What is ACTS?
Adoration - the call by, acceptance of, and response to God
Community - the love and caring of each other
Theology - the study of God through scripture and the Catholic Faith
Service - to God and his people.
What is an ACTS Retreat?
An ACTS retreat is a three day and three night Catholic lay retreat presented by fellow parishioners. The retreat begins on Thursday evening and ends the following Sunday at a Mass celebrated with the parish community. Retreats for men, women and teens are given separately. The focus of the retreat is Adoration, Community, Theology, and Service, from which the ACTS acronym is derived. Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church are the guides for the retreats.
What is the purpose of the ACTS retreat?
An ACTS weekend is designed to help the retreatants enter into a new or deeper relationship with our Lord and fellow parishioners. This is accomplished through Adoration and daily prayer, the call to Community in one's parish as a member of the Body of Christ, and Theology in encouraging the study of scripture and our Catholic Faith. All of which emphasize and encourage the virtue of Service to our Lord, our parish, and one another.
What is the goal of the ACTS retreat?
A parish ACTS retreat strives to achieve the directives of Vatican II and goals of the Revised Code of Canon Law of 1983 which emphasize "community and pastoral care" within a parish. The weekend allows the retreatants to experience God's love and joy. They return to their parish with a deeper love for each other and a desire to become more involved in their parish community.
The retreat emphasizes our call to service to the parish community and to our world community. There results a new or renewed dedication to the life of the parish community and a new recognition of the needs of those around us and of our obligation, as followers of Christ, to help meet those needs.
Who can attend an ACTS retreat?
ACTS retreats are open to all faiths.
What is an ACTS Chapter?
The ACTS Chapter is a support branch of ACTS Missions dedicated to the missioning process of Catholic communities seeking to bring the ACTS retreat to their parish. Its members represent the various areas of the Diocese.
The Chapter also was created to facilitate the missioning process for parishes interested in having ACTS in their communities and to ensure fidelity to the integrity and spirit of the retreat. In addition to working with and supporting parish Priests and members in the development of ACTS ministries, the Chapter also elects directors to lead retreats for parishes in the missioning process. Typically, the Chapter will work with a new parish over a 2-3 year period to prepare the parish to establish its own Core group.
The Chapter also helps the ACTS community by providing quarterly director workshops, maintaining a diocesan website for disseminating information, conducting Core installation ceremonies, offering support to newly established communities, offering specific training & guidance as requested, and acting as a liaison between the diocese and the ministry.
What is the Missioning Process/How can I get ACTS at my parish?
Please see this link for more information: The Missioning Process
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