Mission of the Redeemer Seminar

A springboard for bringing the mission of the Church to life!

Mission of the Redeemer Seminar

Dave Nodar speaking at Franciscan University, Steubenville, OH in 2008

"They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and to prayer.… Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:42, 46-47)

These verses in the Acts of the Apostles reveal a picture of the early Church that gives us a framework and model for building evangelizing Eucharistic communities. Building is not a passive endeavor. It requires considerable energy, physical ability, and practical skill to take an idea or concept and build from it something tangible. This principle holds true whether we are referring to a physical structure or an infrastructure for a community.

In general, we Catholics often know what we are supposed to do, however, knowing and doing are completely different. We understand that we have been commissioned to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, but we do not know how to talk about the Gospel. Conversion, community life and faith formation are lifetime processes, but we do not know where or how to begin.

ChristLife has developed a one-day seminar entitled Mission of the Redeemer to help Catholics in parishes and small faith communities break through the lethargy and complacency of not knowing how or where to evangelize and begin to actively engage in the great commission of the Lord Jesus to “go and make disciples.”

Small groups at the Mission of the Redeemer Seminar for the diocese of Corpus Christi, TX in February 2008

Mission of the Redeemer is for everyone - clergy, lay leaders, staff associates, catechists, pastoral council, school board members, and volunteers – anyone who has an interest in reaching out to their family members and friends who have left the Catholic Church or are not actively participating in the life of the Church.

This one-day seminar is designed to:

MOBILIZE the lay faithful for the primary mission of the Church
EMPOWER ordinary Catholics to share their faith
MOTIVATE your parish community to reach out to the lost
IMPLEMENT practical tools for the work of evangelization

The format of this day consists of four 45-minute sessions with opportunity for small group discussion, community response and prayer to commission the participants to take action. The topics are as follows.

SESSION 1: The Call and The Challenge of Evangelization

Many Catholics are unfamiliar with the teaching of the Church on the mission of evangelization. This session offers a fresh perspective on the divine commission to “Go and make disciples…” the priority of evangelization in the Catholic Church, and the hope God gives for the growth of his church.

SESSION 2: God's Heart for the Lost

We cannot be effective witnesses if we ourselves have not been evangelized. This is an opportunity for each participant to explore the depth of longing and unconditional love our heavenly Father has for each and every person regardless of our sinfulness.

SESSION 3: "What Must We Do?"

Learn about key elements of an evangelizing community through a fresh look at Acts of the Apostles.

SESSION 4: Embracing the Mission of the Redeemer as a Parish

Develop an action plan for your parish to make the primary mission of evangelization a reality.

Download a flyer (PDF)

What People Are Saying

Small groups at St. Anthonys in Feb 2010

"It was wonderful to have Dave Nodar visit our parish. His presentations on evangelization were thought provoking and inspiring. The approach to evangelization presented by Dave was simple in nature and yet very profound. There is no question in my mind the work of ChristLife is driven by the Holy Spirit. Personally as a pastor I learned a lot from Dave about evangelization while he was here. He helped me see issues and approaches to evangelization I hadn't really thought of before. His "down to earth" and approachable style made him a hit with parishioners."
- Fr. Michael Williams, Pastor, St. Therese Parish, MI

"I was very impressed with the seminar... Dave's message was right on mark, in my opinion. I'm certain other parishes and their members will greatly benefit from this seminar, so keep up the good work! I believe every parish interested in its members' spirituality, helping in any way they can to bring them to eternal salvation, would be interested in your message... Thanks for reinforcing the spirit of evangelization. The Bishops' message needs to be heard and followed more across our country. With only 30% of Roman Catholics in the U.S. attending Mass regularly, your message is one every one of us needs to hear."
- Bill Mader, St. Thomas Aquinas, NM

"As a Diocesan Church we were both educated and enriched with their presentations and their Mission of Evangelization. They exhibited incredible energy and refreshing stories that easily relate to people's everyday experiences. Their presentations were absolutely creative and brilliant. One can readily see that they are dedicated to their mission and their work. The feedback from those attending the Seminar was overwhelmingly positive. Since I saw their work first hand, I have already recommended them to other dioceses without reservations."
- Sr. Linda LaMagna, Diocese of Altoona, PA

"I would highly recommend the [MOR] seminar to any individual or parish. Participants will walk away no longer afraid of or intimidated by the Lord's call to evangelize, but rather renewed and strengthened and filled with a desire to help reveal the love of Christ to a world in need of healing."
- John Driscoll, Pastoral Assistant, St. Patrick Parish, PA

Speakers & Fees

Dave Nodar present the Mission of the Redeemer seminar (read endorsements by bishops, priests, and laity). In addition, upon request ChristLife brings a table of evangelization resources for sale.

In addition to travel expenses, Dave is available for $1700 for a one-day seminar or $800 for an evening session. Travel expenses include: airfare, food, hotel and ground transporation. All travel arrangements are booked by ChristLife. If your parish or organization cannot financially afford these fees, please contact us.

Please note that ChristLife is a full time lay ministry dependent upon speaker fees, resource sales and donations to exist.

Dave Nodar with Fr. Marc and Josh Danis after a Mission of the Redeemer Seminar in Fall 2008 in NH

To schedule a Mission of the Redeemer Seminar for your parish contact us