At St. Francis of Assisi, we offer many programs and ministries to fulfill our parish’s mission. We encounter those in need; we encounter each other; we encounter the power of Jesus and God in the world. That said, we feel strongly about our mission, and we know God loves us, but do we experience God in our hearts at all times? We have a great opportunity, as Father Chris mentioned in a recent Instagram post, to attend a mission here at the parish with Elevated Parish Missions, a Catholic apostolate known for its impactful parish experiences.
“At an Elevated Parish Mission,” says Brian Hough, cofounder and COO at Elevated Parish Missions, “people are brought into an environment that gently promotes a profound, deep encounter with the Lord, an encounter as they have never experienced before. It’s a life-changing experience, and they leave the mission transformed. This subsequently transforms the parish too.” Brian has seen the boundless impact of these missions.
Brian’s experience made him realize that knowingly or unknowingly, we put up walls around our hearts. This could be due to unforgiveness, pride, complacency, thoughts of unworthiness, or many other reasons. Inevitably, though, it all impedes the Love of God working in our hearts. That’s why their mission focuses not on the ‘head,’ like many other offerings. At Elevated Parish Missions, they believe it all starts in the ‘heart.’ “Many people in the pews, even weekly churchgoers, and even those who are ‘active’ in their faith community, many times have never truly encountered the Love of God the Father,” says Brian, based on what he has seen at these missions.
The speakers are dynamic, and the experience promises to be unlike anything you’ve attended before. The Mission takes place over three evenings, October 25th through the 27th, and although people lead very busy lives, he emphasizes that it is time well spent. “After a mission, a lady came up to me and said that she did not intend to come and that it was only the result of feeling guilty from her pastor’s final invitation that she came. She then said, ‘If I didn’t come, I would have regretted it forever!” Yes, she spent three nights at the mission, but the impact on her life is forever. You don’t want to miss this opportunity!” He emphasizes that even if you can’t make all three evenings, any time you spend is well worth the effort. “They can come to Sunday and Monday if they have something Tuesday night; or if they have something Monday night, they can come Sunday and Tuesday, and they’ll still get a lot out of it! I promise, you won’t regret it. You’ll be so glad you came! ”
He remembers a group who said they could only come the first night: “They were so overtaken by the experience of night one, they ended up coming all three nights. What we always say is to consider the time we’re willing to spend to go to a movie or some other outside event. As faithful Catholics and disciples, we need to make sure we’re spiritually investing in ourselves and in our faith community. That may sound kind of selfish, but even the good Lord himself went up the mountain to pray. He took time to be with his Father. He found it necessary to get away, to be able to be spiritually renewed.” That is what you’ll spend shared time doing over these three nights
They will provide an environment that promotes a deep encounter with the Lord in our hearts, and the heart is their emphasis. Brian punctuates why this is important: “This is the ‘new wine’ experience that Jesus mentions in the Gospels. But, per Jesus, this ‘new wine’ needs to be stored in ‘new wineskins’ to last. The ‘new wineskin’ is two parts, to include the fertile soil of each parishioner’s heart, along with the fertile soil of the parish at large.” That is why this experience for the parish is not limited to these three nights.
“After the mission,” he explains, “we provide both the attendees and the parish leadership with opportunities to continue to fan the ‘spiritual flame’ that was ignited at the mission and to continue to till the soil of one’s heart. In other words, we bring a ‘mission’ to put a parish ‘on mission’.” The process includes intentionally launching a unique small group initiative, where groups of four people will continue to accompany each other after the mission. “We are not a lone-ranger religion,” explains Brian, ”We were meant for communion. The resources provided for this small group initiative help one learn about the faith, grow in discipleship, receive support, accountability, and encouragement to be empowered to go forth and help others encounter the Lord. When Elevated leaves, the activity of the parish is just beginning.”
We are confident you will want to be able to say to people, “Yes, I was there.” Yes to feeling renewed; yes to being given a fresh perspective; and yes to reinforcing your faith journey. “Everything we do at the mission has a reason and a purpose,” says Brian. “They will leave being able to say, ‘I can’t even put this experience into words.’ A lot of comments around typical events are, ‘Oh, the speaker was great,’ or ‘the event was nice.’ We are here to make the experience personal and understand the audience honestly; to interact with each other, meet them where they’re at, and make sure how we address and engage them fits this particular parish.”
“Those who come to the mission can expect a warm, welcoming environment of ‘radical hospitality,’ where they can feel known, seen, and loved,” Brian assures. “An environment where the Lord will meet them right where they are, in a way that is unique to them, regardless of age or background. At the end of the mission, people can expect their faith life to have been ‘ignited,’ their walk with the Lord to have become much deeper and more personal, and their outlook on life to have joy and purpose. ”
Does this sound intriguing to you? Do you want to have this unique experience with your parish family? Join us on October 25th-27th to experience Elevated Parish Missions at St. Francis. Learn more and register HERE.
