Discipleship: Serving Others in Christ's Name

Disciples of Jesus embrace service as an integral part of their lifelong faith journey.

Catholic Relief Services & Catholic Charities

Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities are the official efforts of the Church in the United States focused on meeting the needs of people in the Unites States and throughout the world. Learn about these great organizations and how Catholics in the pews can get involved in their good work.

Economic Justice

The effort it takes to build a just and fair society requires heroic virtue. Saint Vincent de Paul and Dorothy Day were Catholics of heroic virtue and we celebrate their feast days this Fall. You may see yourself as much humbler than Vincent or Dorothy and be content to follow and let someone else lead. Even followers, however, have to be ready at times to pick up the flag of justice and carry it for those who are powerless to speak on their own behalf.

Faithful Citizenship

We live in a country which stands for the separation of Church and state. Yet we know how much our Catholic values can potentially impact the way we engage in political life. The United States Catholic Bishops encourage us to practice faithful citizenship, to be good members of our democracy, and to be true to our discipleship at the same time.

Poverty Awareness

Respect for All Life

Catholics are called to respect human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. What does this mean? What are the issues involved? How do we extend this respect to all of the living creation?

Thanksgiving Tables

Thanksgiving is a perfect time to think about the tables we gather around and the tables Jesus gathered around, and the implications of those gatherings. These resources can be used in conjunction with Thanksgiving or anytime you want to teach about justice and service.

Weekly Justice Challenges

One paragraph-long justice challenge each week for parishioners to reflect and act upon.

Reflecting on Justice & Service • Generations of Faith

Use this resource to guide a whole-group sharing experience on justice.

Saints of Service • Generations of Faith

As a family, can you match a list of Saints with the people they served?

Called to Serve

A collection of resources focused on our call to serve.

Service Ideas for Fall • Generations of Faith

This resource includes many ideas for fall service projects. They can be adapted for other times of the year.

7 Themes of Catholic Social Teaching

A collection of resources on the 7 themes of Catholic Social Teaching: Life & Dignity of the Human Person; Call to Family, Community, & Participation; Rights & Responsibilities; Option for the Poor & Vulnerable; the Dignity of Work & the Rights of Workers; Solidarity; Care for God's Creation.

Mission Sunday

A collection of resources about Mission Sunday.

Martin Luther King, Jr. • Generations of Faith

Use this activity to reflect as a family on justice, equality, and the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Fall: Service Ideas for the Season • Generations of Faith

A collection of service ideas for families.

Winter: Service Ideas for the Season • Generations of Faith

A collection of service ideas for your family to do during the winter.

Martin Luther King, Jr. • FamilyFaith@Home

Dream for a Better World

Service Ideas for the Summer • FamilyFaith@Home

A collection of service ideas for families to do in the summer.

Summer: A Church Going Forth

This resource connects you to examples of seasonal commemorations and opportunities with the hope that it might spark the interest and passion of the families you serve. By offering families guidance, resources, and space to explore such moments through a Catholic faith lens, we empower them to more deeply understand the realities of the world and respond faithfully in it. Faith-based resources, web links, and suggested action steps are also provided for encouraging research and peer leadership. Using some of these ideas for fostering a global sense of mission in youth and families can also help them to be the Church going forth in joy, in hope, and in the world this summer. • By Ted Miles

Winter: A Church Going Forth

This resource connects you to examples of seasonal commemorations and opportunities with the hope that it might spark the interest and passion of the families you serve. By offering families guidance, resources, and space to explore such moments through a Catholic faith lens, we empower them to more deeply understand the realities of the world and respond faithfully in it. Faith-based resources, web links, and suggested action steps are also provided for encouraging research and peer leadership. Using some of these ideas for fostering a global sense of mission in youth and families can also help them to be the Church going forth in joy, in hope, and in the world this winter. • By Ted Miles

Becoming Community • FIRE

Prophecy

We are all called in baptism to be prophets. But what does that mean? In this session participants will experience what it might feel like to be called to respond as a prophet to unjust situations present around us. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

The Believing Community • FIRE

Call to Be Eucharist

God promises us that each community will have within it the gifts it needs to proclaim the kingdom. In this session participants will look at themselves as people of the reign of God, at Eucharist as their proclamation of that reign, and at the gifts they have been given for the task. The explanation of the "gifts" each family is to bring can be found on the Take Home sheet from "The Believing Community: Call to Discipleship." • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

The Believing Community • FIRE

Was Crucified, Died, & Was Buried

In this session participants will reflect on the ongoing passion of the Lord in the world today. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

For Justice

Communal prayer based on articles 83-84 of the Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. • By Bill Huebsch