The invitation Invite guests to journey with you as you invite them into your home.
A simple, 4-week opportunity to offer hospitality, build community, and share faith - right from our homes - around a topic we can all relate to. "Living Joy" is about discovering and embracing how to live joyful lives, as adults and teens truly.
Will you consider inviting friends or family and hosting a group? It's simple but powerful!
"God created you for JOY— and he wants that for you here and now! You just have to cooperate with his plan and follow some simple steps."
-Chris Stefanick
Creator of "Living Joy"
Why are we doing this? Jesus is calling each of us to go beyond the walls of our church and share him in our homes and neighborhoods. But let's be honest, sharing our faith can feel daunting.
We all know people who are searching or curious about faith but aren't ready or haven't found the time to commit to something at church, like The Rescue Project, Formation Series, or a Bible study.
This 4-week "Living Joy" series provides a simple, relatable way to connect and explore faith. We believe that getting started with these 4-weeks during Lent will be a catalyst for your group to continue beyond Easter through all 9 Rules for Living Joy!
What is Living Joy about?
Living Joy is a video-based series for adults and teens by Chris Stefanick (Real Life Catholic) that explores 9 simple rules for rediscovering and living true and lasting joy - that comes from a life rooted in faith and community. Each week centers on a different key aspect of joyful living. With humor, practical wisdom, Scripture, and real-life stories, it’s designed to reach people wherever they are on their faith journey.
Each session includes (60-90 minutes, tops):
Time for fellowship (20-30 minutes)
Two short videos (~12 minutes total)
Discussion questions, with opportunities for conversation and prayer (30-40 minutes)
Pick a weekly meeting time, ideally during the 4 weeks of March 1 - April 1, for 90 minutes each session.
Offer a welcoming space in your home.
Set out some snacks and drinks. Don't rush the fellowship! Begin each session with time for conversation.
Press play on the 2 weekly videos. (Videos are available online to all who attended REBOOT)
Go through the discussion questions as a group. No teaching involved! Just make space for meaningful conversation. (Discussion guide is provided.)
Close with a short prayer from the heart.
Reach out to your group via text or email between gatherings, inviting them back.
Who should I invite?
Any adults you know! This is about a personal invitation. Think about who might need a gentle way to re-engage with faith or community—and invite them. Your group might include:
Friends or neighbors
Family members
Fellow parishioners
People who’ve stepped away from church or are spiritually curious
How long is the commitment?
Just 4 weekly gatherings —with the option to continue.
Each session is stand-alone, so if someone misses a week, they won’t fall behind.
The full series includes 9 sessions, so groups may continue after the 4 weeks, if they choose. If meeting weekly, this will take the group through the Easter season to Pentecost!
When do we start?
Today, tomorrow, within this first week, then meet once a week. You pick the day of the week and time that works best for your group, or we will help you find one that works best for your schedule and type of people; then you go. Growing together in living out the call for joy!
Meeting for 90 minutes is ideal, to provide time for fellowship.
Nope! This model is based on personal relationships and invitation. The people you invite simply reply directly to you. Only hosts sign up; see the form here. On this form, you will list those in your group and, if you're open, others joining your group who might be looking to join a group.
Nothing! Thanks to the generosity of Chris Stefanick and Real Life Catholic, the Living Joy content is free for all who attended the REBOOT event. Serving simple snacks and something to drink is ideal, but not required. Consider rotating snack duty.
No training is involved! We'll provide you with a short masterclass for inviting people and hosting, and we'll stay in touch along the way. We also have Host Mentors whom you can lean on for questions you may have as a small group leader.
With personal hospitality being central to this experience, meeting in homes is key. Your home doesn't need to be big or a showplace--just welcoming! Space will not be provided at the church for this series.
Personal invitations are key to this experience, so the parish is not organizing groups from scratch for the Living Joy series. We will be coordinating with individuals or couples looking to join a group and finding a good match for them to find community.
We've got you covered! We'll provide an opportunity each week to submit questions to Nick Johnson, Director of Discipleship.