the Liturgy. He was subsequently named Chair of the International Commission for the Preparation of an English-language Lectionary. He was also appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. He was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne in 2002 and named Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn in 2006. In 2012 he was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Brisbane where he currently serves. In 2018 he was elected President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

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The CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Media & Television Network is Inspirational: this is not to motivate so much as about breathing new life into a person. The word ‘inspire’ means to breathe. We seek to help a person be all that God has called and wills them to be. The CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Media & Television Network is about our Lifestyle: Jesus came to declare a new Kingdom and therefore lifestyle. This way of living is formed in us through discipleship. Should Christians take their standards of living from the world around them or from God who speaks through the Scriptures and the Church about how we should live? Our programs will show how to live as a Christian by taking a ‘Faith to Life’ approach where we teach and give example as to how to live as fully devoted followers of Christ.

CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Media & Television Network Written by Bruce Downes

Dear friends The times in which we live require bold, new and complimentary ways of proclaiming the essential message of the Church in the modern world. The richness of the Church commissioned by Christ to declare His love for all of humankind must be preserved, while at the same time presented in fresh and new ways according to the Popes in recent decades.

CATHOLIC TODAY has come about because of a journey and calling that I experienced after a Carmelite Priest shared the love of Christ with me in a manner I understood when I was a teenager. He showed me step by step how to respond and exemplified to me a life dedicated to Christ. He loved the Church and passed that love of the Church on to me. Within a couple of years all I could hear in my conscience was an urging to share this faith with others and find ways to do so that the modern person would hear and respond to. My brothers and my fellow class members from the Catholic schools I attended, on the whole, were ceasing participation in Church as the years went by. The values of society seemed to speak to them more than Christ and the richness of the Church that I had been introduced to. It was here again that Godly Bishops and priests encouraged me in this calling as did many lay people.

‘New’ is not throwing out the old, for that is to lose who we are and what we have, but rather it is finding new words, images, stories and ways to declare in these modern and changing times the love of God for all humanity.

The story is long but in time I started being called ‘The Catholic Guy.’ This is not a name I thought of or would have chosen for myself. This led to a television program that started in a small city called Perth, Western Australia, under the direction of the Archbishop responsible for media in the country.

It is our history and tradition that tells us about God and His love and it is this that is passed on by the Church.

The program was well received in Australia and I thought I was doing all I was meant to do but God had another plan.

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A new way is needed. I was at first approached by a media company who wanted to take the program into Asia and then I was approached by a media person in the USA who had been watching the program. He shared with me his desire to reach his Catholic friends and thought they could be reached by our program even though they did not attend Church. This touched my heart deeply and we brought the program to the USA where it was also beamed to countries around the world. The program did very well in the USA and I thought that was all it was going to be, but again God had another plan.

The following pages are about the CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Media & Television Network; how it happened, what it will do and how it will support the already existing efforts of the Church. It does not replace anyone or any organization but rather adds its efforts to other individuals, organisations and ministries for the proclamation of Jesus Christ that has being going on since the time Christ walked the earth. God bless Bruce Downes

In time, multiple opportunities were offered to us to launch a Catholic Channel that would have a particular focus on reaching out into the world or as it says in the Sacred Scriptures, “being in the world but not of it.” CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Media & Television Network was birthed out of this calling to proclaim Christ but it is not just my calling alone but a calling many people share across the United States, Australia and from places around the world.

• What if we could give opportunity to many women and men to give witness to their faith? • What if we could create a channel that people watched not just for Christian content but as a source of fun, entertainment, information and education? • What if we could create a channel that looked like a regular channel that people watched by default and it had a mix of Christian and regular content? • What if we could create media that people who did not go to Church wanted to watch and listen to and there found Christ? Today the vast majority of people have ceased participating in Church. There are many reasons for this. Society has changed. Communications methods have changed. Church scandals, whether they be abuse of people or power or money, have all worked to turn people off from the Church.

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WHAT GOD MEANS TO ME Bruce Downes

1. To make complete sense of our lives we need to see our own personal story not in the light of our present today alone but in light of eternity. It is the only way that we as human beings make sense.

WHAT I KNOW OF JESUS

2. We are spectacular. Thoughts and dreams could never have imagined us, technology created us or luck have caused us.

12. What I do know is that I made a choice for God that has given me a perspective on life that allows me to walk with hope. I see my frailties as privileged opportunities for God to enter my world and help me live with my deficiencies when they are not overcome.

3. Yet while we are unique we are deficient. Our frailty reflects that we are imperfect creatures. That we are not beyond our limitations of thought, emotion or physical capability. We are contained by time itself, circumstances, experiences, environments and the decisions both positive and negative that we are at times are responsible for and at other times not. 4. We are the work of a creator who is so beyond our reckoning, that definition is inadequate and words completely unsatisfactory. 5. Some say we are just an aberration of the universe. That we will pass to nothing. Some say with their words, they do not believe while most say by their actions, “we do not know.” 6. What would cause a supernatural being to create us, so that we would have the free choice to reject and deny obedience, thanks and praise to that creator? 7. There can be only one answer and it is, “love.” “God is love,” is how one writer of the Scriptures defines our creator. 8. For reasons we do not fully know God remains hidden. 9. Maybe if God revealed himself, the magnificence of God would make free choice out of the question, as the only possible response would be complete and total belief. Can love be genuine when there is no other choice? Loves power is choice freely given. 10. Why some discover the love of God and are able to give their free choice adherence to Him and others not, I do not know.

11. What I do know is that as a teenager I discovered that God loves me.

13. What I do know is that I cannot comprehend God but yet that does not stop my believing in Him as my creator and the one whom I will go to when this worldly experience ends. I do not believe I have parked my intelligence to the side however but that something has been revealed to me because of grace. 14. What I do know is that while I fear life’s tribulations and pain, my eyes are set on a way of living and a finish line that will come. The tradition of Christians over the centuries tells me, “He lived and He is coming back and that we are victors and not victims.” 15. What I do know is that I have learnt to hear His voice, no not voices, not audible voices but the voice in the depths of what makes me, me, prompting me in the steps I should lead in life. 16. What I do know is that I have learnt to see Him, no not with my blue eyes but the eyes of my soul that sees Him; in a baby, a divorced young woman who wonders if there is hope, in the face of an old man whose days of productive work have passed, in the bright eyes of a newly graduated student starting their first job and an elderly woman sitting quietly in prayer. 17. What I do know is that I have learnt to sense God, no not with my feelings, but the senses of my heart. I feel God when I talk to those who no longer attend Church but are searching for truth in the unvoiced questions that they have which speak loudly even though there is no audible sound from their mouth. Let me say it again; 18. What I do know is that God loves me. Not because of my efforts, or because I have earned it or because of what I have done but because I just am. 19. What I do know is that I believe. 20. I believe that the life I live only makes sense when I see God inviting me to be all that I can be despite whatever circumstances I face and the finite nature of who I am. 21. This conviction makes life a joy, an experience of love, a journey of hope.

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SOMEONE SHARED JESUS WITH ME

THE CALL TO SHARE JESUS WITH OTHERS

22. I believe because someone shared with me.

34. I could tell one person - I have and they heard.

23. Someone took time to tell me about God the Father’s love for me, Jesus’ work in me and the Holy Spirit’s action upon me.

35. I could tell a hundred - I have and they heard.

24. Someone told me and it changed my life.

37. I could tell hundreds of thousands - I have and they heard.

25. It was however not enough that someone told me. At some point I heard. I accepted. I believed. I owned my belief for myself. This would never have happened however if someone had not told me first.

36. I could tell a thousand - I have and they heard.

38. Why not now a city, a nation, the globe. Not all will respond but many will. 39. I feel stirred to this and I believe I can.

26. Thank God someone took the time to tell me what makes sense of everything now. Thank God they persisted. Thank God I heard. Life is now in perspective. 27. For some however, like many I love, they do not know God in this manner. Why? Once again, I do not know. I do believe however, that they are loved by God and through their goodness they express their search for Him and His work in them even if they do not know Him or use words and images like I do to express their inner experience. 28. Some people are called to witness to this love by quietly going about their life and letting their life speak of God’s love. Others are called to organise the work of revealing God whether this be through weekly Church, hospitals, universities and works of mercy. 29. For some the call is to deliberately get people’s attention and announce in words and actions, “God loves you.” 30. This is what I believe that I am called to. I believe my call is to make God’s love known. Another way to say this is, “to tell it.” 31. Some tell one individual, others friends and others thousands and millions. I believe I am called to tell as many as I can that; 32 “you are loved just because you are and when you accept this you will know your truest self.” 33. My way of experiencing God is not the only way but it is a worthwhile and legitimate way to stand along the many other ways God comes to His people.

40. I feel stirred to gather others who want to help, but also those who have far greater skills, talent, experience and wisdom, training and knowledge that I have from the length and breadth of our world and together I believe we can do this by working together alongside and within the many groups in the Church to connect people to parishes and the sacramental life of the Church and to Christian communities in their many expressions. 41. Together we will organise ourselves in such a manner that we will be a Mission Community not gathered in one place or even under one rule, but that has the same heart all over the world, where every person’s heart is to REACH those who are yet to discover the love of God as we all have. 42. Imagine the power of millions gathered to hear the message of Jesus, that God loves them. 43. The Church’s mission is to proclaim the love of God. Members of our families will not hear about the love of God through the Church bulletin or newsletter, a parish program or a talk at the Church. For the simple reason they do not go to the Church building any longer to read or hear of these activities in the first place. 44. People no longer meet in the marketplace to hear news. We hear the news in our sitting rooms and lounge rooms, on our televisions sets, on our computers and in our hands on our telephones. This is where we need to take the news that the Church has something to offer. 45. Some might say that this approach will never interest my neighbour, friend, son or daughter and yes this might be true. But our responsibility is not conversion but the telling of the Gospel. It is the great commission given to you and me as believing Christian people. 46. Whether people respond to the message of God’s love for them is the work of grace and is up to God and the individual who hears. It is God who converts hearts and not you or me. 47. My task, your task, is to be obedient and “proclaim.”

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NOTHING GROWS UNLESS

A SEED IS PLANTED “Listen! A sower went out to sow. Matthew 13:3

Jesus went to where the people were and they listened to Him. We need to take Church into the world. 19

Whether through television, mail, email or at live events the

NUMBER ONE PRAYER REQUEST that we receive from Catholics is,

“Will you pray for my children to come back to Church?” This is followed closely by, “will you pray for my husband to come back to Church?”

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They do not attend Church They do not watch Television They do consume MEDIA like never before

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IT ALL BEGAN AT THE VATICAN In August 2006, my wife Rosemary and I visited the Vatican. It was our 24th wedding anniversary. We were on holidays. Just as I was getting into bed at the end of a long, hot day, I felt the prompting voice of God urge me to change our plans to leave Rome and head back to the Vatican the next day for a day of prayer. As a result of this day of prayer, I believe the thought was placed in my heart and mind by the Holy Spirit to ‘make a Catholic television program.’ I was stunned by this thought at the time for three reasons; 1. I knew nothing about television. 2. It was the furthest thing from my mind. 3. I remember thinking at the time that better looking people than me are on television. However, I could not get this thought from my mind and my prayer. Upon returning home a couple weeks later, a lawyer based in Sydney, Australia, which is over 2,000 miles from where I was living at the time in Perth, Western Australia contacted me. He offered his help to me after hearing what I was doing in the ministry of reaching disconnected people from the Church and thought I would need some business and legal assistance. He was not a Catholic. When I asked him why he was willing to help me, he said that if I could reach lost Catholics and bring them to Christ and the Catholic Church, that he felt that he would be building the Kingdom of God. I would never have started in this if it were not for him.

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At lunch, on the very first day with this lawyer, his son-inlaw joined us unexpectedly. I shared with him this thought of a Catholic television program and he immediately said he thought it would be possible. He then revealed to me that he was a Christian television producer. He had no idea when he joined us for lunch what I had been thinking. The next day, he called Neil Elliott the General Manager of the Australian Christian Channel, of his own volition and handed me the telephone. Neil Elliott said to me that the Board of the Australian Christian Channel were looking for a Catholic to be on their Channel. Some weeks later I shared this with my Archbishop, Archbishop Barry Hickey. The Archbishop was immediately enthusiastic and asked me to meet a Canon Lawyer (Church Lawyer). What I did not know was that he was the Bishop who had just been appointed responsible for Media as part of the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference. When I met the Canon Lawyer, he said the Archbishop wanted, “Catholic” in the title of the program. The Canon Lawyer thought the name, “The Catholic Guy” was a good name in light of many people referring to me that way after going to events to speak. The television program began in Australia on March 4, 2007. At the time all we had was a small camera and a couple of old lights but what we have learnt is God uses small beginnings. I thought the program being on the small national Christian Channel it was on was all that it would ever be, and I was happy, but God had other plans. The program grew in popularity and influence. The General Manager of the channel wrote the following;

AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN CHANNEL

I have known and closely observed Bruce Downes ministry for over 12 years now and it has been one of the most inspiring journeys to have witnessed over my years in the Australian Christian Broadcast landscape. The Catholic Guy program soon became one of our most influential programs on air. In spite of lack of technical and production values at first, it connected with a broad spectrum of audience and seemed to build an ever-growing loyal following. There is something special that happens when someone just connects with an audience, that the best technical and production expertise just can't make happen. And Bruce has that. The program was unique being a Catholic program in the mix of an almost exclusively protestant space, and it was bringing down the walls that have been there for so long between these two worlds. His following was across the denominations and he was addressing the largest single religious group in Australia, the Catholic community. Not only was this uniting the Christian community at large, it was also influencing and uniting the broadcast sector. He is challenging the influences of Christian Media in Australia to be even more dedicated in their endeavours and they are uniting in purpose with him. I would venture to say that The Catholic Guy program and Bruce Downes have been one of the more influential programs in the Australian Christian landscape in recent years. Programs and presenters like this, that are in a unique space, in this case bridging the Catholic Protestant divide, don't come along very often and I believe we are yet to see the full impact and influence that this ministry could have.

I have seen, Bruce Downes a humble man of great influence, obediently sacrifice it all and God bring success beyond impressive. Yours sincerely Geoff Bentley General Manager ACCTV (2008-2016)

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WILL YOU GO TO PARISHES? Archbishop Barry Hickey was a great influence on my life. He encouraged, directed and redirected my efforts at times, urging me with the words concerning evangelization, “to not give up.” I can remember well a conversation we once had where he was right and I was wrong. He asked if I would go to Catholic parishes to speak. I remember saying to him, “no one will come to parishes if I go.” He said, “you are on television now, people will come.” As I say, he was right, because when I did go with our team to parishes priest after priest invited us and tens of thousands of people attended across the entire country.

REFLECTIONS OF PARISH PRIESTS Fr Michael McLean - St John the Baptist Parish There is nothing that would come close to providing such a good Mission experience like this available in Australia at the moment. Some parishioners said The Catholic Guy Event was life changing for them as they now saw their life in a different way. People came who would normally not come to spiritual or religious occasions. Fr Paul Monkerud - St Charles Borromea The Catholic Guy Parish Mission Event offered our parishes a fresh approach to personal and communal faith renewal. Bruce Downes’ integration of sound Catholic teaching with relevant personal experiences encouraged participants to explore for themselves how faith could inform and assist them in their daily lives. The interplay of music, images and light provided a contemporary window into a traditional message. The opportunities for social interaction after morning and evening sessions reinforced the communal dimension of faith and provided outreach opportunities for members of our parishes.

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Fr Paul Chandler - Nundh/Banyo Parish “The Catholic Guy Mission Event in our parish was an amazing, prayerful retreat for our people. It combined prayer, music, testimony, Scripture and liturgy in such a beautiful, encouraging and lively mix that really nourished the life of my people. I knew when I first met Bruce that it would be a worthwhile and beneficial experience for our parish but I have to say, and say very strongly, that it far surpassed the hopes and expectations that I had; and all that because the structure and the content of the event allowed God's grace to work. There is a humility and willingness to serve about Bruce and his team. They do what they do and provide a means and a vehicle for God to work in the hearts, lives and minds of those who come. Since the event, I have seen a greater sense of community in the parish, a greater hunger for prayer, and an openness to new ideas and ways of doing things; all of which were not strongly present before. It really has been a renewal for the Parish and has enabled a further bonding of our two communities, which were once two separate parishes.

REFLECTIONS OF PARISH PRIESTS Fr Andrew Chase St Joseph’s Parish The Catholic Guy team inspired and uplifted many of our parishioners with song, prayer, ritual and engaging talks, all of which centred on the person of Jesus Christ. In the days following the mission I have been continually told by parishioners how powerful and meaningful the experience was for them, and I can even feel a sense of rekindled enthusiasm for the faith amongst our people.

Fr John Armstrong - Corpus Christi Parish The opportunity to invite Bruce Downes and the Catholic Guy team was a great blessing to our parish. It is hard to imagine taking a whole parish on retreat both given the logistics, time and places which are available. However, the Catholic Guy was able to bring this retreat experience to our parish. It gave the opportunity for people to spend time reflecting on scripture, on their own faith journeys and to engage in prayer which touched many people in deep and profound encounters with Jesus Christ. It also strengthened the whole community and we are continuing to see the fruits of their ministry. The team has the ability to bring the scriptures alive in a way which touches people’s hearts and transforms their lives. They have been a great blessing to our Parish.

Fr Vu Thai - Saints John and Paul Parish “Bruce Downes and The Catholic Guy Team recently came to our parish for a mission and the event continues to bless our parish. Parishioners have described a renewal in their faith and closer relationships with God. The event surprised us by its reverence, its focus on Scripture and its very strong Catholic teachings. The team brought us beautiful, prayerful music that led the parishioners to a deeper level of prayer. The modern style made the event suitable for young as well as mature and many invited others along once they had come to one of the nights. Of the many events we have held in the parish over the years, this event attracted bigger numbers than we had for a mission in many years. This further proved to me that people really want to grow in faith and are looking for modern and fresh approaches.”

Fr Slawek Plonka - Mary Immaculate Parish Without exaggeration I can say that the mission led by The Catholic Guy exceeded my expectation. It was a refreshing, faith-filled, and inspiring experience. Bruce truly took us all on a spiritual journey from which many of us have returned touched and transformed, including myself. I was delighted to see how with every session the number of participants grew significantly. Having said that, it is not the numbers that brought joy to my heart. What really made me happy was seeing so many new faces in the church. Among those who came along were regular parishioners, lapsed Catholics, members of different Christian denominations, and also Catholics who were considering giving up on God altogether.

Fr George Kolodziej - Catholic Parish of Pittwater “The Catholic Guy Mission became a major event in our ‘Reaching Out’ Pastoral Parish Programme. Bruce’s enthusiasm and ability to encourage and motivate people in their spiritual journey has resulted in a significant increase in reaching out and connecting people with God and our Parish. We are so grateful for his ministry and his presence in our Parish.”

“Spirit-filled evangelizers are evangelizers who pray and work.”

Pope Francis The Joy of the Gospel

ENCOUNTERING CHRIST “Bruce has a charism, by which I mean a gift given by God through an individual and through the Church, but given to the world. It’s a gift given by God to build up the Church for the sake of mission – and this at a time when God is calling the Church to become more missionary. Bruce is a classic case of the new category which is sometimes called “a Catholic evangelical”. In the past, those two terms would have seemed mutually exclusive, but not anymore. We need to become more deeply Catholic and more boldly evangelical – and that’s the combination you find in Bruce Downes known as The Catholic Guy.” Archbishop Mark Coleridge Archbishop of Brisbane, Australia

WE NEED EVANGELIZERS Proclamation is more than just information or telling another person of the love of God; it is doing it in such a manner that it leads a person to yield the governance of their life to the person of Jesus Christ. It is where faith becomes personal, real, powerful and practical in the day-to-day of a person’s life. It happens at the spiritual, cognitive and emotional level within a person. It is what is called conversion.

“Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.”

The proclaimer knows that God is the convertor of hearts and not themselves, but none the less it is this conviction that the proclaimer brings expressed in words and a life devoted to Christ that causes a person to question and ultimately come to faith themselves through their own personal surrender inspired by the work of the Holy Spirit. The key to a proclaimer’s effectiveness in evangelization is diligent prayer, sacrificial service and the recognition that they must always decrease in order that Christ can take root and take over a persons life. It is here that the Sacraments, which are powerful moments of encounter with God, transform and nourish our lives through the receiving of grace. This grace causes us to be what we could never be by ourselves. It is here that we share in the life of God.

Evangelization means to be Jesus-centered.

First Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, God is love This proclamation is not a style that is loud or soft, academic or emotional but rather a conviction in the proclaimer that what they have experienced and come to know as true, can be a reality in another person’’s life that will bring them complete and total fulfilment in life as they encounter Jesus Christ.

It is to be bold and expectant where we encounter Christ by applying the teaching of the Church and the inspiration of the Scriptures to our daily life. This is our Catholic tradition.

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These are our

GRANDCHILDREN We want them to be connected to a local Parish where they will come to know God and have faith. According to current statistics where they live, the chances of this being the case when they are 21 years of age is less than 5%. This is not exaggerated. We need additional and new ways to get the Message of Christ to them!

Whose picture will you put in your frame?

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THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE The Gospel is clear that we are called to live in the world but as Christians not be of the world. This means we are called to be productive and successful human beings in our professions, employment and personal lives. This is the heart of Christianity to love God as we live out our daily life in the world where we are. CATHOLIC TODAY seeks to be a Network/Channel that looks and feels like a modern television Network with news programs, movies, documentaries and sitcoms with Christian programs in the mix. We are living at a time in history where the western world is steadily heading toward a more secular way of life. Secularism means godlessness or leaving God out of our life and just relying on ourselves as individuals. CATHOLIC TODAY seeks to keep God within the daily happenings of people’s lives in the modern world. The modern media platforms give CATHOLIC TODAY the opportunity for this proclamation by taking the message of Christ’s love into people’s homes and onto their devices through visual, audio and print media in ways we have never been able to do before in history. The Gospel is meant to be an encounter with Jesus Christ that gives life a new meaning and purpose. Faith should not be separate to our everyday life but rather an encounter with Jesus which profoundly brings our faith to life in the everyday events of life.

The United States of America

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Catholic Today is incorporated in The United States of America and in Australia according to respective federal laws and will have offices and recording facilities in Dallas/Fort Worth, USA and Sydney, Australia.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

AUSTRALIA

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SUCCESS ACROSS THE USA The Catholic Guy television program commenced across Australia on March 4, 2007. The program quickly became one of the most recognized programs on Christian television in Australia. In August of 2016, I was asked by Tom Winters the Media Attorney and Advisor to many of the largest Christian television ministries in the USA, if our team and I would consider bringing the program to the USA. I agreed to test the program across the USA and to do so with the visionary help of a few people in the US a trial was begun. On March 5, 2017, ten years and one day after starting on television in Australia the program began on a small channel in the USA. Within four weeks t h e s e n i o r e x e c u t i v e s o f Tr i n i t y Broadcasting Network (TBN) offered us a spot on the largest Christian Network in the USA and in a coveted and rare primetime Sunday time slot. Within a number of weeks, informed industry people indicated that the call response to the program was as high as many of the other Christian television programs in the United States, even though no advertising or marketing for the program had been done during this trial period.

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COMMENTS SINCE STARTING ON TELEVISION IN THE USA I know you hear this a million times probably daily but thank you, truly thank you from my heart ... you saved my Catholic life.

... I am from a small town (Bonneylake Washington) I am not anyone important but I was looking for my faith so when I heard you speak I truly say that you saved my Catholic life thank you truly thank you ...

Wow! Your understanding of God and your ability to relate that to the everyday life has continued to give me the strength to want to continue on my journey as a Catholic. You have helped me to develop a greater relationship with God.

I heard Bruce Downes message and it was the best message I have heard in forty years plus and‌ I am not even a Catholic.

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THE US MARKET In the U.S.A. 243,000,000 people or 75% of the population claim to be Christian, of which there are 71,000,000 registered Catholics as of 2017. Only 22% of Catholics attend church on a regular basis. The majority have not made a deliberate decision to fall away from the Church but rather have just ‘dropped out’ because they were not captured in a manner that was powerful, personal and meaningful. The Pew Research Center found that people claiming to be Christian has declined by 7% over the past seven year period in the United States. Across all denominations there is a massive slide in attendance in Church. Yet, Americans continue to see themselves as spiritual. Pew’s research shows a marked increase, 8 percent in just five years, across all demographics and other identifiers. While they have found current presentations of religion to be lacking, they are still seeking answers to the deeper questions of their lives. Modern media technology however, makes it possible to reach more people than ever before in history in an incredibly powerful and effective way.

A New Approach Needed

CATHOLIC TODAY does not seek to be a wall-to-wall series of Christian preachers that we often associate with Christian television but rather be a MIX of programs for men, women, young adults, entertainment, business and leadership development, sitcoms, interviews and documentaries and movies that have good values. It will look and feel like an ordinary Channel with advertising. In the mix of all of this there will be programs where our faith and faith values will be shared EXPLICITLY.

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This picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus hung above our family dining room table my entire childhood and young adult life. To my four brothers and I, the truth is we did not understand what it was. Yes we knew it represented Jesus but we did not understand why He was presented in this way. This picture’s meaning is so rich in what it stands for and steeped in a long tradition of prayer and devotion. It is both beautiful and powerful. There are Catholic people today however who would say these types of images are irrelevant and do not have a place in people’s expression of faith today. There are other Catholic people who would say that it is because of the lack of connection to our history and tradition that so many people have become disconnected from the Church. The truth is we need to keep the old but also find new expressions of our faith and value both. We need to find language and ways that go beyond just explaining our faith however, instead communicating our faith for engagement, surrender and commitment. Herein lies the challenge that we face. People are being called to be CATHOLIC TODAY and not yesterday. How will we say, feel and live our rich Catholic heritage and faith in the modern world as Catholics today?

This picture is on the set where we record The Catholic Guy television program.

FAITH TO LIFE The Gospel is meant to be an encounter with Jesus Christ that gives life a new meaning and purpose. Faith should not be separate to our everyday life but rather be an encounter with Jesus that profoundly brings our faith to our life and gives us a spiritual understanding of life in terms of eternity. We need to have the ability to communicate in a manner that those who attend Church, have dropped away or have never been Christian can hear the message of Jesus, make sense of it and encounter Christ and then apply it to their lives. The modern person is wrestling with the basic issues of life such as; • • • • • •

Keeping their marriages together in a loving and meaningful manner. Keeping their family together as a single parent. Raising their Children. Coping with the pressure of work. Managing their finances. Managing their limited time for all the above.

The modern media gives us the ability to proclaim Christ in ways that we have never been able to before. By combining these new ways with using the right words, images and stories in a manner that speaks to people’s everyday lives we can connect with millions of people. This will help people to live better lives for themselves and those they love and create more caring and intelligent societies in which we live.

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THE PROGRAMS The feel of the Network will be; • • • • • •

modern and contemporary, bright, inspirational, entertaining, informative and clearly and boldly Catholic & Christian.

CATHOLIC TODAY will create original content for the Network with a range of programs that will include Life Application Christian programs, specific women’s and men’s programs, music content, business and leadership development programs, international affairs programs and political commentary. CATHOLIC TODAY will provide a place where producers can place their programs should they meet the appropriate standards. This will be overseen by a Content Department. CATHOLIC TODAY will acquire exisiting programming including movies, sitcoms, music specials and interview style programs.

Finding the right language, stories and images is critical in communicating the Gospel message, otherwise many people feel disconnected from what is trying to be communicated. CATHOLIC TODAY must walk the difficult path of relating to people where they are, who are unfamiliar with the message of what the Church is about, and yet speak the message of Christ with clarity. This is easier said than done. Many people have rejected the Christian Message because it is spoken in a ‘code’ that the committed know and understand but others who may be less involved do not know, thus alienating people even further.

We need to be realistic and not assume that our audience understands the full background to what we are saying, or is capable of relating what we say to the very heart of the Gospel which gives it meaning, beauty and attractiveness. Pope Francis - The Joy of the Gospel

NEW DELIVERY METHODS LINEAR TELEVISION Linear Television is watching according to the program timetable. This has been traditional television and is being overcome by viewing according to when the viewer wants to watch. It is delivered by free to air channels and by Satellite and Cable.

INTERNET TELEVISION The internet provides multiple ways to view television. Internet Television can be viewed in a linear fashion which means to is watch according to the program timetable.

OVER THE TOP - Streaming Services Over The Top streaming services provide television via a provider such as Netflix, Amazon Prime etc where content can be consumed at the discretion over the viewer over the internet for a monthly payment.

VIDEO ON DEMAND Video on Demand is content chosen by the viewer at their discretion. It is via a website and is on a user pays basis.

SOCIAL MEDIA This is delivery of content via traditional social media platforms where content can be shared among participants.

WE MUST ENGAGE IN ALL OF THESE NEW METHODS OF PROCLAMATION AND NOT JUST ONE

We have the

microphone but can they

hear? 53

A few years ago, I had an experience that completely changed the way I communicate with people concerning faith. It was a weekend and all five of our children were at home and on this particular occasion they were all watching television.

I remember I walked out of that doctor’s office, got in my car and drove up the road and five minutes later was in the office of another doctor.

As I walked through the room I had to step over something that was on the ground and I nearly tripped over. I said to them, “would you guys pick that up?” To which they answered, “yes Dad, we will.”

The new doctor told me, “this is what is wrong. If you take this course of medication and do these things, this is what I would expect to happen and how you will recover, but if you do not, then this is what I expect will occur as you get severely worse.”

Sometime later, I walked back through the room where they were watching television and again I had to step over what was on the floor. I stopped and said, “hey, everyone look at me,” at which they all looked my way. I then said, “didn’t I ask you guys to pick that up. It is still there?” At this, not just one but they all replied, “no Dad, you never asked us to pick it up.” Sometime later I reflected on this in prayer. I believe that God is not silent. The Catholic Church has long taught that God speaks not with audible voices but within our minds, our hearts and the circumstances of our lives. I have discovered God is not mute or silent but leads through the doors He opens and also the doors He closes. We discover this voice as we read the Scriptures, listen to the teaching of the Church and through our consciences which are formed as we mature and walk more deeply with God. The reason I have agreed to give myself to CATHOLIC TODAY is because I believe God has led and spoken to me about this.

I remember walking out thinking I know what I have to do to get well. The second doctor did not make it simplistic where it lost its meaning but explained it in a manner that I understood and could implement a plan to get well. I am sure if the second doctor had spoken to the first doctor they would have spoken in their jargon-heavy medical language and they would have understood each other perfectly, but I did not. I am not a doctor. As I walked to the car from the second doctor, I asked God what that was all about and I can still remember where I was when I felt like God say to me: “You have studied Theology at University for years, completed courses, read countless books, travelled the world attending conferences and seminars listening to great teachers and preachers but I did not ask everyone else to do that.

It was then in prayer that the following occurred to me.

I asked them to be business people, school teachers, carpenters, computer people, mothers and fathers and to be well versed and trained in those disciplines.

We are telling people about God and what the Church is teaching and preaching, running courses, seminars and sacramental programs BUT people are not hearing.

Your job is to make the Christian message understandable. Not simplistic but relevant so that people can use it in their lives.”

‘Telling’ does not mean it is being ‘heard.’

As I say I could take you to the very place where I was standing when this occurred me. These two instances changed the way I have spoken ever since.

While this might not seem a big revelation to anyone else, this dramatically changed my efforts when it came to communicating faith. I realized that people not hearing is not their fault but mine as a communicator. I believe this is the case for others in the Church as well. God was not finished with me though. Sometime later I became quite ill with the flu. Rosemary was working and could not take me to see a doctor so I got myself there. When I met the doctor, I became very confused. The doctor spoke in a very complicated language. I remember feeling quite concerned because he seemed concerned but I did not understand what he was saying. I am not a doctor.

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THE CHALLENGE OF SHARING FAITH This diagram represents a scale of the receptivity of a person to God and Church. 10 is the point of personal belief.

In a past era reaching people who had dropped out of Church and their relationship with God was easier than it is now. We might say people were already 6 to 7 on a scale of 0 to 10 of receptiveness. If a Parish Mission was held or a Billy Graham evangelistic style event came to town it did not take much to get people re-involved again in their faith.

Today in the current era, receptivity to God is much lower. We might say it is a 2 to 3 on a scale of 0 to 10. When a Parish Mission or a Billy Graham evangelistic style event comes to town, it is far more rare to get a person to go from where they are to full re-involvement in their faith. The jump from where they are is just too great.

People tend to take small steps back to faith and not the giant leap from where they are as it is too great a jump. This requires an entirely different process of conversion and change. It takes time, and on the whole, the average Catholic is not equipped to know how to engage in this process and walk a person back into faith. This thwarts most of our efforts and greatly disheartens committed Christians in their outreach efforts.

If we can re-involve someone in their faith and they decide to become serious about it then what is quickly discovered is that they received the Sacraments before they were converted to believing and owning their faith for themselves. In other words they know very little. As is very commonly said in the USA, the Sacrament of Confirmation is the Sacrament of Exit.

Formation in the basics of faith becomes critical and this is not easy as any type of intellectual and heart transformation for the modern person takes time. It is here that CATHOLIC TODAY has a role in keeping a person engaged and interested in their faith. By providing 24/7 connection to the Church, it will support a person in their home and on their devices, in their faith while the local parish or church community walks with a person through this time of conversion. 44

ELEMENTS OF LEADING A PERSON TO FAITH As Catholic evangelists, it is essential that we understand how a person comes to faith and what we need to do to maximize the potential for conversion or renewal within a person’s life. As Christians the center of our lives as seen in the diagram is our FAITH in God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This diagram outlines the elements and steps concerning how to bring about conversion or how to bring renewal into a person’s FAITH life whether they attend Church regularly or have dropped away from active participation or not believed in the past. To come to this faith, a person must be able to; 1. Talk Directly and Honestly to God 2. Forgive Others and Themselves 3. Accept Themselves Conversion takes places within us at a; 1. Physical 2. Emotional 3. Spiritual level The way to lead people to this conversion is through; 1. Movement 2. Stories 3. A Pathway that shows them the way MOVEMENT is created within a person when the evangelist; 1. Has Conviction. They are convinced for the person or people they are reaching because of what Christ has done in their life. 2. Gives clear and meaningful instruction that causes the person to yield to Christ. 3. In particular, the First Step is definite, specific and is meaningful to the person being reached. STORIES as a tool touch a person at an emotional level which helps them connect with their personal story. This is done through; 1. Honesty which may lead to tears as it touches the heart of a person. 2. Humor which brings people face to face with the fragility of life and that no matter when we try our best it can still fall short of our hopes and desires. 3. Relatability helps a person find their story as they listen and can recognize the truth of what is said as it could have been them.

PATHWAY concerns how a person relates or connects to God for the first time, when engaged in personal renewal or how they come back to after having fallen away in some form. This connection to God is achieved by; 1. Teaching a person that prayer which is talking, listening and being in the presence of God is possible for them. This leads to; 2. Teaching or showing the person being reached a method of prayer that is achievable because it is in steps that they can do. 3. The doorway to prayer is through vulnerability. It is saying to the person being reached this is how I relate to God. These are the blessings I experience and the struggles I have in prayer.

Evangelization is a journey that is not linear, but rather many of these can be taking place at the same time.

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HOW DO PEOPLE RECEIVE FAITH TODAY Being CATHOLIC TODAY requires a new way of sharing faith that the Network will adopt. The way that people receive truth and faith today is different from even just a few decades ago. One of the reasons for this is that younger people under forty years of age, and even more so the younger a person is, do not hear what the Church is saying because the church speaks on the whole in a manner from a past era. Put simply we might describe it this way. If we to go back only 40 years ago ‘truth’ on the whole was given to us. More so than we do today, we tended to believe what our parents, guardians and authority figures in society and from the Church said to us. There were norms, standards and values that people held to because that is what had happened in the past.

The fact that it might be right or wrong does not matter. The reason for this is that a slow change has occurred over the past few decades. The underlying value in society today is, ‘do whatever you want as long as you are not hurting anyone. Your rights, your thoughts are supreme.’ In other words, we have all become the arbiter of our own truth today. The world is saying to us that what you believe and want to do is ok. Now on the one hand we can argue that it is right to respect the individual but when that opinion comes up against truth that is ‘unchangeable’ there is a problem. In life there are two kinds of truth; Subjective Truth and Objective Truth.

This does not mean people did not wrestle with authority, but their fight or argument was for different reasons than it is now.

Subjective Truth is based on what we individually believe to be true. Simply, we might say it is our opinion.

Today we do not care so much that a child knows that two times two equals four so much as that they know how to use the technology to get the right answer.

Objective Truth, on the other hand, is truth that is outside of ourselves because it is fact. It is true no matter whether you believe it or not, what culture you are from or what time you live in.

There are exams both at school and at university where you do not have to get the right answer, but rather, show why you think what you think and if you argue your case well then get a good grade.

For example, a Subjective Truth is that my sports team is the best team regardless of whether it wins the trophy because it just is. It is not based on fact but opinion and feeling. An example of an Objective Truth is that a person cannot stay alive long-term underwater unaided. They will die. It does not matter whether a person agrees with this or not. It is true regardless of personal opinion. Christian belief, on the whole, is regarded as Objective Truth. It is true regardless of whether a person agrees with it or not. However, the values of the world are subjective when it comes to faith. For example the Scriptures and the Church tells us that there are three persons in the Trinity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is an Objective Truth. Younger people when told this, because of education and conditioning, have one response on the whole and it is this: “I am glad you think that. Let me think about it and I will tell you if I agree.” The way we are presenting truth is to tell but they are not able to hear because of education and the values of society.

CATHOLIC TODAY will present the Gospel in such a manner that people will hear and respond in the modern world by following these ways of sharing faith. 1.

STUDY & OBSERVATION: It is important to embrace the change in communicating and presentation style that is required today to share faith. This means we must study how people are trained and conditioned to think and hear in our modern world. When we understand this we can develop our ways of communicating and be far more personal.

2.

CONVICTION: It is imperative that the communicator is deeply and overtly convicted about their faith and present it as such. The whole time they are saying, “this is me. This is what I believe and hold to be true.” The reason this conviction and certainty is important is because this is exactly the way people in the world are trained and conditioned where they are also saying this is what I believe and who I am. People today are conditioned to everyone having their opinion.

3.

LOVE & RESPECT: It is imperative that the communicator of faith has a deep love of people regardless of the person’s faith position and whether they agree with you or not. The bottom line is, do we love them enough to want them too have the faith we bear and not just the opinions we have. It is not their fault necessarily that they do not believe. Could it be that no one has ever loved them enough to go to the effort to share it in a manner that they can understand.

6.

MAKE THE CHURCH’S ARGUMENT: Share what the Church’s teaching is for your belief as expressed through the tradition and Scripture in as relatable a way as you can. Remember most people are not trained in Church academics but in their field of expertise. When you have done so walk away.

7.

MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT: Present your reasons for what you believe but do not expect that just because you said it, that the person listening will respond positively and accept your position. Give solid, informed reasons for your faith and then walk away.

8.

TELL YOUR STORIES: Be prepared to share your life through your stories. Why you believe. What difference it has made to you. This requires vulnerability and honesty. When you have done this walk away.

9.

SHARE YOUR CONVICTION: By making your argument and telling your stories you are sharing your beliefs and convictions and this is what affects a persons life as they ask the subjective question, “do I want this is for my life.”

10. WALK AWAY BECAUSE YOU CARE: What do I mean by ‘walk away.’ It does not mean we do not care. It means having presented all the evidence that we can for our belief and having shown our conviction and our told our intimate personal stories that we leave the person to their thoughts and processing of what has been presented. The reason for this is that this is how people process thought and believe in the modern world. 11. STAY CLOSE, WITNESS & REPEAT: Stay close to where people are so that they can hear again. For most, one sharing is not enough. 12. PRAY: It is God who changes hearts and He holds them precious because of His love. 47

BEYOND THE CHURCH BUBBLE

A member of my extended family once asked me, “how do I know when you are coming to my city to speak?” To which I promptly replied, “the information is in the weekly Church Bulletin, the weekly Church Newsletter. You can find out there.” I have never forgotten his expression at that moment. His shoulders slumped, he paused and said,

“But I don’t go to Church!” Have you heard the phrase “preaching to the choir?” So often that is what we who are so active in Church are doing. We are speaking to the already convinced. Our hearts might be open to everyone but if the truth were told we are stuck in the Church bubble insulated from the majority of people who have stopped attending Church. CATHOLIC TODAY is about going

“Beyond the Bubble.”

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COMMUNICATING FAITH TO CHANGE LIVES

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MESSAGES BY BRUCE DOWNES The following are a sample of 45 minute Talk Series and Single Presentations PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD 1. Practicing the Presence of God 2. The Benefits of Practicing the Presence LIVING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD 1. Perceiving the Presence of God 2. Practicing the Presence of God GROWING A LIFE OF ….. 1. Growing a life of Growth 2. Growing a life of Faith 3. Growing a life of Service 4. Growing a life of Commitment 5. Growing a life of Sacrifice 6. Growing a life of Thanksgiving 7. Growing - What God has taught us YOU CAN BE 1. You Can Be Successful 2. You Can Be Awe-Inspiring 3. You Can Be Effective 4. You Can Get Over It CHRISTIAN LIVING 1. Expectant Life 2. Expectant Grace 3. Expectant Hope PLANNING TO GROW 1. Planning to Grow - Knowing Why 2. Planning to Grow - Knowing How 3. Planning to Grow - Knowing When BUILDING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS 1. The Value of Relationships 2. The Power of Words 3. How to Set Others Free 4. The Art of Forgiveness 5. Encouraging One Another 6. Bold Love 7. The Character of the Encourager 8. The Way Forward FOUNDATIONS LIFE 1. The Life of Foundations 2. Core values. Every member is a minister 3. The quality of Foundation’s friendships 4. Our God is an awesome God THE VICTORIOUS LIFE 1. How to Win at Life 2. How to Win Through Faith 3. Traits of the Victorious Life GOD’S GAME PLAN FOR YOUR SUCCESS 1. The season begins - Ready Set Go 2. The qualifying - Dream for your life 3. The trial - Banish the doubt 4. The training - Prepare yourself to achieve HOW TO LIVE WITH STRESS 1. Stress, stress and more stress. 2. Hurry sickness 3. Worry, worry, worry 4. How to live with stress RELATIONSHIPS 1. Letting go of your past 2. How to increase their value 3. How to develop lasting relationships

LIVING WITH GOD IN YOUR LIFE 1. Only you can choose 2. The ingredients of greatness 3. Achieving when things are tough 4. Looking forward and grabbing it 5. How to make my life count. A woman's view 6. How to make my children believe their lives count

FOLLOWING GOD 1. What is God's will for my life 2. What is God really like 3. Why hasn't God answered my prayers 4. How can I hear God speak to me? 5. How can I change my life? RELATIONSHIPS 1. Letting go of your past 2. How to increase the value of your relationship 3. How to develop lasting relationships QUESTIONS I’VE WANTED TO ASK GOD 1. What’s God’s Will For My Life 2. What is God Really Like 3. Why Hasn’t God Answered My Prayers 4. How Can I Hear God Speak to Me 5. How can I Change My Life HOW TO MAKE YOUR LIFE COUNT 1.It’s your Choice 2. The Ingredients of Greatness 3. Achieving when Things Around You are Tough 4. Looking Forward and Grabbing It 5. How to Make Your life Count 6. Helping our Children Believe Their Lives Count ALL ABOUT GOD 1. God’s Standard of Truth 2. What God Knows About You 3. Letting God Be God THE LIFE OF FOUNDATIONS 1. The Life of Foundations 2. CORE VALUE: Every Member a Minister DISCIPLESHIP 1. Discipleship 2. Remain in Me 3. Obedience DISCIPLESHIP HOW 1. Discipleship: How to ask God for help 2. Discipleship: How to Pray in Faith THE KINGDOM OF GOD 1. Being a Part of the Cause of the Kingdom 2. A Cause Driven Purpose: The Kingdom 3. How to be a Kingdom Person ATTITUDES OF WINNERS 1. Openness 2. A Resolute Attitude 3. Seeking God STEWARDSHIP OF LIFE 1. What is Stewardship? 2. Work and Service 3. The Power of Money - Say No to Debt 4. Giving to God 5. Promise Sunday

SHAPED FOR SIGNIFICANCE 1.Gifts and Abilities 2.Living the Dream 3.Personality and Experiences LEADINGS 1.Leadings 2.Leadings 2 MALE/FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS IN CHURCH

1.Male/Female Relationships in Church 2.What is True Love 3.Relationship Centre 4.Attraction 5.The Call to Relationship 6.Sexuality Part 1 7.Sexuality Part 2 GRACE 1.Grace Part 1 2.Grace Part 2 THE CROSS OF DESTINY 1.The Cross of Destiny Part 1 2.The Cross of Destiny Part 2 THE DISCIPLINES OF BEING CHRISTIAN 1. The Zeal of a Christian 2. The Thoughts of a Christian 3. The Service of a Christian MEET WITH GOD - LOVING PEOPLE 1. Who to Love 2. A Christians Love toward Another Christian 3. There is no Greater Love 4. Love Has Shape 5. How to Remain in God 6. Love is a Choice EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES 1. Growing in Passion and Maturity 2. Walking in Faith 3. Looking After What God Has Given You 4. Money and the Power of Money 5. Debt - NO Savings - YES THE DISCIPLINES OF A CHRISTIAN 1. The Thoughts of a Christian 2. The Service of a Christian 3. The Zeal of a Christian PASSION FOR THE HOUSE 1. Passion For the House 2. How Special the People & Place 3. A Place For Everyone 4. Come Behind the Leader 5. The House is New 6. How to Be In the House 7. Talk It Up 8. Seizing the Opportunity 9. No Presence No Passion 10. Trusting in His Presence 11. Our Identity In Jesus 12. The Language of His Presence 13. The People,The Place & The Presence

“We never become who we hope to become we only become what we do” Bruce Downes BUILDING OUR FUTURE 1. Being An Owner in the House 2. Faith 3. Earning Money 4. Finding our Standard of Living 5. Say NO to Debt 6. Giving MAKING FAMILY WORK 1. The Foundation of a Strong Family 2. Family Over the Long Haul GROWTH CAMPAIGN 1. Growth Campaign Launch 2. Default Character 3. Default Speech 4. Default Image 5. Default Image Correction 6. Default Thought SUPERSIZE ME - MAKE ME BIGGER 1. Supersize Me Make Me Bigger 2. Receiving 3. Our God Is the God of the Impossible BUILDING BETTER RELATIONSHIPS 1. Why Friendship Matters 2. How to be a Friend 3. Restoring Relationships 4. Be Happy With Who You Are MAKING DISCIPLE MAKERS 1. Making Disciple Makers 2. The Role of a Discipler 3. Mary – A Life Wholly Devoted 4. The Habits of Discipleship 5. Do All That Is In Your Heart 6. Making Memories 7. Beyond the math 8. Expectation THE POWER OF OTHERS 1. Discipleship 2. The Word 3. The Power of Ourselves CULTURE AND CUSTOMS 1. Lost People Matter 2. Determining Our Atmosphere 3. Noticing Others 4. The Call of God Dictates Our Culture EUCHARIST 1. The Self Feeding Program 2. Eucharist 3. Eucharist - Do This in Memory of Me FABRIC 1. Faith 2. Attitudes 3. Behavior 4. Relationships 5. Integrity 6. Conversations

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66.

When you are on a good thing Show me the Way God our Protector and Provider New beginningsThe Magnificence of Motherhood When you are on a good thing... Show me the way God’s Standard of Truth. What God knows about you Letting God be God Greatness 3 Attributes of God Resolutions Determination Why do I do what I don't want to do? Character The Church as a community Foundation of Faith What is success? How to go beyond Success to Significance Staying on the Success Track. It is possible. Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen You can live positively Enthusiasm - The way to achieve. Built to last. Are you convicted? Building strength into your life. Wholeness Reasons for Joy Passion You Can Run But You Can't Hide How To Count The Need to Embrace How to Host a Conversion Experience of Conversion Finding Contentment Touched by God's Hand With All Your Heart Finding Godly Balance Walking Daily with God To Grow or Not to Grow Vision : Possible That's what Friends are for What do you want this to be? How to be used by God The Power of Teams Dependence on God Prayer/Foundations' Mission Living a Focussed Life Perseverance - A Kingdom Quality Bearing Fruit for the Kingdom In This Season A Day of Passion A Call to Mission God's View of Me Human Weakness & God's Restorative Power The Heart of a Follower Impactful People Quality Relationships What Kind of Lover are You? T.E.A.M. Service Grows You Another Kind of Service It's Simple - Just Serve Each Other Going Hungry for God The Greatest Place on Earth

67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132.

Hearing God's Voice via the Word Our God Died Change the Big Things Moving to Higher Ground Responding to God's Call Moving to Higher Ground ... Even Still Be Spirit Led What Sacraments Ought To Be. How Much Do You Really Want It? Choose a Side. Living a Life of Power. The Joy of Membership. Spring Clean Jesus Didn't Call Us to Disappoint Us Spiritually Training Children The Call to Discipleship The Parenting Perspective Call to Maturity Christian Maturity Children What Do You Want Me To Do For You? Open Heart Surgery Responding to Those Who Are In Need All I Want For Christmas ... God Loves You! Meaning of Christmas Drink Up Drink Deep Starting Over The Prior Decision Getting Intention A Time of Surrender Understanding Vision Meet with God - Loving People The 8 "R"s of Recovering from Ministry Steps to Growth A Christian Personal Inventory Leaders Who Continually Win Called to be a Spiritual People Be a Christmas Blessing Expanding the Boundaries So What's Easter All About Personal Holiness Going Deeper with Your Relationships Moving to Higher Ground What Do You Want Me To Do For You It’s Time To Spring Clean Your Faith Allowing Yourself To Be Known Jesus Come To Me Jesus Relationship Jesus His Purpose Go Deeper with Your Relationships So What’s Easter All About Personal Holiness Blessings In Christ Prayer Generosity and Service Sex and Relationships From God’s View Turning Holiness into Reward Reaching Out and Prayer A Day Dedicated to God and Rest Excellence Stress Specialise in Your Service and Gift Character Self Control Familiarity With God and Church

Catholics live their faith by what is called a ‘Liturgical Calendar.’ We might also call it a Worship Calendar where the tradition of the Church is to see every person grow in their devotion to God in prayer, in practice and by the way a person’s faith is lived out in their daily lives. The Liturgical Calendar causes us to refocus again and again over the years on the love and grace of God. For the mature Catholic it takes a person to deeper levels of surrender to God in their lives over time. The effect of this is that Catholics can focus on various themes for an extended number of days. For years I have invited people to Walk Through Lent and Holy Week with me whereby each day we send them a short focused video message to help them in their spiritual growth. People from over 110 countries signed up during the last Lent. 21 Days of Seeking God and 30 Days of Praying for Someone You Love are the other yearly series that we have done. CATHOLIC TODAY will present these series on television as well as online and by email. It is expected that countless numbers will be part of these series because CATHOLIC TODAY will be able to promote these prayer campaigns more effectively.

OPEN TO ALL The Archbishop to Bruce Downes “Who are you trying to reach?” was a question that Archbishop Barry Hickey, the Catholic Archbishop of Perth, Western Australia once asked me. By the way he asked me, I thought this must be a trick question. Before I had time to answer he said, “because if you tell me that you are just trying to just reach Catholics, I will withdraw all support from you immediately because that is not the Gospel or the teaching of the Catholic Church.” “The Gospel, Archbishop Hickey said, “must be proclaimed to all people no matter who they are or where they are from.”

The Mission of the Church, given by Jesus Christ to this proclamation has not diminished or been completed in our day. This proclamation must be done without prejudice to all people, no matter their race, age, denomination or faith practice. This is the commission of Christ. The central unity of every Christian denomination, despite the divisions that exist between denominations, is that Jesus Christ is the center of life and faith. The result of this proclamation is that every person would encounter Jesus Christ and therefore declare Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. Since that day I have proclaimed the Gospel without prejudice to all people knowing that many are connected to the Catholic Church and many are connected to other Christian Churches. As a result, many people have returned to participation in the Catholic Church and many other people to Christian Churches. CATHOLIC TODAY will proclaim the Gospel in a Catholic manner to all. People watch our television programs and attend our events from all different backgrounds and we love them all. Every generation is tasked to maximize their best efforts with the commission to proclaim Christ to the ends of the earth.

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The Catholic Church is the hands, feet and face of Christ in a hurting world.

Development Poor Countries

WE HAVE A GREAT STORY TO TELL

Human Trafficking Disaster Relief

Health Care

Catholics have an amazing story to tell that inspires, encourages and motivates people to live at their best. To go beyond their own concerns and make God present in the world through their actions whether they just be at home, in their neighborhood, the nation or around the world.

Migration

Education

Social Justice

MOST PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE CHURCH IS DOING

Feeding & Clothing the Disadvantaged 57

Businesses are looking to build their companies on good family values

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BUILDING A BRAND IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF THE WORLD

CATHOLIC TODAY will be a Television Network with strong positive faith and family values that Companies are looking for through their Ad Purchasing Agencies.

These companies will give preferential treatment for their advertising dollars, as they will not have to contend with associating their company with non-Christian and negative family values.

The push of secularism (godlessness) particularly championed and communicated through the media has meant that many people, companies and organizations who need to advertise their products and services, must do so through media outlets whose values are contrary to that of the Gospel.

These values are in many cases strongly offensive to that of Christian consumers.

CATHOLIC TODAY, through television, radio, online and on demand, is open to all Christians from any denomination.

CATHOLIC TODAY will hold to Christ-centered values and give businesses the opportunity to advertise their products and services through a Network that they can morally and ethically support.

At the same time CATHOLIC TODAY will produce high quality programming that will attract secular and Christian people who are the customers of these businesses and are looking for companies that they can purchase from who also have high values.

INFRA-STRUCTURE IN PLACE

Winters & King Media Attorney.

Guinn Smith & Company Accountants.

Trinity Broadcasting Network are the largest Christian Television Ministry in the world serving people and Churches around the world through the proclamation of the Gospel.

General Banking.

Sky Blue Bank donations via mail.

Infocision are a Call Center that receives telephone calls 24/7. This is a critical part of the process. Infocision are regarded by most people in the industry as the best of its type.

Morgan Stanley accept donations to the Ministry via stock.

Olympusat is a satellite company that distributes the television feed to cable television and OOT platforms and provides advertising agency services.

Resource One advises concerning strategic planning, communications, marketing and financial appeals.

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Aegis Premier Solutions handle incoming and outgoing mail, banking, updates the records in the database and does fulfilment of products and resources.

Aberdeen Creative puts closed captioning on each program after our team has made it and prepare the final file to go the television channels for the program to be aired.

Sight and Sound Media negotiate contracts, television placements and prices for air time on behalf with the Channels.

Longbeard Creative oversee social media, maintenance and updating of information on the website

Spirit Juice Studios are video producers that make content inserts for the program including graphics and motivational pieces.

MicahTek produce DVD and CD resources.

Winters Publishing Group are book publishers and provide writing, editing and production skills.

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PROCLAIMING CHRIST IN NEW WAYS STEEPED IN THE CHURCH The urging of the Popes is to proclaim Christ in the world so that people hear the Gospel Message and are challenged and encouraged to live by it. The key is that they must hear and be led to respond. It is this proclamation that must be done with new energy, new methods and new expressions. The goal of CATHOLIC TODAY is not to be be wall-to-wall Church people, but rather a Channel that has good Christian values that the people who are more familiar with the ways of the world would find interesting and refreshing and would want to watch and listen to. While doing this they connect with Christian programming amidst all of the normal programming.

supreme duty: to proclaim Christ we must find new energy, methods and expressions

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POPE PAUL VI 21. Above all the Gospel must be proclaimed by witness. Take a Christian or a handful of Christians who, in the midst of their own community, show their capacity for understanding and acceptance, their sharing of life and destiny with other people, their solidarity with the efforts of all for whatever is noble and good. Let us suppose that, in addition, they radiate in an altogether simple and unaffected way their faith in values that go beyond current values, and their hope in something that is not seen and that one would not dare to imagine. Through this wordless witness these Christians stir up irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live: Why are they like this? Why do they live in this way? What or who is it that inspires them? Why are they in our midst? Such a witness is already a silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one. Here we have an initial act of evangelization. The above questions will ask, whether they are people to whom Christ has never been proclaimed, or baptized people who do not practice, or people who live as nominal Christians but according to principles that are in no way Christian, or people who are seeking, and not without suffering, something or someone whom they sense but cannot name. Other questions will arise, deeper and more demanding ones, questions evoked by this witness which involves presence, sharing, solidarity, and which is an essential element, and generally the first one, in evangelization.� All Christians are called to this witness, and in this way they can be real evangelizers. We are thinking especially of the responsibility incumbent on immigrants in the country that receives them. 22. Nevertheless this always remains insufficient, because even the finest witness will prove ineffective in the long run if it is not explained, justified - what Peter called always having "your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have"[52] and made explicit by a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the Lord Jesus. The Good News proclaimed by the witness of life sooner or later has to be proclaimed by the word of life. There is no true evangelization if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God are not proclaimed. The history of the Church, from the discourse of Peter on the morning of Pentecost onwards, has been intermingled and identified with the history of this proclamation. At every new phase of human history, the Church, constantly gripped by the desire to evangelize, has but one preoccupation: whom to send to proclaim the mystery of Jesus? In what way is this mystery to be proclaimed? How can one ensure that it will resound and reach all those who should hear it? This proclamation - kerygma, preaching or catechesis - occupies such an important place in evangelization that it has often become synonymous with it; and yet it is only one aspect of evangelization. 23. In fact the proclamation only reaches full development when it is listened to, accepted and assimilated, and when it arouses a genuine adherence in the one who has thus received it. An adherence to the truths which the Lord in His mercy has revealed; still more, an adherence to a program of life - a life henceforth transformed - which He proposes. In a word, adherence to the kingdom, that is to say, to the "new world," to the new state of things, to the new manner of being, of living, of living in community, which the Gospel inaugurates. Such an adherence, which cannot remain abstract and unincarnated, reveals itself concretely by a visible entry into a community of believers. Thus those whose life has been transformed enter a community which is itself a sign of transformation, a sign of newness of life: it is the Church, the visible sacrament of salvation.[53] Our entry into the ecclesial community will in its turn be expressed through many other signs which prolong and unfold the sign of the Church. In the dynamism of evangelization, a person who accepts the Church as the Word which saves normally translates it into the following sacramental acts: adherence to the Church, and acceptance of the sacraments, which manifest and support this adherence through the grace which they confer. 24. Finally, the person who has been evangelized goes on to evangelize others. Here lies the test of truth, the touchstone of evangelization: it is unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it in his turn.

EVANGELII NUNTIANDI Evangelization in the Modern 63

POPE JOHN PAUL I Pope John Paul I probably never used the expression “new evangelization� but he preached it, lived it and gave it flesh and blood every day of his episcopal and Petrine ministry. In an address to the College of Cardinals the morning after his election, John Paul I left no shadow of a doubt about the mission of the Church under his leadership: "We want to recall to the entire church that her first duty is still evangelization."

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POPE JOHN PAUL II Confirming his words by miracles and by his resurrection from the dead, Christ proclaimed himself to be the Son of God dwelling in intimate union with the Father, and was recognized as such by his disciples. The Church offers mankind the Gospel, that prophetic message which responds to the needs and aspirations of the human heart and always remains "Good News." The Church cannot fail to proclaim that Jesus came to reveal the face of God and to merit salvation for all humanity by his cross and resurrection. To the question, "why mission?" we reply with the Church's faith and experience that true liberation consists in opening oneself to the love of Christ. In him, and only in him, are we set free from all alienation and doubt, from slavery to the power of sin and death. Christ is truly "our peace" (Eph 2:14); "the love of Christ impels us" (2 Cor 5:14), giving meaning and joy to our life. Mission is an issue of faith, an accurate indicator of our faith in Christ and his love for us. The temptation today is to reduce Christianity to merely human wisdom, a pseudo-science of well-being. In our heavily secularized world a "gradual secularization of salvation" has taken place, so that people strive for the good of man, but man who is truncated, reduced to his merely horizontal dimension. We know, however, that Jesus came to bring integral salvation, one which embraces the whole person and all mankind, and opens up the wondrous prospect of divine filiation. Why mission? Because to us, as to St. Paul, "this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph 3:8). Newness of life in him is the "Good News" for men and women of every age: all are called to it and destined for it. Indeed, all people are searching for it, albeit at times in a confused way, and have a right to know the value of this gift and to approach it freely. The Church, and every individual Christian within her, may not keep hidden or monopolize this newness and richness which has been received from God's bounty in order to be communicated to all mankind. This is why the Church's mission derives not only from the Lord's mandate but also from the profound demands of God's life within us. Those who are incorporated in the Catholic Church ought to sense their privilege and for that very reason their greater obligation of bearing witness to the faith and to the Christian life as a service to their brothers and sisters and as a fitting response to God. They should be ever mindful that "they owe their distinguished status not to their own merits but to Christ's special grace; and if they fail to respond to this grace in thought, word and deed, not only will they not be saved, they will be judged more severely."

REDEMPTORIS MISSIO On the permanent validity of the Church's missionary mandate

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POPE BENEDICT XVI Initially, communications was a characteristic of the industrialized world only. However, in today's globalized world, this sector also affects a vast number of developing countries. Every place on the globe, bar none, can be reached by communications, and is therefore subject to the influence of the electronic and media culture. These media are fast becoming the "forum" of civic life and social experience, which is sufficiently illustrated in the widespread use of the internet. 60. The responses refer to the generally-held belief that, today, the new digital technologies have given rise to an entirely new social space where the connections created have the potential of influencing society and culture. The media process, resulting from these technologies, is having an impact on people's lives and is changing reality itself by incisively entering into people's experiences and widening human potential. Our perception of self, others and the world are influenced by them. Communication technologies and the space created by them must therefore be viewed positively, without prejudice, as a resource which requires a discerning eye and a wise and responsible employment. 61. The Church is engaged in these areas created by the media and has, from the very beginning, utilized these means as a useful way to proclaim the Gospel. Today, in addition to the more traditional means of communication, especially the printed word and radio, which, according to the responses, have moderately increased in recent years, new media are increasingly becoming a major factor in the Church's ministry of evangelization, making interaction possible at various levels: local, national, continental and global. The potential for using both old and new media is clear, as is the need to take advantage of this newly created social space and introduce the vocabulary and forms of the Christian tradition. An attentive and shared discernment process is needed not only to better assess the possibilities of their use in proclaiming the Gospel, but also to understand properly the risks and dangers involved. 62. Indeed, the spread of the culture created by communications undoubtedly brings many benefits. Among them are: a greater access to information; more opportunities for knowledge and dialogue; new forms of solidarity; and the ability to foster an increasingly global culture which leads to a shared heritage of values and the better development of thought and human activity. This potential, however, does not eliminate the dangers inherent in the excessive diffusion of such a culture. Their effects are already being manifested in a deeply, self-centred attentiveness to individual needs only, and an exaltation of emotion in relationships and social ties, thus leading to a diminution and loss of the objective value of deeply human experiences, such as meditation and silence. It equally is leading to an excess in holding to one's individual thinking and a gradual reduction of ethics and civic life to appearance only. These dangers might eventually result in a so-called culture which is short-lived, immediately gratifying and based on mere appearance or a society incapable of looking to either the past or the future. In such a situation, Christians must areopaghi", learning to evaluate them in instruments and methods to ensure educational patrimony and the wisdom heard today.

be bold in entering these "new light of the Gospel and finding the that, even in these places, the guarded by Christian Tradition is

THE NEW EVANGELIZATION FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

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POPE FRANCIS 169. In a culture paradoxically suffering from anonymity and at the same time obsessed with the details of other people’s lives, shamelessly given over to morbid curiosity, the Church must look more closely and sympathetically at others whenever necessary. In our world, ordained ministers and other pastoral workers can make present the fragrance of Christ’s closeness and his personal gaze. The Church will have to initiate everyone – priests, religious and laity – into this “art of accompaniment” which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Ex 3:5). The pace of this accompaniment must be steady and reassuring, reflecting our closeness and our compassionate gaze which also heals, liberates and encourages growth in the Christian life. 170. Although it sounds obvious, spiritual accompaniment must lead others ever closer to God, in whom we attain true freedom. Some people think they are free if they can avoid God; they fail to see that they remain existentially orphaned, helpless, homeless. They cease being pilgrims and become drifters, flitting around themselves and never getting anywhere. To accompany them would be counterproductive if it became a sort of therapy supporting their self-absorption and ceased to be a pilgrimage with Christ to the Father. 171. Today more than ever we need men and women who, on the basis of their experience of accompanying others, are familiar with processes which call for prudence, understanding, patience and docility to the Spirit, so that they can protect the sheep from wolves who would scatter the flock. We need to practice the art of listening, which is more than simply hearing. Listening, in communication, is an openness of heart which makes possible that closeness without which genuine spiritual encounter cannot occur. Listening helps us to find the right gesture and word which shows that we are more than simply bystanders. Only through such respectful and compassionate listening can we enter on the paths of true growth and awaken a yearning for the Christian ideal: the desire to respond fully to God’s love and to bring to fruition what he has sown in our lives. But this always demands the patience of one who knows full well what Saint Thomas Aquinas tells us: that anyone can have grace and charity, and yet falter in the exercise of the virtues because of persistent “contrary inclinations”. In other words, the organic unity of the virtues always and necessarily exists in habitu, even though forms of conditioning can hinder the operations of those virtuous habits. Hence the need for “a pedagogy which will introduce people step by step to the full appropriation of the mystery”. Reaching a level of maturity where individuals can make truly free and responsible decisions calls for much time and patience. As Blessed Peter Faber used to say: “Time is God’s messenger”. 172. One who accompanies others has to realize that each person’s situation before God and their life in grace are mysteries which no one can fully know from without. The Gospel tells us to correct others and to help them to grow on the basis of a recognition of the objective evil of their actions (cf. Mt 18:15), but without making judgments about their responsibility and culpability (cf. Mt 7:1; Lk 6:37). Someone good at such accompaniment does not give in to frustrations or fears. He or she invites others to let themselves be healed, to take up their mat, embrace the cross, leave all behind and go forth ever anew to proclaim the Gospel. Our personal experience of being accompanied and assisted, and of openness to those who accompany us, will teach us to be patient and compassionate with others, and to find the right way to gain their trust, their openness and their readiness to grow. 173. Genuine spiritual accompaniment always begins and flourishes in the context of service to the mission of evangelization. Paul’s relationship with Timothy and Titus provides an example of this accompaniment and formation which takes place in the midst of apostolic activity. Entrusting them with the mission of remaining in each city to “put in order what remains to be done” (Tit 1:5; cf. 1 Tim 1:3-5), Paul also gives them rules for their personal lives and their pastoral activity. This is clearly distinct from every kind of intrusive accompaniment or isolated self-realization. Missionary disciples accompany missionary disciples.

EVANGELII GAUDIUM THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL IN TODAY’S WORLD 67

Sexual

Abuse

I was shown photos

shame guilt pain

A little while ago I woke to the news that Ireland had voted by a two-thirds majority in a referendum to legalize abortion up to twelve weeks with it being permissible in some circumstances beyond this time. I am not writing about this issue here, but am commenting on the fact that the Catholic Church in Ireland had been ignored and was mostly silent on what is a highly moral and religious issue. In 1946, Pope Paul VI said that Ireland was the most Catholic country in the world. As a child growing up, the parish priests in our parish, the nuns who taught me at school and the Bishop who was instrumental in first employing me to work in the Church, were all Irish. The 10-year government enquiry known as the Ryan Commission into Sexual Abuse in Ireland by priests and religious had turned the country away from the Church due to its devastating findings.

We have lost our moral and ethical voice

Recently, every Chilean Bishop offered their resignation to Pope Francis for the child sex abuse scandal in Chile in recent decades. Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and Priests are standing trial in various countries for the sexual abuse of minors. At the same time, inquiries from the Vatican itself to within Diocese around the world, are investigating the sexual exploitation of young men and women. No national inquiry has been held in the United States of America but if it was…!!! In Australia, 4,444 cases of abuse were cited within the Catholic Church at the recent 5-year long government inquiry, known as a Royal Commission into Response of Institutions into Sexual Abuse. 7% of Catholic priests in Australia were accused of abusing children since 1950. In two Religious Orders of Brothers, 22% of all brothers were accused of being perpetrators of abuse. Of the 2,400 Catholic perpetrators, 32% were religious brothers, 30% were priests, 29% were lay people and 5% were religious sisters. The average age of victims is 10.5 for girls and 11.6 for boys.

At the release of these findings, the Church’s Truth, Justice and Healing Council set up by the Australian Catholic Bishops to coordinate the Church’s response to the crisis, made an opening statement. Chief Executive of the Church’s Truth, Justice and Healing council, Francis Sullivan, struggled with emotion as he spoke, saying the data without doubt, “undermines the image and credibility of the priesthood”. “These numbers are shocking; they are tragic, they are indefensible,” Sullivan said. “And each entry in this data, for the most part, represents a child who suffered at the hands of someone who should have cared for and protected them.” “The data is an indictment on the priests and religious who abused these children.“ “It also reflects on the church leaders who at times failed to take steps to deal with the abusers, failed to call them to order and failed to deal with them in accordance with the law.” Sullivan described the abuse as a “massive failure” of the Church and as a corruption of the Gospel. “As Catholics, we hang our heads in shame,”

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I could go on. The purpose of all I have written is to say there is a perception of the Catholic Church that is deeply negative and a hindrance to people of all ages engaging in the Church and not just the young. Besides those who are not Catholic, our own people struggle with this issue. These are very painful issues to talk about; starting with victims so deeply wounded, but also for all of us who call ourselves Catholic. Many Catholics have admitted that they have been less than enthusiastic about admitting to friends and colleagues about being Catholic in recent times. The Church and its leadership have lost its position of moral leadership in our society. For most people, it is not a voice to be listened to but instead laughed at because we did not do what we said we would do. We said that we would speak the truth and live that truth and protect the vulnerable but instead we abused the power we ‘once’ had. Almost all of us have family members who have and are rejecting the Church because of this scandal. I am currently writing this as I fly from Sydney to Los Angeles. When I arrived at my seat a little while ago, the lady beside me was quite chatty wanting to know where I was going and why and where they were going etc. When I told her I worked in the Catholic Church her immediate snap back was about the sexual abuse issue in the Church. We, the lay people of the Church, feel embarrassed and if we are honest, feel ill-equipped to know what to say that truly makes sense of it all. I have had up-close experience with people who have been abused and if you have not, believe me, it destroys and decimates lives. This abuse has come to my wider family’s door as well via clergy so I know it both as professional Church person but also personally within my family. At the same time, there is another issue no one really wants to talk about, for fear we diminish the effect of this scourge on the victims. It is the care of our many Bishops and priests who have devoted their lives to the service of Christ and His people the Church, who had nothing to do with this devastating scandal within the Church, and yet are implicated and blamed. We as a Church and as a society are the lesser because of the selfless service our Bishops and priests have traditionally done in society but now find so much harder to carry out. It breaks my heart that my children and grandchildren have not had the same access that I had to the holy men of our priesthood and those women and men in Religious Orders that I did. 70

That we would speak the truth and live that truth and protect the vulnerable but rather we abused the power we ‘once’ had. I have no idea where I would be if it were not for the amazing bishops and priests who have been a part of my life. This is our reality, however. The voice of the Church is sidelined or simply ignored altogether. You can just watch the television to see we are left out of the news as a moral voice or are the butt of a joke in a program. It is hard to argue with people who are so negative towards the Church because of their anger at the Church. On top of this is a shift to secularism across the western world. Secularism means godlessness or leaving God out of our lives and just relying on ourselves as individuals. The combination of both the abuse issue in the Church and secularism is a potent mix. Nonetheless our responsibility as Catholics and Christians is to continue to proclaim Christ. The great commission still exists and is needed more than ever.

Core Value CATHOLIC TODAY We value people who feel disconnected from God and the Church.

SO, WHAT DO WE DO….. We are going to have to become more evangelistic, that is proclaimers of Christ in seven ways; 1. We must personally encounter Christ anew, so that empowered by the Holy Spirit we live lives of power, impact, freedom and purpose, where each of us knows the love of the Father in a personal manner. It all starts again with the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives. 2. We must be in love with Christ and not rule keepers so that the lost would be amazed by our lives because the presence of God in our lives is real. 3. We must pray again in power that the sick would be healed before our eyes. Reason will not win back the lost now, but our lives empowered by God’s will. 4. We must be humble and consistently acknowledge the sin that has led to such hurt and devastation in people’s lives and that we are deeply sorrowful in word and action as members of the Church. 5. We must be patient, kind and understanding with the offended person allowing them to walk their road of healing and should they be bitter and nasty to humbly endure and understand the scorn directed at us. 6. We must return to our roots where we become silent servants of the people of our world not looking for gain or acknowledgment but instead simply laying down our life for others because it is Christ-like. 7. We must be bold and resist the urge to retreat by being outwardly Catholic in the marketplace of life.

We must proclaim Christ anew in a language and power that convicts people to their core of who Christ is. This is not an academic debate, even though that has its place, but rather Holy Spirit words that will penetrate to the heart of an individual beyond reason. These words we speak must be accompanied by the signs and wonders we read of in the Scriptures, where thousands yield their lives to Christ because the ‘Word of God’ launched into their heart and set them alight. What will change the world to listen to us again is for we the Christians to be ‘Truly Christian.”

CATHOLIC TODAY is where this can occur. 71

GROUP & PERSONAL DISCIPLESHIP CATHOLIC TODAY makes the main Message that can be seen on television or online available to you every week so that you can use it in a Church, Ministry Group, Small Group or for Personal Study and Prayer. It is easy to use with clear instructions that helps people reach others for Christ or grow in their own personal relationship. It can be used in a Church, hall or home.

DOWNLOAD DOWNLOADING

MULTISITE VIDEOS VIDEOSSERVICE & HANDOUTS Accessing the Downloads Page

1.

Visit the following website on the computer you wish to download the video to. This will be in the email you received.

Steps Access Downloads Page Steps 1-2

Access Service Program Steps 3-6

Access Message Handout Step 7

2.

Once the web page loads, it may ask for a password.

Download Message Video Steps 8-12

thecatholicguy.tv/multisite-message-downloads Password: reach-jesus-church

PASSWORD

Accessing the Service Program 3.

Download Service Videos Steps 13-15

Download Music Videos/ Lyric Slides

Grow Deeper in Your Relationship with Jesus Christ.

Steps 16-19

You will now see four sections to the page, each in its own table box. The first box will look like this:

Every week the main weekly Message is available to be used in a Church Service or group. It comes with videos, music and handouts.

4.

Navigate to the program and handout documents for your site’s service and pre view the program by clicking on ‘Download as PDF’. From there you can download and/or print the PDF files.

5.

This program will guide you in knowing which service videos to include in your ProPresenter play list and in what order.

6.

Please have someone print copies of this program for the service leader and tech team, as well as the handouts for your congregation.

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These can used for personal study and in your prayer or with a small group.

spiritual growth is a decision

Accessing the Message Handouts 7.

Directly underneath the service program will be a link to the fill-in message handouts box. It will look like this:

Downloading the Message Video 8.

Scroll down to the table box entitled Service media. There are three parts to this section: The Message Video, Church News and any other service videos (Message Intro Video in the example depicted below).

The Message Video download offers several different video quality options - these are the blue boxes on the right hand side. 9.

Select the first option:

10.

Right click the correct down load button and select Save As‌ or Save Link As‌

11.

This will bring up a window asking you where you would like to save the video. Select the desired location and press ENTER on Windows or RETURN on Mac.

12.

Wait for the video to download. Depending on your internet speed this could take some time. Once downloaded, the video is ready to be inserted into ProPresenter and used at your service.

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spiritual growth is a decision

Downloading Service Media Videos 13.

In the Church News section, there will be a video that will allow you to preview Church News without having to download it. You can do this by pressing play underneath the video.

14.

When you want to download it, you should find a Download button above the Church News video. Right click the download button and select Save As… or Save Link As…

15.

The rest of the videos on the page use the same method for downloading. To download these videos, simply right click the download button on the corresponding video and select Save As… or Save Link As…

In the third table box you will find resources for your slides you can show before the service. We call this the 10 Before. 16.

Check this section as occasionally the seriesspecific splash screens and other handy videos will be updated with new material.

For technical support, contact Scott Gee (0411 322 522) or Julian Sieber (0403 908 910)

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DISCIPLESHIP IT DOES NOT FINISH AT THE START The last command Jesus gave to His followers was to “Go into all the world and make disciples.� So often people stop reaching a person when that person has surrendered their life to Christ. They falsely think all has been done because the person they have reached out to and shared their faith with has responded. Whether they personally shared the reason for their faith or attended a faith course with the person at the Church it is just a start but more is needed. There are many people who would argue that the first step of conversion is encountering and surrendering our lives to Christ but the second and critical step is to help that person live as a Christ follower. In other words to be discipled. Conversion is more than just believing but rather is about becoming like the one we follow - Jesus Christ.

It means to be converted to such an extent that their speech, actions and thoughts are like those of Christ. Discipleship is achieved through; Prayer Reading Scripture Praying through Scripture Sharing our lives in Community with others All of this leads to us surrendering our life over and over again as we grow in our relationship with God. This continued growth causes a deeper richness and maturity in our walk with Christ. Teaching material is critical to guide and lead us in this process of change and greater maturity in our faith life.

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THE BIBLE PROJECT “Your prayer is the word you speak to God. When you read the Bible, God speaks to you; when you pray, you speak to God�. Saint Augustine A general mobilization is required so that the sacred text (the Bible) be distributed as widely as possible. Synod 2008 - The Word of God

The Bible Project is using the media to encourage every person to own their own Bible by referring to the Bible in our programs and asking people to study and read with us.

The Bible Project is very simple. Use the media to promote the Bible to everyone. Encourage every person to own their own Bible. Make Bibles easily available. Show people how relevant the Bible is for their lives. Teach people how to read it, reflect upon it in prayer and apply it to their lives.

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APPLICATION REFLECTION METHOD OF READING THE BIBLE Through CATHOLIC TODAY I want to teach you a way to read the Bible. You will be able to follow along by having your own Bible that we will use on our programs. The Catholic Church is encouraging every person to own their own Bible and read it not just as a book of information but rather a letter from God where we meet Him, hear his voice and live life to the full because of the Bible. It is the only book in the world that truly has the power to transform your life. •

•

•

Have you ever been to Church and listened to the Scripture (Bible) readings and at the end of it said to yourself, “I have no idea what that was about?” I have. Have you ever thought about reading the Bible, but you don’t know where to start or you started at the beginning only to find yourself getting stuck not very far in with details that just bore you to sleep? I have. Have you ever read parts of the bible and said to yourself this just does not apply to my life and my circumstances? I have.

If these are thoughts you have had, I want to tell you that you are not alone. Many people feel exactly the same. While many of us know some of the big stories in the Bible, it is a hard book to tie all the stories together at first. However, as daunting as it may be, if you will wade in slowly and stick with it for a short time, it will be the most rewarding book you will ever read.

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God inspired the Bible to be written in such a manner that every person can read it. The Bible is God’s word to us. It is God talking to us. As strange as it may sound, it is alive because it can speak to every human being in the middle of their ‘very’ circumstances about their circumstances. No other book ever written has ever been able to do that. The Bible speaks. It speaks to every person who will listen. It speaks to their circumstances and to their lives if they are prepared to listen not just with their mind, but with the ears of their heart. The heart is the very center of who you are. The Bible reveals to us who we are and who God is. You do not have to be an academic or have been to a seminary to be able to read the Bible. It is for you just the way you are, but I must warn you that if you read it seeking to encounter God, it will change you. The Application Reflection Method (ARM) that I am going to describe here is how I read the Scripture (Bible). It is not the only way. The major focus of ARM – Application Reflection Method is applying the Word of God (Bible), into our lives. The ARM approach to reading Scripture is not necessarily an academic method of reading, even though you can approach it that way, but mostly it is what we might call ‘devotional’ reading.

Devotional reading is done in such a way that we encounter God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in our DAILY lives. It is part of our prayer life. We might say the ARM approach is the prayerful consideration of the Scriptures. It is constantly asking questions such as what does this mean to me, how does this help me and what does the Bible and God say about how I should live? Saint Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NRSV): All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. Righteousness means to be in right standing before God and it is this that the Scriptures teach us. In the Bible, a phrase is used is to, “strengthen your arm.” This means to make you stronger and more able. The Scriptures do that for our lives as they strengthen our ability to live well and achieve and be all we can. A WORD OF CAUTION - Devotional reading is very different to the academic reading of Scripture because we are asking ourselves what we think this might mean as we apply it to our lives from where we are today. It is possible to hear what we want or to be just simply wrong and discern incorrectly what we think it means. It is possible that I could hear in the Scriptures what I want and not what they might actually be saying. A verse taken out of context does not a truth make. A verse taken from any place can justify murder, adultery, slander, lying, theft, brutality and the list goes but all of these can be misinterpretations of the intended meaning. A wrongful act with a good intention based on a wrong conclusion can damage your life and those of people around you. So, if it is possible to make such huge mistakes, should we read the bible? This was the position of the Church for a long time. Today we are encouraged to read the Scriptures and with wisdom apply them to our lives. While the Scriptures are meant to speak to us personally we need to read them in light of the people of God. The Church, the people of God, the Christian community reflect upon the Scriptures in light of our understanding and experience as the people of God. I have learnt to take the advice and leading of the Scriptures themselves and when I come to a conclusion that will lead to an action about something, I always run that conclusion and what I am about to do past someone who I admire and someone who knows me. Therefore, I would advise you to do the same as you use the ARM approach to Scripture. Apply your conclusions with wisdom and counsel to your life.

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ARM - APPLICATION REFLECTION METHOD APPLICATION REFLECTION METHOD

Question 2:

When I first studied Scripture at university I was told that the objectives of Bible study could be wrapped up in three words.

Based on your answers to Question One: What do is see, what conclusions can you draw as to what it means in your opinion?

Observation, Interpretation and Application.

It is here that I refer to a Bible commentary which is written by an academic and can give you further insight into what the passage is saying. You might also use a Bible dictionary which contains encyclopaedic entries related to the Bible, concerning people, places, customs, doctrine, etc.

• What do you notice about what we are reading? – Observation • What does it mean? – Interpretation • How do I apply it to my life? - Application This is the basis of the ARM – Application Reflection Method approach to reading the Scriptures. It is based around five questions we ask when reading the Bible. Whether it be in my own devotional prayer life or when I am preparing to speak on a passage I ask myself these five questions. 1.What do I see? 2.What do I think it means? 3.What do I think God is saying to me through it? 4.What am I going to do about it? 5.What am I going to pray about it? I suggest you write these out in a journal or notebook so that you can refer back and build on what God is speaking to you about through your study of the bible. Question 1:

What do I see?

When reading a passage from the Bible ask yourself what do I see? (Observation). Make a list from the smallest to most complex observations about the passage. Do not try and come to any conclusions or even ask what it means just yet. The more observations the better in terms of understanding what the passage means and then making an application into your life. I go line by line. My observations might be as simple as the following; Jesus was walking, there was a crowd, Jesus is talking to his apostles, Jesus remained somewhere, ‘that’ word is used three times, what was before this passage and what is after it. It is through the “What Do I See Stage’ that we play detective we ask these standard questions of Bible study. Who are the characters in the story? What are they doing? What is happening? Why are they doing that? Why is that happening? When did it happen? Where is it happening? How is it happening?

What do I think it means?

If you don’t have access to a commentary you can draw some conclusions on your own about the passage. What stands out to you? Question 3: What do I think God is saying to me through it? It is here that we pause and ask God to speak to our conscience; that inner voice where the Holy Spirit convicts and guides us. This naturally leads us to the next two stages. Question 4:

What am I going to do about it?

Many people hear and experience God prompting them to do something whether it be to surrender their life to God more fully, which is an internal change, and/or do something physical, which has an external expression because they have reflected on a Scripture passage. This does NOT mean however that people have to do anything? What will you do because of what you have observed and felt God said to you. This is a practical question seeking to know what you will do. Question 5: it?

What am I going to pray about

This often is a step we miss. God gives us the grace to see, to understand and to do. In prayer we can be completely honest in expressing our desire for God’s perfect will in our life and also our concerns and fears asking God to help us, guide us and be with us. This is the time to surrender our lives and give our lives more deeply to God. The Bible is not a dead nor mute book that is from a past era but has no relevance for our lives today. Through the Scriptures God speaks to our lives now if we will listen. I am excited because as you fall in love with Scriptures, God will draw you more deeply to Him. We are going to use this approach on CATHOLIC TODAY to help all us hear the voice of God. 79

WE NEED TO HELP AND TEACH PEOPLE TO PRAY When we boil it down, prayer at its basic essence is talking to God, listening to God and being in each other’s presence. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux said of prayer: For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. Prayer is not about a relationship where we do the asking and God does the giving, but rather is an interplay between us as human beings and God who created us, who also wants to relate to us, guide us, love us and ultimately lead us to Him. It is about a personal, individual, intimate relationship that has a uniqueness to it because each of us is uniquely made by God. This relationship is also not just about knowing things about God and being able to describe what God has done, but rather is about knowing God personally as our friend, Saviour and Lord. Many of us can describe the things we believe God has done, but that is different to being able to describe God as someone we know for ourselves. This relationship is not just about you and God alone, but rather is part of a family called the Church, the people of God, who have a history and a story, who are our spiritual family, even if we don’t feel we know them at times. Prayer is not about the future alone but is also about now, and the ‘yesterday’ you carry within you now and into the future. It is about here, right now where you at this very moment. There is nothing that we can say to God that He does not know. He sees everything. He has always been a part of your life whether you acknowledge Him or been aware of Him. God exists regardless of whether you believe or not. Knowing how to pray is not unique to you or me. One day a disciple, a follower of Jesus, came and asked him in Luke 11:1: He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

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The Scripture and tradition of the Church teach us that prayer needs to be learnt. It is not that we cannot just talk outright to God, of course we can, but deepening a relation- ship takes effort, wisdom and experience for it to become fully effective in us. The easiest kind of prayer is what I call the “list prayer,” or the “give me prayer.” This is where we come to God with our list and tell God all we want to happen for us, those we love and circumstances in our world. There is nothing wrong with this kind of asking prayer because it acknowledges the greatness of God and that He alone can provide these things. When we see what we are doing in putting our needs before God we, realise it is one of the highest forms of worship as it recognizes God’s amazing nature to be above all and affect all things. Just asking God for ‘stuff ’ and to do ‘stuff’ is not a balanced relationship.

Prayer comes from that center point within us that is our truest self.

We can think that prayer comes from our mind or that it is a decision of the will. While that is true, prayer comes from a much deeper place, and that place is our heart. The Scripture talks of the heart over 1,000 times when it comes to prayer. Prayer is from the whole of us or we might say the center of us, or we might say from that place where we are, our truest self – the heart. The core of us which is that place that people often do not see, we might also describe as our heart. Our head and hands can mean well, but they can be frail. For example, I love my wife Rosemary more than anyone, but I can be terrible to her at times. My heart means well, but my thoughts and actions, my head and my hands, can do something else than what is in my heart. Prayer comes from that center point within us that is our truest self. It is the reason your prayers, which come from the center of you are so meaningful. They are sincere. For us to grow in our relationship with God, prayer from our heart needs to become a deliberate habit. It cannot be accidental or even from time to time. An authentic decision to pray is very much one of the heart. Through the gospels, Jesus taught us that a conversion needs to take place in our heart before and as we pray so that we can be all that God is calling us to be and to experience Him ourselves. This conversion of heart that Jesus seeks concerns: • • • • • •

Being reconciled to our brother and sister before we prayed Loving our enemies Praying for people who persecute us Praying in secret where no one else knows Asking sincere forgiveness of God for our failings Having a pure heart that is desiring God’s will

Most of all, however, this conversion of heart has to do with seeking the Kingdom of God in our everyday lives above all else.

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Prayer is what will be the driving force behind the CATHOLIC TODAY Inspirational Lifestyle Media and Television Network. The Engine Room Prayer T.E.A.M. is not a new idea or even new name, but it is the secret behind the great renewals through history in the Church. The ‘Engine Room’ of it all is prayer. People from all over the world have committed to pray for this ministry. Our world is so desperate for renewal and what will bring it about is a crying out to God that we have witnessed time and again through the Sacred Scriptures and through the history of the Church since Christ; “Lord Come to Us.”

THE WORK OF PRAYER The reason I call it ‘the work of prayer’ is because it has an aspect to it of being a task, a commitment, a job that we all commit to undertaking on behalf of others. In effect, it is an invitation extended from me and now accepted by people, to be like Christ and to pour their lives out, expressed through their time and heart, in praying for people they have not met so that they would encounter Christ more deeply or even for the first time. IN THE ENGINE ROOM Being ‘in the Engine Room’ simply refers to the FACT that prayer releases the power and presence of God upon the people who will watch or listen to our media because it shows our need and dependence upon God for His blessing. Those in the Engine Room are the ‘powerhouse’ beneath this ministry.

FROM ALL OVER In our ministry, T.E.A.M. means: Together Everyone At Mission. The Bible teaches us that we are part of a body where all of us are given spiritual gifts by God to contribute with. Some will operate cameras, others will sing, others have and will bring their administrative gifts to bear on the event, others will welcome and bring the gift of hospitality, others will contribute their finances or resources, others will comfort, some will speak but what those in the Engine Room WILL DO IN THE BODY IS PRAY. Should you want to be on Engine Room Prayer T.E.A.M. and receive the Engine Room Updates please email;

TheEngineRoom@CatholicToday.tv

When people are desperate and have nowhere else to turn they sometimes look to God as their last hope. For many when this happens, they are not sure what to say, what to do, or where to turn in the Bible or the teaching of the Church for help. It is in these moments when we must be there to help them and be CATHOLIC TODAY with words of love, power and wisdom.

CATHOLIC TODAY is a work of the New Evangelization.

Those who are committed to CATHOLIC TODAY say the prayer below when they wake in the morning, before every meal as they give thanks and finally when they go to bed at night.

“No single prayer has converted my mind, heart and actions as this prayer has for those I love and those whom I desire to come to Christ. I say it many times a day and I have for a long time. It is a dangerous prayer that will change your life, if you say it thousands of times. It has changed me completely. I love Jesus more today because of this prayer. It has caused my heart to break for those far from Christ; that they would encounter Him and come to fullness of life.� Bruce Downes

Lord Jesus give me and every member of our Church Community a hunger today to see all people encounter you as their personal Lord and Savior. Amen.

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WILL YOU JOIN US AND BE CATHOLIC TODAY

Will you join me, will you join us in your way, in the place where you are, doing what you can whether that be praying for those who do not know God, have fallen away or are lost in their faith? Will you pray for those actually engaged in the day to day work of proclamation? Will you give of your wisdom and experience? Will you open doors through your connections and the use of your resources? Will those of you who feel called, give your life for someone else to know Christ by the job you do and the way you spend your time? There are people whom you love and those whom you do not know who will only come to faith if you will play your unique part by how you live your life. The time is now! Join me and be CATHOLIC TODAY.

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“You can't win over a non-believer by yourself that part of the effort must include God since He can conquer even the most stubborn heart. And that's why the most important thing you can do for your friend is to pray for him, asking God to convict him of his sin and his pride and convince him of his need for Christ. Pray also that your life will be a witness to him—a witness to Christ's peace and joy. People may argue with what we say — but they can't argue with the reality of a life that's been transformed by Christ."

If you happen to be with an atheist who tells you that he does not believe in God, you can read him the whole library, where it says that God exists, and where it is proven that God exists, and he will not believe”. However, “if in the presence of this same atheist you witness to a consistent, Christian life, something will begin to work in his heart”. And “it will be your witness that brings him the restlessness on which the Holy Spirit works”. Pope Francis

Billy Graham

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