GavrilidesDETROIT — If basic evangelization programs like Alpha and ChristLife represent the “encounter” portion of “Encounter, Grow, Witness” — the paradigm of Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron’s pastoral letter, Unleash the Gospel — then New Leaven aims to be the “grow.”
That’s the hope for organizers who intend to introduce New Leaven as a “second-level” evangelization program to parishes across the Archdiocese of Detroit.
The New Leaven Discipleship Conference, which will take place May 12 at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, will build on the themes of Alpha and ChristLife to help parishes take the “next step” in evangelization, said Paco Gavrilides, professor of homiletics at the seminary and one of the founders of New Leaven.
“The next step for many people is transformation into Christ-like living that closes the gap between the Gospel and everyday life,” Gavrilides told The Michigan Catholic.
New Leaven is designed to address the practical priorities in a Christian’s life, including mending relationships, using time and money wisely and discerning the gifts God has given an individual for the benefit of His Church, Gavrilides said.
“So many people’s relationships are disordered in many ways. They’re caught up in ones that are not healthy,” Gavrilides said. “Sometimes they’re involved in things that pull them away from the higher priorities of serving their own families or even being available to the Lord’s work.
“We have to understand time as something that belongs to a kingdom orientation, so that our time and energy is directed to meaningful things and we make time for things that are life-giving and build up people,” Gavrilides added.
New Leaven is set up in a similar format as Alpha or ChristLife, with nine modules divided over 36 weeks — though parishes are encouraged to go at their own pace, Gavrilides said. Meetings begin with a potluck dinner, followed by 20 minutes of prayer, then a talk on the day’s topic. Finally, participants are encouraged to spend time in small group discussion, which builds up confidence and trust among members of Christ’s body.
Parishes such as Holy Family in Novi have seen “quite a bit of success” following the New Leaven model, Gavrilides said. Of the 850 people at the parish who recently participated in Alpha, almost all those who followed up with New Leaven became actively involved in service and evangelization at the parish, Gavrilides said.
“I can say with full and joyful confidence that people who get involved with New Leaven become much more active agents of service and evangelization within the parish context. They become activated,” Gavrilides said.
Parish staff, pastors, deacons, catechists and parish evangelization coordinators are invited to attend the May 12 conference, which Gavrilides suggests is a logical next step for parishes looking to build on Unleash the Gospel.
“The time is ripe,” Gavrilides said. “People have been doing Alpha, they’ve been doing ChristLife, and they’re looking for something a little bit more. What this does, in a very beautiful way, is it involves people in helping one another, which allows certain kinds of gifts of service to emerge.
“People learn that they can actually share the Gospel,” Gavrilides continued. “Even before they’ve had any course on how to evangelize, people want to start evangelizing and telling people about Jesus and the good things that are happening in their lives. They’re actually tasting the fruit of the wisdom they’re receiving.”
New Leaven Discipleship Conference
What: Introducing New Leaven to parishes concerned with the question “What’s next?” after Alpha, ChristLife basic evangelization programs
Where: Sacred Heart Major Seminary, 2701 Chicago Blvd., Detroit
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 12
Registration: $20; newleavenconference.eventbrite.com
