| Hosting a Called & Gifted |
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IntroductionThe following paragraphs provide some introductory information about questions commonly asked by our host parishes or sponsors. We hope this information will help you reach a decision about hosting a workshop. Please contact our office at (719) 219-0056 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions you may have.
The Called & Gifted™ workshop normally takes place on a Two presenters cover approximately six hours of content, and there are several breaks and time for lunch. Each participant receives a Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory and a packet of materials, which includes all the material shown on the powerpoint presentation and room for notes.
How many people can attend? We ask for a minimum of 50 participants. To help you generate interest, the Institute will provide promotional material and has developed a planning packet that includes posters, brochures, pulpit announcements, pastoral letters, and suggested timelines. If 50 participants seem like a lot for your parish or group, then we suggest collaborating with neighboring parishes or taking advantage of other
How much will it cost? Institute charges for a Called & Gifted™ workshop divide into three general areas:
Travel expenses are separate from the workshop fee. These expenses include transportation, meals, and lodging for two presenters. We gladly accept accommodations in parishioner's homes.
What about materials? Each participant will receive a set of notes, information regarding the interview process, as well as a copy of the Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory (also available in Spanish). On this website is a page with all the materials needed for the workshop. If your group, parish or diocese decides to host a workshop, you will be given a password to access these materials and a detailed description of how to put them together for the workshop. The Institute will provide the Spiritual Gifts Inventory at the substantially reduced rate of $6.00 US per copy (normally $10.00 US retail). Our office manager will work out details with you regarding the shipping of materials. Please note that the cost of materials supplied by the Institute is separate from the workshop fee.
What type of facility do we need? We have found that, given the number of handouts, the need to take the written inventory, and the length of the workshop, participants prefer to sit at tables. The size of the facility depends entirely on the number of expected participants. It should have room for comfortable seating, and readily accommodate additional tables for registration, refreshments if you choose to offer them, and a book and materials table that we use for sale of Institute resources.
What equipment will we need? Our presenters will need
When you decide you want to host a Called & Gifted™ workshop, contact Austin Eli, our office manager at (719) 219-0056 to review the financial arrangements and schedule a date. Please take time to check your local church and community calendar for annual or other events that may unfavorably impact attendance. These would include special holidays, feast days, retreats, missions, sports events, parades, and other town celebrations. We will also want to discuss the particulars of your situation. We try to discover as much as we can about the needs of your community and about your hopes and expectations, so that we can accommodate them as fully as possible. We will also want to implement the fuller Extended Spiritual Gifts Discernment Program. When you have chosen your date and understand the basic financial terms we offer, you will receive a confirmation letter to sign and return with a deposit. This letter will securely reserve the date you have chosen and represents your commitment to holding a workshop. Next you will receive password information necessary to access the materials you will need to promote the workshop, along with a suggested eight-week long timeline to aid in your preparation, Microsoft Word files with all the materials for the participant packages. Approximately three weeks prior we will contact you to see how things are going and to run through a basic checklist.
What kind of support can the Institute provide? We have a great deal of experience working with parishes hosting Called & Gifted™ workshops. We can provide helpful suggestions for all aspects of putting on a workshop, as well as ways of avoiding common problems. You will have direct access to our office manager who will keep in touch to help ensure that the process unfolds smoothly. We always welcome your questions. Please call us
The Called & Gifted™ workshop is a foundational step in building a house of formation for lay apostles. Although it stands on its own very well, the workshop is designed to help individuals begin a discernment of personal vocation. At the Catherine of Siena Institute, we are committed to helping your parish or community foster this discernment process over time. We have developed the structures and training necessary for leaders to implement a complete process for discernment. Towards this end, the Extended Spiritual Gifts Discernment Process is provided as a next step. This process includes a personal interview, experimentation, and small group discussion, over a period of 6 to 8 weeks after the initial Called & Gifted™ workshop. This process uses the Discerning Charisms Workbook and you may choose to also use the Discernment in Depth CDs.
Participants in the initial workshop will have the chance to receive an hour-long personal interview based on their Inventory results by trained interviewers, for a small fee, to help them continue the process of discernment. The interview aids in identifying potential areas of giftedness and encouraging actual experimentation. In our experience, most participants in the Called & Gifted™ workshop want to take this next step. Call (719) 219-0056 for more details on the interview process and the Extended Spiritual Gifts Discernment Process. |
