On Mission
July 2024
How Your Care Forms Missionary Disciples
Your generosity provides world-class formation for our missionaries this summer. Through this formation, they learn about Christ and grow in such intimacy with Him that He becomes their peace and source of identity and freedom. As they form friendships with mentors who lead them to an intimate relationship with Jesus, they become missionary disciples who teach others to teach (2 Tim 2:2).
Modeled after St. Pope John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation on the formation of priests and the USCCB guidelines for developing lay people in ministry, FOCUS’ Summer Formation covers four areas of formation: Human, Spiritual, Intellectual and Apostolic.
You are invited to join our missionaries this summer to go even deeper in letting your heart, mind, body and soul be conformed to Christ through these resources.

Human Formation
You know that many of Jesus’ Apostles were familiar with a particular type of “catching.” He flipped the paradigm when He invited these fishermen to become “fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). To “catch” men, they were first to “catch” the virtues of Christ through friendship with Him. The more time they spent with Christ, the more like Him they became, growing into the saints they were called to be.
FOCUS’ human formation prompts missionaries to take on the character and virtues of Christ — first by learning the concepts and then putting them into practice. This happens primarily in small groups, through which they live in community and regularly discuss key concepts learned in the classroom.
Consider using these tools to learn the virtues of Christ and practice them with your loved ones!
First-year topics: Virtue and freedom, prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude
- The Art of Living: Dr. Edward Sri
- Fellowship: Virtuous Friendships Discipleship Article
- Pursuing Christlike Character Discipleship Article
Second-year topics: The human person and vocational discernment
All-staff topics: Moral authority, chastity, sobriety, and excellence, media and mental health
- NST Spotify playlists: Upbeat & Calm
- Moral Authority and Chastity, Sobriety and Excellence Discipleship Article

Spiritual Formation
When was the first time you learned how to pray? How has prayer helped you to know God more personally and, as a result, grow in peace and freedom?
This week of training is set aside for missionaries to grow in intimacy with God. Both first- and second-year missionaries spend time on retreat where they are invited to grow in relationship with each Person of the Holy Trinity. You are welcome to join us in going deeper with these same formative topics!
First-year topics: How to pray a holy hour, principles of prayer, Lectio Divina, Ignatian contemplation, the Mass, sacraments and grace
- The Hour That Will Change Your Life
- Seven Life-Changing Tips for Prayer
- Prayer: Spiritual Breathing Discipleship Article
Second-year topics: The second conversion, discernment of spirits, meditations on the Trinity and the Incarnation
- Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide to Everyday Living, Fr. Timothy Gallagher
- Conversion: Spiritual Insights into an Essential Encounter with God, Fr. Donald Haggerty
All-staff topics: Three-day retreat and a half day of recollection
- Consider finding a local retreat in your area or taking a personal retreat with the guidance of a spiritual director.

Intellectual Formation
By drawing closer to Christ, have you experienced the joy of realizing you have a unique part in God’s story of salvation?
Thanks to the richness of our Church and holy Scripture, we can immerse our minds in the true story of salvation history. Free from the lies of worldly, false narratives, we can more clearly understand our identity and mission.
You are welcome to join us in seeking the truth in Christ with these Bible study and discipleship resources.
All-staff topics: Catholic Worldview and Catholic teaching on gender and sexuality

Apostolic Formation
Have you ever felt the flutter of excitement at the thought of your loved ones — and eventually the entire world — experiencing a transformative relationship with Christ?
In this phase of training, missionaries learn what it means to be apostolic: to live as the Apostles did in response to Jesus’ Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19).
Disciples of Christ — like you and our missionaries — have many resources at your fingertips to learn how to “win” someone in authentic friendship and invite them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. As those you mentor grow in zeal, you can teach them to share Christ with their friends — so that together, we can reach the world with the Gospel.
Here are some ways you can learn how to lead others in being a disciple of Christ.