(118) Suggested Bulletin Insert for More Detail on the 2017 Steubenville Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal

            If the mother takes the spiritual lead in the family, the probability that the children will remain faithful to the Church as adults is about 40%.  If the father takes the spiritual lead, that probability doubles to 80%.  This is crucial because we are losing our youth.  As Danny Abramowicz of “Crossing the Goal” on EWTN likes to point out, “The children love Mom, but tend to follow Dad.”  Thus the participants in the Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal on Saturday March 18 at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell (9 am to 3:30 pm) off of Exit 25 on I-77 are challenged to become true men of God........dynamic Catholic leaders who will change the world, beginning with their families, their parishes, their communities, and the marketplace through their jobs.

            To complement the Mass presided by Bishop Monforton and Penance Service the featured speaker is Capt. Guy Gruters (USAF).  After graduation from the Air Force Academy with a B.S. in Engineering Science, Capt. Gruters flew more than 400 combat missions in Vietnam and received over 30 combat medals and awards.  He was shot down twice and captured the second time in 1967.  After leaving the Air Force, he captained DC-9s and Boeing 727s for Eastern Airlines until retiring in 1991.  Later Capt. Gruters was an account rep. for IBM and President of PC Software Systems.

            In his morning talk Guy Gruters will reveal how his faith and trust in God carried him through the ordeal as a Prisoner of War in the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” and other camps for five years.  Since bitterness is self-destructing, he will share in the afternoon talk how he learned to show mercy and forgive his brutal captors who tortured him and deal with people in a business environment.  The participants will discover how they can apply the lessons learned by Capt. Gruters to their daily lives.  He is a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. 

            Drawing from his diverse experience and being a father of seven children, he will also touch on “Leadership and Teamwork in the Family, Church, and the Community”.  An excellent and dynamic speaker, Mr. Gruters gives talks all over the country and is the author of the book, “Locked Up With God”.

            This background puts Capt. Gruters in a position to speak on the theme of this year’s Diocese of Steubenville Men’s Conference, “Mercy and Forgiveness, Faith and Trust……..Means of Developing Strength  and Holiness in Difficult Times" and apply it to our daily lives.  That is through the power of faith rise up to be the spiritual leaders of their families, to do their part in renewing their parishes, be servant leaders in the community, and to make a difference for Christ by applying the social teachings of the Church to their professions.

 

The goal of the Men's Day of Renewal is to focus on the spiritual development of the men of our diocese. Having spiritually strong men of faith and character translates into more solid families, more dynamic parishes, and better communities. This is crucial to the Church, now and in the future. It is also critical for nurturing vocations.  It involves sacrificing most of a Saturday with some travel, but Lent is all about sacrifice and the quest for holiness.  That gives a pilgrimage flavor.  During the middle ages, pilgrims would travel for days by foot or horseback.

 

            Our men will leave in the parish van at 6:30 am and have great fellowship on the way.  They will see how the participants are moved by the beauty and power of the faith.   The experience of seeing so many men enthusiastically participating and lifting up their voices in song is uplifting.  There will be opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration & a Lenten Confession.  The Conference is open to teens so this can also be a father and son event, a shared experience.   In the past the men have returned spiritually refreshed, reinvigorated, and enthusiastic.  Expect the same this year. 

            There’s more information on the diocesan website, www.diosteub.org and the Conference Blog, “Becoming a True Man of God” at diosteubmen.blogspot.com which is also devoted to articles to keep men in spiritual shape after the Conference.  For a greater variety, go to “A Little Bit for God and His People” at paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com.

            It should be a great day of enjoyable fellowship and spiritual invigoration. But most of all, through grace we'll have a few more good spiritually strong men for the kingdom of God in the battle against secularism and other evils and problems that our troubled society must confront.......men --not spiritual weaklings and wimps-- who will put Christ into their professions.  Finally, the men will become more knowledgeable, firmer in their faith, and better prepared for a more joyful Easter, not to mention a greater closeness to God and eternity which life on earth is all about.  The Men's Day of Renewal is growing into an annual event in our diocese, thus fulfilling a great need.  Although one may register at the door, please register with your parish representative, e.g. John Doe (245-9404), as soon as possible.  That would make planning (food, transportation, etc.) easier & minimize waiting at the door.  A sign-up sheet is in back of the church.

SUMMARY OF WHAT THE MEN'S CONFERENCE CAN DO FOR YOU.....BENEFITS

· Get into good spiritual shape and avoid being a spiritual weakling, i.e., a spiritual wimp.

· Have a great day of enjoyable fellowship and spiritual invigoration in the parish van and at the conference, resulting in deeper friendships and parish cohesion.

· Develop ourselves as men of character and spiritual strength as we obtain the graces to conquer ourselves and cope with the problems that our troubled society and economy bring to us.

· Be a more effective spiritual leader of your family as a better husband and father.

· Prepare our hearts for the great feast of Easter and for eternity as we become closer to God.

·  Become knowledgeable about the faith and grow in Christian maturity.  We know so little about Church teaching.

·  Become a more effective soldier of Christ as you do your part in establishing the kingdom, winning the spiritual-culture war against secularism, and put Christ into your profession.

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St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, pray for us and for the success of the Men's Conference.

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USE THE SPACE BELOW (2/3 page) FOR THE SPEAKERS & REGISTRATION FORM FROM THE BROCHURE

(i.e., paste the part with the speaker photos & descriptions of Bishop Monforton and Capt. Guy Gruters as well as the registration form.  They may be reproduced either in color or black & white.)

(117) Sample Sign-up Sheet for the 2017 Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal

SAMPLE SIGN-UP SHEET FOR THE 2017 MEN’S CONFERENCE

          The Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal will be held on Saturday March 18 from 9 am to 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell off of Exit 25 on I-77 near Marietta.  One may come at 8:30 am for prayer.  We have a nationally known dynamic speaker and author, Capt. Guy Gruters.  He will show how his faith and trust in God got him through over five years as a POW at the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” and other camps in Vietnam and how he learned to show mercy by forgiving his captors who tortured him.  He will also apply what he learned to our daily lives…… great tips for hanging tough and becoming holy during difficult times……tips on becoming an effective spiritual leader in the home, in the parish, in the community, and on the job. 

In addition we shall formally consecrate the annual Men’s Conference to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Bishop Monforton will give a talk and preside at Mass.  Confession with a Penance Service is also offered.  The Conference will open with a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament. A bag lunch is provided.

          Please register as soon as possible and give it to your parish representative or sign up and he will contact you.  If you have any questions or cannot afford the $25 registration, please call your parish representative, e.g., Paul Sebastian at 245-9404 or e-mail him at paulrsebastian@yahoo.com.  Economic difficulties should not be an obstacle to attendance.

          The men will meet at the Parish Hall and leave in the van at 6:30 am on Saturday morning March 18.  We should return by about 5:30 pm.  It will be a great day of fellowship and spiritual invigoration.  St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, pray for us and for the success of the Men's Conference.

                    Name                                       Phone Number              E-Mail Address

1._____________________________           _____________          _________________

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(116) Crucial Functions of the Parish Representative in Marketing the 2017 Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal

        The most critical aspect of promoting the Steubenville Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal is having at least one representative in each parish to mobilize the men to attend......i.e. considerable one on one personal selling. This is so important since many men quickly browse through the church bulletin if at all, don't notice the poster, and don't look at the brochures and pamphlets in the back of the church. With the abundance of fallen away and drifting Catholics, the pastor is happy that they make it to Mass at all. Even if they are aware, we have to overcome inertia: “I don't know; I'll think about it; Maybe I'll go; I'll see how my schedule is; I may have to work; we'll see; I may have something else going on” etc.

        Another crucial aspect is the local Council of the Knights of Columbus.  They are most important to mobilize their men to attend and to help the Parish Representatives in mobilizing the men of the local parishes to attend the Conference.

        Then there are the many men who come to Mass occasionally if at all or are on the verge of falling away. Many others indeed have fallen away and we may have to take advantage of a casual meeting at a football game or in a store. All of the above are the men we are trying to reach.......the indifferent Catholic who's happy where he is in his spiritual growth and has no desire to get any closer to God. It's in this area where the Parish Representative can be a true apostle and missionary. It's evangelization at its best. The Men's Conference could provide that spark to set them on fire and bring them closer to the Church. This is the New Evangelization that St. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI promulgated and Pope Francis continues to do, especially in this Year of Mercy.  This is perhaps the first step to renew families and parishes.  The men must take spiritual leadership..

       Thus I sent out the following e-mail to the parish representatives with a copy to the pastors in my Nativity of Mary Deanery. It occupies the southern extreme of the Diocese of Steubenville which extends over one hundred miles and 13 counties.  I also included prospective representatives throughout the diocese.

Capt. Guy Gruters

MARKETING THE 2017 MEN’S CONFERENCE AT THE PARISH LEVEL

The Crucial Importance and Functions of the Parish Representative

Believe me, your role is crucial because the key to a great turnout is promotion at the grass roots: (1) at the parish level and (2) at the level of each Council of the Knights of Columbus.  We must reach the men, many of whom are laid back and lax about the Church; are drifting, or have fallen away except perhaps for Mass on Christmas and Easter.  Mobilizing the men of your parish to come to the Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal on March 18 at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell (off of Exit 25 on I-77 near Marietta) from 9 am to 3:30 pm or so is a very important part of the New Evangelization.  The men are invited to bring their teen age and older sons, grandsons, nephews, godsons, students, friends, etc.  An added feature is a Holy Hour with the Blessed Sacrament at the beginning of the day.

This event is so important because if the Lord uses this Conference to set the men on fire, we renew the parish and ultimately the entire diocese.

In our parish we have used bulletin blurbs, brochures, posters, etc. and many men don’t even know the date of the Conference.  All of these are important and help, but the most effective is the one on one personal selling.  That’s a lot of work.

At this year’s Men’s Conference we have a dynamic speaker and author……nationally known Capt. Guy Gruters.  He will show how his faith got him through five years as a POW at the Hanoi Hilton in Vietnam and how he learned to show mercy by forgiving his captors who tortured him. Capt. Gruters will apply mercy, forgiveness, faith, and trust to our daily lives as sources of strength in difficult times and a means to grow in holiness.  It will be a great day of enjoyable fellowship and spiritual invigoration.  We’ll go together in the parish van on Saturday March 18 at 6:30 am.  We’d love to have you (and your son) join us.  Can we count on you?  

That’s my sales pitch (7 lines) this year in my encounters with the guys……one on one or in small groups.  You can make it even shorter and better for your men.  Even if the person doesn’t come, the message will make him think.  In parting give him our brochure as a reminder to decide and register.  A sign-up sheet is attached.

If a guy tells me a definite yes, I try to get him to register in advance.  If the answer is “maybe”, I'll approach him again in a friendly jovial way, hoping and praying that I don't make a pest out of myself and come over as a telemarketer.  True, that's a risk, but it does take some persistence.  I try to avoid phone calls unless one is a good prospect a few days before the Conference. Of course, phone calling is a good option with men whom you don't see.  At the same time, I'm enlisting the help of the guys who went last year to help me to talk it up and promote it.  They are a great testimony.      

At the diocesan level we’ll probably have three articles in the Steubenville Catholic Register.  On the bottom of the home page of the diocesan website (click on www.diosteub.org) there should be a link to (1) our brochure and (2) “Additional Information”.  Our Bishop will give a talk and preside at Mass.

Useful Resources. You can utilize our Conference Blog at http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com.  This year the series (updated over time) will begin with Blog #111 – Overview; and continue with 112) Ad Form; 113) Diocesan Press Release #1; 114) Possible Short Bulletin Announcements; 115) Promotion Ideas; 116) Functions & Crucial Importance of the Parish Rep; 117) Sign Up Sheet; 118) Sample Bulletin Insert; 119) Diocesan Press Release #2; 122) Example of an After Mass Talk By a Layman; 123) Possible Pulpit Announcements; 124) Diocesan Press Release #3 125) Catholic Newspaper Press Release; 126) Secular Press Release; 127) Our Ad in the Program Pamphlet; and 128) Highlights of the 2017 Men's Conference.

At the parish level, we’re hurting unless we can confide in your help.  With the critical shortage of priests, we can’t count on the pastors because they are so busy and overworked.  Many of them are responsible for two or even three parishes.  They don’t have the time to do the grunt work of promotion.  Thus we ask you to cover some or all of the points below to the extent that you are willing and able.  If you can cover at least the first three items well, your campaign will be a success.  The rest of the items are bonus if you can.  Only item #3 may be difficult and/or time consuming.  Samples of items #2, #5, #6, and #7 will be e-mailed to you for possible use and adaptation to make it easier for you. 

SUGGESTED TASKS FOR THE PARISH REP FOR THE MEN’S CONFERENCE

1.  *Every parish should have received a poster and a brochure to duplicate as needed.  If they are not available in the church, please ask the secretary to run off more.  They could have been set aside and forgotten about.  Please be sure that the posters are posted in good spots, perhaps one in the church and another in the Parish Hall as well as a few brochures at each exit of the church.  You can duplicate the attached brochure or download one from the diocesan website and then duplicate them in color or black and white.  The brochure contains a registration form.

2.     *Ask the secretary with the approval of the pastor to put in a short announcement in the Church Bulletin each Sunday of the new year until the Conference date as long as there is space available.  You can put in a slightly different message each Sunday that makes the men think, not the same bland just the facts every week.  I sent a number of possible blurbs which you could adapt to your parish.  They are also available as Blog #114 at http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com.

3.     *****The most important of all and the key is to mobilize the men one on one with personal selling of the event, collect the $25 fee, and register them on the form inside the attached brochure or on one of the short forms attached (each sheet has a set of three forms). After talking to each man, give him a brochure as a reminder to decide and then register.  Men may register individually or the parish representative may collect the registration forms with payment and send them to Roger Huck; c/o Men’s Day of Renewal, P.O. Box 54; Beverly, OH 45715.  Although one can register at the door, this would save considerable time waiting at the door.  Checks for the Registration cost of $25.00 per person are to be made payable to the Diocese of Steubenville with “Men's Day of Renewal” written on the memo line of the check.  Early registration helps with planning as number of lunches, etc.

        Give priority to the most likely prospects, especially when time is limited.  Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance as to which men to approach during the rush to the parking lot.  Enlisting the help of a couple of other men would enable us to reach almost every man in the parish, especially those who come to Mass only occasionally.  That could be the start of an evangelization team, which every parish very much needs.  Ask the men who have attended a previous conference to talk it up.  Word of mouth is the best form of advertising.  You can see the men before and after Mass, devotions, at family, community, or parish functions as the Fish Fry, by phone, perhaps at work, and anywhere else you may run into somebody you know.  If there is any unemployed man who would like to go, but cannot afford it, ask the pastor or a parish organization for help.  I myself would be willing to pay for a few registrations if no other help is available.  Money should not be an obstacle for any man to go.

4.     Organize the men if possible to travel together as part of a car or van pool.  A larger parish or group of parishes might be able to fill a bus if the Conference is well promoted.  That will make for enjoyable fellowship and foment a more cohesive parish community as the men get to know each other better and become better friends.  It would be ideal if the pastor (free of charge) could accompany the men, thus giving him an opportunity to know his men better.  We need confessors.  If the distance is great, that will give it a pilgrimage flavor, especially if the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy are said and the men discuss the conference on the way back.

5.  Put a sign-up sheet (attached) on a clipboard on a table in the back of the church.  Ask the pastor to include the sign-up sheet in his announcements at the end of Mass as a reminder each Sunday.  The sign-up sheet should include the name, phone number, and e-mail address to contact for registration and confirm the time and place of departure in the car pool van or bus.

6.  Obtain permission to put a one sheet (front and back) insert into the Church Bulletin.  This would include selling points, benefits for the men, details about the speaker, and a registration form.  There will be an example on the Conference Blog at http://diosteubment.blogspot.com, which you could use as is or as a model for adapting it to the culture of your parish.

7.     Ask the pastor to say a few words to support the Conference with a few words in the announcements after Mass.  His enthusiastic support and help would be huge.

8.  Perhaps a leader among the men could say a few words after Mass with the pastor’s approval. One who has been to a previous Conference could give great testimony.

9.    Enlist the help of parish organizations and the local council of the Knights of Columbus and its grand knight to mobilize and organize the men. Even members of the Catholic Women’s Club and other women could encourage their men to attend……husbands, boy friends, fathers, sons, godsons, nephews, friends of the family, etc.

10. To obtain the best speakers in the country (they are expensive), the Steering Committee asks for donations and/or ads for the program booklet from local businesses or council of the Knights of Columbus.  Attached is a form with instructions for obtaining the ads.  If the proprietor or key person in the business is Catholic, it should be a much easier sell and his business would have exposure throughout our far flung diocese……13 counties in all.

11. Use the Social Media (Facebook, Twitter) and the old fashioned telephone, both voice and texting to contact the men, one on one.

   If we can get the men in good spiritual shape, we renew the family.  If we renew the family, we renew the parish, soon the diocese and ultimately the Country.  We let the women be the pillars of the parish when the men should be spiritual leaders in the parish and especially in the home.  If the mother takes the spiritual lead in the family, there’s only a 40% chance that the children will remain faithful to the church as adults.  If the father takes the spiritual lead, that probability doubles to 80%!  It's our job to put Christ into the market place......in our professions, on the job, and in the community.  That's why this Conference is so very important and you have a crucial role.  That’s why it’s so important that the every pastor asks a leader in the parish to be a parish representative for the Conference.

 To get a good turnout (each soul has immeasurable value), we need a solid program plus MARKETING, MARKETING, MARKETING.......PROMOTION AND PERSONAL SELLING.  This is 21^st Century evangelization at its best.  Certainly, St. Paul and the original apostles after Pentecost would have used every marketing tool if they would have them.  I think that they were marketers of the Gospel.  May we follow in their footsteps in promoting this Men's Conference.  If we could draw an average of ten men from every parish in the diocese, this would be a big success.

  The Conference Blog at http://diosteubment.blogspot.com is designed to help you promote the Conference and when it is over, to improve and maintain men’s spirituality with excellent articles.  My personal blog at http://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com has many more articles on men’s spirituality.  If I can be of any help, please call me at 740-245-9404 or e-mail me at pauls@rio.edu.  Thank you so much for your help and God bless.

***************************************************************************          St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, pray for us and the success of the Men's Conference

(115) Promotion Ideas For the 2017 Steubenville Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal

Capt. Guy Gruters

            Crucial to the success of our Men's Conference at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell off of Exit 25 on I-77 on Saturday March 18, 2017 from 9 am to 4 pm is the Parish Representative.   The theme is “Mercy and Forgiveness, Faith and Trust……..Means of Developing Strength  and Holiness in Difficult Times with St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, as the Conference’s patron. 

            To complement the Mass presided by Bishop Monforton and Penance Service the featured speaker is Capt. Guy Gruters (USAF).  After graduation from the Air Force Academy with a B.S. in Engineering Science, Capt. Gruters flew more than 400 combat missions in Vietnam and received over 30 combat medals and awards.  He was shot down twice and captured the second time in 1967.  After leaving the Air Force, he captained DC-9s and Boeing 727s for Eastern Airlines until retiring in 1991.  Later Capt. Gruters was an account rep. for IBM and President of PC Software Systems.

 

In his morning talk Guy Gruters will reveal how his faith and trust in God carried him through the ordeal as a Prisoner of War in the notorious “Hanoi Hilton” and other camps for five years.  Since bitterness is self-destructing, he will share in the afternoon talk how he learned to show mercy and forgive his brutal captors and deal with people in a business environment.  The participants will discover how they can apply mercy, forgiveness, faith, and trust to their daily lives as sources of strength in difficult times and a means to grow in holiness.  Capt. Gruters is a 4^th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. 

Drawing from his diverse experience and being a father of seven children, he will also touch on “Leadership and Teamwork in the Family, Church, and the Community”.  An excellent and dynamic speaker, Mr. Gruters gives talks all over the country and is the author of the book, “Locked Up With God”.

            If we can mobilize an average of 10 men from every parish in the diocese, this event would be a smashing success!  This is a hard sell for many men, but the Lord will help us. 

            This is evangelization at its best as we complete our God given mission in little ways in fulfilling Christ's command to teach all nations.  The priests and religious cannot do it alone; we must help them and do our part, especially considering the scarcity of vocations.  Evangelization today is more important than ever before, considering the crisis that Christianity is in all over the world.......drifting and fallen away Catholics, broken families, laxity in practice, poor knowledge of the faith, the international spiritual/cultural war with secularism, and the multitude of evils that our society must confront.  Our country desperately needs a revival.  Why not start in your parish with the Diocesan Men's Conference and be on the front line as the Lord's instrument?  Don't just keep the faith; spread it.......in little or big ways by prayer and example, word and deed.

            You might want to consider the promotion ideas below and then adapt them to your own personality and parish culture.

· Word of Mouth is the most effective form of advertising.  This is especially true in parishes since many go over the bulletin quickly with little thought or simply put it aside for later and don't read it at all.  You could get others in the parish to help through an informal committee or simply enlist the help of friends.  You may want to try to talk to  every man in the parish one-on-one with a little sales pitch and record their answer as:  yes, no, or maybe.  I'm getting mostly maybe's but that gives me an appropriate excuse to ask them again.  Of course, be careful not to badger them, which I sometimes do without realizing it.  Ask the local K of C to help & mobilize their men to attend.  After the initial conversation, give them a copy of the tri-fold brochure to keep as a reminder.  They probably don’t even know where the bulletin insert is.

· Ask the Men to bring their teenage sons, thus making it a father and son day as well for stronger bonding. 

· Inform the men of the objectives and what they can gain from the Men's Day of Renewal.  The goal of the Men's Day of Renewal is to focus on the spiritual development of the men of our diocese. Having spiritually strong men of faith and character translates into more solid families, more dynamic parishes, and better communities. These are crucial to the Church, now and in the future, not to mention the critical need of nurturing vocations.  Hopefully, the men will become closer to God, learn more about their faith with a deeper understanding and thus become stronger Catholics.  Life will then become happier and more meaningful with purpose.  It will be a day of enjoyable fellowship and spiritual invigoration.

· Challenge the Men without rubbing them the wrong way.  The Lord's kingdom on earth direly needs a few good spiritually strong men and too many of us are failing in our special missions.  Too many of us are spiritual wimps and this conference attempts to attack that problem.  We have to be the pillars of the parish, not only the older women.  We as fathers must take the spiritual lead in our families, in that way insuring that our children will be faithful in their adult years.  If only the mother takes the spiritual lead, the probability of faithfulness in later life is about 40%.  If the father takes the spiritual lead, that probability increases to about 80%.  This conference will help to prepare us to fill that role more effectively by becoming better husbands and fathers.  Hopefully, many men will leave the conference on fire to renew their families and parishes.  As a natural consequence they will be better prepared to put Christ into their professions and renew society in a small way one person at a time.

· Ask the pastor to announce the conference from the pulpit & for weekly blurbs in the Church bulletin. These of course are important, but it's the conventional way.  We need creative methods of promoting this important event.

· Ask the pastor to include in the Offertory Petitions……..that the Conference will set the men on fire; that that it inspire the men to become true men of God and the spiritual leaders in their families, to renew their parishes, and to put Christ into their professions.

· Creatively use your parish bulletin according to the wishes of your pastor with a short catchy blurb every week during the six to eight weeks before the event.  I have a collection of short blurbs that you can use as is or as a starting point and adapt to your parish culture and situation.  If interested, please write me at paulrsebastian@yahoo.com or call me at 740-245-9404 if you have any questions.  I'll be happy to send these blurbs to you by e-mail or snail mail.

· Make copies of our trifold brochure that describes the Men's Conference and includes the registration form.  Use it as a bulletin insert and put it on the parish website.  You can also put in a more detailed write-up with the registration form on the back as a bulletin insert.  Then the men can personally give you the registration form without your having to go after them.  You can also adapt it.  One year Fr. Wayne Morris of Corpus Christi, Belle Valley and St. Stephen's of Caldwell, for example, creatively adapted the official diocesan trifold to the needs of his parish without losing any essential information and thus made it into his own parish publication in color.

   

·  Register the men personally and submit the forms and money to the diocese all at once.  In that way you have better control and know who is going and who isn't.  That makes follow-up and organizing car pools much easier. Most men won't want to bother with sending the form and check to the diocese and many would put it off.  Waiting to register at the door makes steering committee planning more difficult.  If they pay in advance, it will be much more difficult to back out with last minute inertia.

 

· Help those who cannot afford the $25 registration.  Ask the pastor, the local Knights of Columbus council, parish women's group, or other donors to provide some funding for unemployed men and college students who may have financial problems.  Economic circumstance should not prevent any man from attending.

· Use a bus or organize car pools, preferably vans to reduce fuel costs.  Even better if the distance is great; that gives a pilgrimage atmosphere!   The great benefit of this is fellowship which is another selling point, especially if the distance and travel time is great.  Distance gives a pilgrimage flavor and sacrifice is what Lent is all about.  In the Middle Ages, people used to walk great distances to holy sites.  The men can have a great time while having a spiritually invigorating spiritual experience.  The enthusiasm generated by the conference can be contagious.  This can result in greater friendships and a more cohesive parish community. The local chapter of the Knights of Columbus could also benefit through one-on-one opportunities to recruit new members.  The fellowship among their members at the conference could strengthen their councils.

· Ask for the pastor's help and bring him along.  We'll need confessors.  His example is a big help!  It will be a great opportunity for him to know his men better and become closer to them as cohesion of the parish family grows.

· Ask the pastor to allow you or another person to talk about the conference at the end of the weekend Masses.  A peer, whom the men respect, especially if he attended before, can be more effective than the pastor whom people hear promoting something all the time.  Then inform them that the brochure with the registration form is in the back of the church. 

· Enlist the help of those who attended a previous Diocesan Men's Conference.  They can relate the experience by word of mouth, to their local Knights of Columbus council, other men's groups, or with the pastor's approval speak at the end of Sunday Mass  as to how much they got out of it, how much they enjoyed it.  Personal testimony makes our promotion much more authentic. Donations to help underwrite the conference are most appreciated.

· Utilize the Power of the Woman.  Perhaps discretely ask the women of the parish through their parish group to lovingly encourage (not nag) their men to attend......husbands, sons, fathers, relatives, friends.  What woman would not like to have her men be true men of God who would transform their families, the parish, and ultimately society?

· Use the Social Media (Facebook, Twitter) and the old fashioned telephone, both voice and texting to contact the men, one on one.

· Ask for prayers to God and to St. Joseph for his intercession for the success of the men’s conference, arguably the best model in history of a true man of God.  We cannot succeed by ourselves with our efforts alone.  

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St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, pray for us and the success of the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal.

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(114) Possible Short Announcements for the Church Bulletin

MEN'S CONFERENCE 2017:  POSSIBLE SHORT ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE BULLETIN

Choose, adapt, change, or improve as you see fit according to your parish situation and space available in the parish bulletin for any Sunday.  Everyone who has heard Capt. Guy Gruters speak, say that he is really good.  There is enough of a variety here to have an announcement every Sunday until the Conference with one or two after the event as well.  Please DO NOT simply copy and paste as is since they must be adapted to your parish.  An attempt is made to convey a selling point or a message in each announcement so that the majority who do not attend will get something out of it.  Since bulletin blurbs tend to be very bland and to the point, I try to put some life into them.

1.    Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday, March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  The theme is “Mercy and Forgiveness, Faith and Trust……..Means of Developing Strength and Holiness in Difficult Times”.  The main speaker is Guy Gruters.  Dynamic and captivating, this nationally known author and speaker will show how his faith got him through five years as a POW at the Hanoi Hilton in Vietnam and how he learned to show mercy by forgiving his captors who tortured him.  The $25 Registration could be a belated Christmas gift for the men in your extended family.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no.) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Hall.

2.    Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday, March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  The theme is ““MERCY AND FORGIVENESS, FAITH AND TRUST……..MEANS OF DEVELOPING STRENGTH AND HOLINESS IN DIFFICULT TIMES”.  The main speaker is Capt. Guy Gruters.  Dynamic and captivating, this nationally known author and speaker will show how his faith got him through five years as a POW at the Hanoi Hilton in Vietnam and how he learned to show mercy by forgiving his captors who tortured him.  He will show applications to your daily life.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no.) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Hall.

3.      Urgently Needed for the Kingdom: A Few Good Spiritually Strong Men…….Men of Prayer.  Become one by taking the first step at the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday, March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell to get into spiritual shape as a soldier of Christ.  Let Capt. Guy Gruters, nationally known dynamic speaker and author, give you some valuable pointers.  The theme of the Conference is “MERCY AND FORGIVENESS, FAITH AND TRUST……..MEANS OF DEVELOPING STRENGTH AND HOLINESS IN DIFFICULT TIMES” to help you to be spiritual leaders in your families, to renew your  parishes, and to put Christ into your professions. Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no.) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Hall.

4.      Men: Get into spiritual shape for the big games, Holy Week and Easter and winning the Super Bowl Trophy.......Heaven.  Let this nationally known speaker, Capt. Guy Gruters, give you some great tips for hanging tough and becoming holy during difficult times.  He’ll also give tips on becoming an effective spiritual leader in the home, in the parish, in the community, and on the job.  Attend the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no.) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Hall.

5.      Men: Are you a spiritual wimp?   Don't let that happen to you.  Let Capt. Guy Gruters, nationally known dynamic speaker and author, give you some valuable pointers on developing faith and trust when the going gets tough.  Attend the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell to get into spiritual shape to renew the secular culture.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no.) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Center.

6.     Make the Men’s Conference a Father & Son event.  The men are encouraged to bring their teenage sons, grandsons, godsons, nephews, students, and friends to the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  By listening to the experiences of Capt. Guy Gruters as a POW in Vietnam, the young men will be able to live the history they only read about and learn from his heroic faith.  Register today.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no.) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Center.   

 

7.       Men: Do we really know what true manhood is as God intended?   Let nationally known author and dynamic speaker, Capt. Guy Gruters give you some valuable pointers as the spiritual leader in your family.  Attend the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no.) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Center.

8.     Make a Lenten sacrifice by giving up a Saturday to attend the Men’s Conference for a day of spiritual renewal Saturday March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  Let Capt. Guy Gruters, nationally known speaker and author, give you some valuable tips as we travel in the parish van from the Church Hall at 6:30 am.  We should be back late in the afternoon.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no.) (e.g., Jim Doe  (245-9404) to register.   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

9.  Men: Become more knowledgeable, grow, and mature in the faith as a dynamic Catholic.  We're still baby Christians who know so little.  Let Capt. Guy Gruters, nationally known dynamic speaker and author, give you some valuable pointers.  Attend the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no.) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Center.

10.  Men: Let’s prepare for the great feast of Easter and Eternity too.  Let Capt. Guy Gruters, nationally known speaker and author, give you some valuable pointers.  Attend the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  Register today.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no.) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Center.

11.  Men: We must work hard to cross the goal into heaven.  A big help is to attend the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  Let Capt. Guy Gruters, nationally known speaker and author, help you get into spiritual shape and cross the goal.  Make the big Lenten sacrifice and register today with Name of Parish Representative (phone no.) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404).  Enjoy great fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Center 

To Be Used for March 12, the Sunday Immediately Preceding the Event

12.  The Men's Conference is this coming Saturday, March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  The men will meet at the Parish Hall at 6:30 am and travel together in the parish van for some great fellowship and spiritual re-invigoration.  Giving up an entire Saturday and traveling a long way is a big sacrifice for Lent.  Being tough men, we're up to it and the Lord will reward us.  Women, encourage your men to go.  Certainly, you want them to become true men of God.  Capt.Guy Gruters, nationally known speaker and author, will talk about how faith and trust in God carried him through five years as a POW in Vietnam and how he learned to have mercy and forgive his captors who tortured him.  You may register at the door, but calling your parish representative at (phone number) (e.g., Paul Sebastian at 245-9404) as soon as you can would make planning so much easier.

To Be Used After the Conference is Over

Thanks to the 16 men from our parish who attended the Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal.  The turnout would have broken our record if the four no-shows had showed.  Relative to parish size, we are still one of the best.  It was great that three of our men attended for the first time.  Fr. Tom made the long trip mainly to hear confessions; he was kept very busy.  Thanks to the women who encouraged their men; thanks to our pastor for his support; and thanks to our secretary too.  Thanks to all for your prayers and for your patience with me.  About 260 men attended from all over the diocese plus a few from West Virginia.  May we have even a better turnout next year on Saturday March 3.  May the diocesan Men’s Conference, Women’s Conference, and Youth Rally become traditions in our parish.

     Men: Take advantage of the Conference Blog which promotes Men’s spirituality with articles of interest.  From January through March it focuses more on promoting the Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal.   Go to http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com.  Previous conference speakers have websites: Fr. Thomas Loya has www.taborlife.com on the Theology of the Body; Danny Abramowicz has www.crossingthegoal.com; Fr. Larry Richards, www.thereasonforourhope.org; Dr. Ray Gaurendi, www.drray.com; Dr. Allen Hunt, www.drallenhunt.com; and Matthew Leonard, www.matthewsleonard.com. There are articles for everyone on http://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com.  Please check them out and thanks for attending and promoting the Men’s Day of Renewal.

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St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, pray for us and for the success of the Men's Conference.