Lay Ministers and Their Spiritual Practices

Lay Ministers and Their Spiritual Pratices James Davidson, Thomas Walters, Bede Cisco, O.S.B., Katherine Meyer, Charles Zech While lay ministers have quickly become an integral part of the day-to-day functioning of the Catholic Church in the United States, little has been written about their spiritual practices ... until now. Here is a glimpse into the professional and spiritual lives of Catholic lay ministers. For the first time, learn: • What their ministry means to them • What their spiritual practices are • What sustains them in their work • What they seek from continuing education and formation Lay Ministers and Their Spiritual Practices is the result of three years of research by a team of authors including two sociologists, an economist, a religious educator, and a ministry formation director. Their extensive examination included a professionally designed and executed survey of lay ministers in five dioceses, focus groups with selected subgroups, and thorough reviews of literature on the spirituality of married people and the spirituality of racial and ethnic minorities. Now, based on what they discovered, they offer recommendations on spiritual formation for both current and new lay ministers. You need this if you are a: • Lay minister • Pastor • Formation program director • Bishop Here — clearly spelled out — are the most popular spiritual practices used by the large majority of lay ministers. The writers also present principles for building effective spiritual formation programs. Here are the real issues and practical ways to address them.