Growing in Faith Together (GIFT) is a spirit-filled outreach, welcoming all ages and stages of people to develop a living faith through prayer, learning, worship, and community. The theme for 2010-2011 is EPIC: Our journey through Church History. Our identity as Catholics means that we are the inheritors of the deeds of holy men and women who for 2,000 years have built a great civilization and spread the Gospel throughout the world. Church history is not just the recitation of popes, people, places, and events; it is a story of adventure, intrigue, rebellion, reform, and devotion. This story is our story; this is our family. History is the story of God at work in the world and of the men and women He has called to play leading roles in the divine drama. If we know our past, and how we fit into the story, we will be better prepared to face whatever may come in the future.
The authentic story of the Church has rarely been told over recent years. Many of us are at a loss to tell the story of the Church when confronted by misinformation and prejudice. In order to combat the counter-story, we must be armed with the truth of Church history and given the tools to remember that story.
Please call the Faith Formation Office if you have any questions: 608.356.5353
January's GIFT Topic Crusaders and Scholars 1000-1299AD "The Lord is a warrior. The Lord is His name." Exodus 15:3
"Because war was a part of life during this time, may Christians were accustomed to fighting. Pope Urban II called for the first Crusade in 1095. (Crusade comes from the Latin word crux, meaning "cross." Warring Christian kings stopped fighting each other and united to lead a great army to conquer and recapture the Holy Land. The first Crusade was rather successful. The Crusaders drove the Turks from the Holy Land and set up a Christian state there. But old habits die hard. It was not long before the Christian kings were fighting each other again. Eventually, the Turks took advantage of the sparring and regained control over the Holy Land. Five more crusades followed between the years 1100 and 1250 AD. Some Crusades meet with success, but most failed for various reasons. Some of our Church's greatest theologians and philosphers lived during this age. St. Thomas Aquinas is perhaps the best known and probably one of the greatest minds to have ever lived." Church HIstory, St. Mary's Press
Saturday, January 8 5:00 - 7:00 pm (Saturday Night GIFT begins with Dinner from 5:00 - 5:30pm.)
Wednesday, January 12 6:30-8:00 pm
To learn more about this time period, GIFT II (Going Deeper) is Wednesday, January 26, beginning at 6:30pm in the Holy Family Room.
If you misplaced your Information Sheet on what to do between GIFT Sessions, you may download the PDF below! Please keep the learning going within your households during the month.
