St. Peter Chanel Adult Education Conferences

"Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." - Luke 5:4

Recap of Strong Men / Strong Faith April 20, 2009 Conference Held at St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church, Roswell, GA

-by Randy Hain and Deacon Mike Bickerstaff

Pray, Read and Talk - these were the actions hammered home Monday night to help us deepen our Catholic faith and get closer to Christ at the first ever Strong Men/Strong Faith meeting at St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church. Highly sought after Catholic speakers, Patrick Lencioni, Allen Hunt and Matthew Kelly attracted over 1,000 men and women from across the Archdiocese and neighboring states to an exciting evening - a Monday evening no less - highlighted by the very different talks given by each man.

Each speaker shared pieces of their faith journey and exhorted us to more deeply appreciate the Truth and Beauty of our Catholic faith.

Pat Lencioni, best selling author and international speaker, shared his relatively recent passion for the faith of his baptism and how the last few years of deeper faith have helped him be a better husband, father and leader. He encouraged us to read books on our faith, especially Jesus-Shock by Peter Kreeft. He reminded us that Christ should be viewed as a Lion, and not a kitten, as Kreeft argues in his excellent book.

This was Allen Hunt's second visit to St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church as a featured speaker and he has touched the hearts of many here. Many had requested that we invite Allen back for this encore apparence. A former Methodist Minister and recent convert to the Church, Allen shared with us the simple truth that we are yearning for a deeper relationship with Christ. The story of his faith journey and the challenges he faces with his conversion were touching and revealing…and inspiring.

Matthew Kelly, best selling author and international speaker, helped us understand that we have “forgotten our story” as we Catholics seem to shy away from being passionate about our faith. He rightly pointed out tremendous achievements of the Church and our enormous size, yet we don’t seem to have enough faith and courage to stand up for our faith. He encouraged us to be the “best versions" of ourselves, regain or develop a deep appreciation for the Mass and the Eucharist and to rediscover our Catholic faith.

All three men asked us to Pray daily, Read at least five pages a day of a good book on our faith and Talk to others about our faith. Our challenge as attendees is to take these words to heart and get serious about our faith. We have been far too passive, too willing to compromise our beliefs and partake in “Cafeteria Catholicism.” We heard the truth Monday night, as painful as it may have been... and now we have to act!

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Conference Video

Pat, Allen and Matthew have created the "5 Pages a Day" website to help keep the excitement of the evening accessible, especially for those who could not attend the event. Each of their talks was recorded for video playback and can be viewed online at http://5pagesaday.com.