Adult Faith Formation
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Where are you on your Journey of Faith?
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As a Catholic community, St. Bartholomew is committed to providing lifelong faith formation opportunities for its parishioners. We fully embrace the challenge of Vatican II to provide formation and good liturgy for our community so that we can all become “full, conscious and active participants” in carrying out the mission and ministry of Jesus.
Based on the USCCB's Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation, Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, adult faith formation in our parish community appropriates the three major goals that guide and direct efforts in adult faith formation:
1. To Invite and Enable Ongoing Conversion to Jesus in Holiness of Life.
2. To Promote and Support Active Membership in the Christian Community.
3. To Call and Prepare Adults to Act as Disciples in Mission to the World.To accomplish these goals we offer many and various spiritual and educational opportunities. We do this in a manner that is accessible to adults, always relating our common baptismal call to our life experience in both Church and world. Christian faith formation provides adults with methods of exploring and reflecting on our faith, enabling them to forge their own path to God while helping them form their consciences according to the teachings and example of Jesus. Adult Faith Formation integrates actual life experience, diverse adult learning needs, the study of Scripture, and the teaching of the Church’s tradition, thus creating an environment that promotes intellectual, moral, and spiritual faith development.
All adult faith development aims at forming Christians to be followers of Christ immersed in the world to carry on the mission and ministry of Jesus. Whether you have been a faithful Catholic or have recently joined or returned to your faith, whether you attended Catholic schools or religious education/CCD classes as a child, there is still so much to learn about Catholicism. At St. Bartholomew, we invite you to take an active part in our faith formation opportunities and programs. Come and see. Come and be fed. Come, learn and reflect with us on how we can be more effective disciples of Christ in both church and world.
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Adult Sacramental Preparation
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Adult Confirmation
We look forward to journeying with you as you prepare for Confirmation. The sacraments of the Church presuppose faith. Knowledge informs faith and in turn, faith informs action. In order for us to approach the sacraments we need to understand what we are receiving, what the spiritual gains are, as well as the expectations. For adults, the Sacrament of Confirmation completes your Christian Initiation. Our 10-week preparation provides a solid foundation to help you understand and ready yourself for tthis sacrament.
For more information, please contact the Parish Office at (562) 438-3826.- Adult Confirmation Registration Form
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Christian Initiation
The Catholic Church always welcomes new members into its community. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the present-day process by which adult men and women can explore the Catholic faith, and make a decision to become Catholic.
Through Christian Initiation, individuals are introduced to the life of the Catholic Church through catechesis (teaching the faith), liturgy (worship), scripture (reading the Bible), prayer and community development. This is accomplished by attending sessions on Sunday and participating in Mass. Several volunteer and prayer experiences are scheduled on the weekends as well.
Sessions are Sundays at 11:00 am Mass and afterwards until 2;00 pm in the Faith Formation Office
Tuition: $115If you are interested or would like more information, please contact the Parish Office at (562) 438-3826. To register, please complete the following forms and return to the Faith Formation Office.
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Scripture Study
Catholicism Series with Fr. Mark
Next Session is Sept. 26And the Journey Continues...with the Catholicism Series
Fr. Mark’s spiritual pilgrimage continues Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 pm in the Parish Hall as he presents Episode Four of the Catholicism Series: “Mary, the Mother of God.” In this episode, Bishop Barron masterfully correlates the Catholic faith’s testimony to the revelation of God in Christ with the vivid practices of reverence offered to his Mother.
Bishop Barron will journey to the humble remains of Mary’s house in Nazareth, to the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus and to the great Marian shrines of Lourdes and Guadalupe. This episode will also feature commentary on some of the most remarkable imagery of the Mother of God created by the world’s greatest artists.
During October, Continuing the Journey will be on break while Fr. Mark and Bishop Marc lead a pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Paul through the Greek Islands. The Catholicism Series will begin again on Nov. 7.
50+ Scripture Study
50+ Scripture Study to Meet Oct. 4
The 50+ Scripture Study has started a new series on the Gospel of John. “Jesus, the Word Made of Flesh, Part One,” by Stephen Binz, covers chapters 1 through 10 of John’s Gospel, which presents Jesus as the personal revelation of the unseen God and develops selected words and deeds of Jesus into seven great dramas to demonstrate the power and love of God working in him.
This study will help participants to understand the scope of this gospel as well as its personal implications for the lives of disciples today. Books may be ordered online from Threshold Bible Study or Amazon. The Product Code is 958283 and the study guide costs $12.95. The 50+ Scripture Study meets every other Wednesday at 8:30 am in the Seton Room. New members are welcome! For more details or to join the group, contact Ted Flood at (562) 706-6048.
Wednesday Night Bible StudyThe next Wednesday Night Bible Study will be on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 6:30-8:00 pm in the Parish Hall. All are welcome! We will begin studying "The Holy Spirit in the Bible." Workbooks are available to check out in the Parish Office or can be purchased at https://litpress.org. We will begin with Lesson One. Bring your Bible and join the fun with an amazing group! For details, contact Robert Cordova at (562) 438-3826.
Praying with ScriptureHow do we pray with Sacred Scripture? Spiritual reading of Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is an important form of meditation. This spiritual reading is traditionally called lectio divina or divine reading. Lectio divina is prayer over the Scriptures. When we engage in lectio divina of the Gospels, this form of meditation enables us to spiritually connect the gospel message to our everyday lives.
If you have participated in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), “Breaking Open the Word” is a process that is similar to Praying with Scripture. This group meets during the high liturgical seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter. For additional information, contact Ted Flood at (562) 706-6048.
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