1. 6/23/2017
2017 MD STATE LEADERSHIP
EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS

2. EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS
The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.
-- Michelangelo

3. COUNCIL PROGRAM AREAS Program Areas Church Community Council
Culture of Life
Family
Youth

4. COUNCIL PROGRAM AREAS Why do Activities Reinforce our Faith
Channel our Charitable Nature
Develop Fraternity and Friendship among our Members
Bond with our Families
Attract new Members

5. EFFECTIVE COUNCIL PROGRAMS
Activities attract new Members, new Members bring new Activities.

6. EFFECTIVE COUNCIL PROGRAMS
Grand Knight’s Responsibilities
Your responsible for everything
Choose a good Program Director
Someone you can work with
Someone who shares your vision
Someone who can handle the work

7. EFFECTIVE COUNCIL PROGRAMS
Choose Activity Directors
Work with Program Director
Create list of Activities and Dates
Minimum of first six months by July 1, 2017
Choose Activity Chairmen
Ideally one activity per Chairman

8. Building the Domestic Church through Council Programs
Fraternal Programs
The Domestic Church initiative is not separate and apart from council programs. The goals of the initiative should inform all council programs, and should drive the selection of new programs for the council. There is no single Service Program category under which Domestic Church programs will naturally fall. Programs designed to build the domestic church and strengthen the parishes we serve will encompass all six Service Program categories.

9. WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES Council Mission and Member Experience
Programs as tools for Recruitment, Retention and Member Engagement
Orderwide Objectives & Priority Programs
Programming “Best Practices”
2017/2018 BDC Council Action Plan
The mission of each Knights of Columbus council is to engage members and their families in making a tangible difference in the parishes and communities in which they are located, and to encourage all men of the parish that there is a place for them in the Knights of Columbus.

10. “Today, the Knights of Columbus is providentially positioned to play a key role in the new alliance between the Church and the family… But for us to do so requires that we adopt new methods.”
The Supreme Knight first announced this initiative in November of It followed our great collaboration with the Holy Father’s mission at the World Meeting of Families and the Supreme Knight positioned our initiative as a response to the alliance that Pope Francis has called for between the Church and the family.
Copies of that speech are available at kofc.org/Domestic Church for you to both read and watch if you haven’t already.

11. VISION & MISSION A well-rounded slate of impactful outreach programs
Makes a positive difference in the lives of people in need in the parish and community
Demonstrates to men (and their families) that there is a place for them within the KofC
Engages council members and strengthens membership experiences
Remember what we talked about earlier…recruitment, retention and engagement. The key words here that help councils accomplish those objectives are “well-rounded” and “impactful.” Conduct a variety of program that will engage all council members and address a variety of needs. And don’t waste your members’ valuable time on programs that don’t make any real difference in the parish or community.

12. “Family, become what you are” – Familiaris Consortio
This quote is of St. John Paul II is taken from his 1981 post-synodal exhortation The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World.
When we speak of the Domestic Church we are speaking of the Christian family in its fullness. Our families need to be domestic churches and they are prepared for this by the sacraments, by their faith and by their community.
It is important to note that Pope Francis’ exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, is also the summary document of a Synod on the family, in fact TWO synods on the family and follows up on the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.
We’ll be looking to both Pope Francis and St. John Paul II in this new endeavor, because it is a work that both of these popes have called the laity, and in certain ways the Knights of Columbus, to take on.
This is an important theme for us to remember as we move forward in our understanding of the Domestic Church initiative. This is not new territory for the Church or the Knights. What is new are the ways we are addressing and responding to the needs of modern families and parishes.

13. BUILDING THE DOMESTIC CHURCH
In the context of:
Domestic Church (Family Life)
Family of Families (Parish Life)
Our Fraternity (Council Life)
As we talk today we’ll need to keep in mind the initiative and our programs within these three contexts:
What does the initiative mean for our domestic churches, our families? How can our programs impact the homes of all Catholic men and their families?
Our Families are called to be the domestic churches we are speaking about and as fraternal leaders this starts at home. We cannot give to others what we do not have ourselves. So understanding the initiative is key to our implementation and successful support of stronger parishes. It is essential that as fraternal leaders we live this out first within our families.
The parish is the home for families and this is where our work is most important and effective. Our model of fraternity fits best within the parish. As Knights we already know what it is to be a ‘family of families’ because we live this within our councils and we have this to share with others. Our promotion within the parish is going to be key to our success here and our pastors and churches need to know about our mission and goals
Our fraternity is our strength in this work. No other organization supports and strengthens catholic men and enables them to do more for their family, their church or themselves. We need to lean on that fraternity while building and implementing our plans.

14. “Families are the domestic Church, where Jesus grows; he grows in the love of spouses, he grows in the lives of children.”
One of the simplest explanations of the domestic church that I’ve found was given to us by Pope Francis. It describes the reality that our marriages and our families provide a church for growth of faith and love, in the person of Jesus Christ.
The concept of Domestic Church is not a new one but it is something rediscovered following Vatican II. Part of our work is bringing this vision for family life to an even wider audience and to this generation of parents and families.
Families fully alive in the vision of the Church have the following qualities:
They are:
Communities of prayer where parents and children pray with and for each other. This is not a sometime thing this is an all the time thing. We teach our children devotion to the Holy Family, the intercession of the saints, the protection of our guardian angels, and these prayers form the habits that guide our family life together and as individuals.
Schools of Faith and Charity – The family is the first place we learn the faith and parents have the responsibility of passing on the traditions of the Church to their children. We all agree to this in our preparation for marriage and it is one of the primary aims of Christian family life. Families are also where we learn about virtue and charity, first in our relationships with one another and then as our family engages the world. Charity truly begins at home since it finds its inspiration in the family.
Engaged in the Church’s Mission of evangelization – Domestic Churches, families fully alive, are agents of the new evangelization. By their work within the world they bring the gospel to life through their relationships, witness, service and love of one another.

15. INITIATIVE GOALS Full participation by ALL councils
Integrated Parish Life
Membership & Programming impact
Domestic Church Activities
These are some characteristics of the initiative that will be important to remember.
Full participation is a nice fraternal way of saying this is not optional, this is an obligation every council must take upon themselves, starting now.
The family needs strong parish live to thrive and grow and the future of the Order depends upon strong parishes. This means we need to know and work in concert with parish goals. We’ll talk about not duplicating efforts an assessing the BEST role a council can play within a given parish community. All of us, as fraternal leaders, have a responsibility in implementing this vision for the family and the parish.
We already know that much of the goals and mission of the Knights manifests itself in our good works of charity, our programs and activities. But we should be careful not to just see this as a series of programs but a full effort on all members of the Order. It is more than just what councils can offer to families and parishes, it begins with what we can offer to ourselves, our members and all Catholic men. There is a fraternal membership benefit attached to the vision of this initiative. More than a program goal, Building the Domestic Church is a reason to become a Knight and stay active.
At the core of the initiative we are developing specific programs meant to strengthen families and inspire parishes. Implementing the Domestic Church initiative starts with offering these programs in every parish with a council. Not every council can do ALL of these programs, but EVERY parish can benefit from some combination of them. That is where the conversation must begin.

16. COLUMBIAN AWARD 4 major programs in each of six program
categories
Form #SP-7 due June 30th
Every year there are many councils who attain both their membership and insurance goals, but fail to earn Star Council recognition because they neglect to submit the Columbian Award application. Don’t be one of those councils…if you’ve earned Star, be recognized as a Star. Visit kofc.org/forms to access the Columbian Award Application (No. SP-7) and submit by the June 30 deadline date.

17. Programs as Membership Opportunities
The more people know about the Knights of Columbus, the better we look. Make sure the men of the parish know what the council is doing. Use bulletin inserts, pulpit announcements, s, social media posts, etc., to publicize the council’s good works. This will help to create the “favorable circumstances” under which a prospect is likely to accept the invitation to join. And – since actions speak louder than words – invite a prospect to participate in a council program before inviting him to join.

18. RECRUITMENT
Invite a prospect (and his family) to take part in an impactful council program
Show him the good that the council does in the parish and community…and that you have fun doing it
INVITE HIM TO JOIN THE COUNCIL
Never forget the importance of asking the prospective member to join. No matter how much good feeling a man has toward the council, he is unlikely to inititate the process of joining. That’s our job, and we must do it.

19. RETENTION
When recruiting a man to join, we promise him the opportunity to make a positive difference in the parish and community
Programs allow us to keep that promise
It’s important to remember that – even if you do everything right – some men will still say ‘no’ when invited to join. Some of the most prominent members of the Order said ‘no’ the first time they were asked to join.
When a prospect does say ‘no,’ it’s important to respect that. Make a reasonable attempt to address all of his concerns and objections, but don’t badger him or unduly pressure him. Do, however, leave the door open to renew the conversation at a later time, and let him know that his help and input are still welcome and valued.
Whether a prospect says ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ it’s important that he leave the interaction with a positive impression of the council and the Order.

20. ENGAGEMENT
Solicit and welcome the input of members, parishioners and the community at-large
Give all the opportunity to be vested in the council’s success
Parishes and communities have many and varied needs. Take advantage of all the resources available to you to identify those needs and develop programs that will address them.

21. Programming Objectives & 2017/18 Priorities
As we’ve discussed, Knights of Columbus programs bring a myriad of benefits to the parishes and communities that we serve. Ideally, though, our outreach should not be haphazard or unfocused. Every council – in consultation with their chaplain and pastor, should at the beginning of each fraternal year, develop a plan for what needs they will attempt to address and the programs they will implement to address them. This organized approach will allow each council to maximize the effectiveness of its material and manpower resources.

22. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES Engage your parish community
Build up our domestic churches
Seek to strengthen parish life
Serve the greatest needs
Engage members AND families
Open council “doors” to all parish men
Every Council Should
1. Be an integral part of parish life for all parishioners
A force for good that engages members, families and all parishioners in the outreach of the council
2. Help families to become the Domestic Churches that Pope Francis has called them to be
Know the faith
Grow in the faith
Put their faith into action
3. Strengthen Catholic parishes
Strong parishes are comprised of faithful, committed, engaged parishioners
Help parishioners to become more fully formed in their faith
Give them opportunities to put their faith into action
4. Help people in need
The first principal of the Order is Charity
5. Engage current members and their families
When recruiting a man to join, we promise him the opportunity to make a positive difference in the parish and community
Programs allow us to keep that promise
6. Demonstrate to prospective members that there is a place for them in the Knights of Columbus
Invite a prospect (and his family) to take part in an impactful council program
Then INVITE HIM TO JOIN

23. PRIORITY PROGRAMS RSVP Coats for Kids Food for Families
Ultrasound Initiative
Christian Refugee Relief
AND our Domestic Church Activities
RSVP – Councils can qualify for a refund from the Supreme Council of $100 for every $500 contributed to an individual seminarian or postulant. Moral support is also an important part of RSVP – the goal is to make certain that every seminarian has a group of Catholic men that truly care about him and support him as he discerns his vocation.
Coats for Kids – the Knights of Columbus councils have distributed more than 400,000 brand new winter coats since the inception of the program in Again for , the cost will be $220 (including shipping) per case of 12 coats delivered to addresses in the continental United States, and $245USD for coats delivered to addresses in Canada and other addresses outside the continental U.S. Visit knightsgear.com to place your council’s order.
Food for Families – councils can qualify for a refund from the Supreme Council of $100 for every $500 – or for every 1000 pounds of food – contributed to parish food pantries, community food banks, soup kitchens, and other feed the hungry organizations in their communities.
Ultrasound Initiative – when a local council raises half of the purchase price of an untrasound machine to be placed in a qualifying pregnancy care center, the Supreme Council will contribute the remaining half. Visit kofc.org/ultrasound for details.
Christian Refugee Relief – Christians in the middle east and elsewhere are being persecuted – and even killed – simply because of their belief in Jesus Christ. Help the Knights of Columbus to support these brothers and sisters in Christ by making a contribution to Knights of Columbus Charities or by purchasing a Solidarity Cross.

24. PRIORITY PROGRAMS Serve to Recruit, Retain and Engage
Rooted in our principles of Charity, Unity and Fraternity
Parish and Community commitment
Councils should focus their efforts on programs – including the ones just discussed – that accomplish one or more of these objectives. And don’t forget that programs that simply allow members and their families to enjoy one another’s company do that…they engage members and foster a sense of unity and fraternity within the council.

25. DOMESTIC CHURCH ACTIVITIES
Build strong Catholic families and Catholic parishes
Make the council more intricately a part of parish life
Help members and their families become more fully formed in their Catholic faith
As Knights, we’re good at and comfortable with rolling up our sleeves and getting to work. If there is a job to do, we do it. But we can be more than that. We can help families – and by extension parishes – to be more faith-filled and Christ-centered. This is a goal of the Building the Domestic Church initiative.

26. Domestic Church Activities
Family Rosary Program
Holy Family Consecration
Family Fully Alive
Father’s Day Affirmation of Wedding Vows
Family Week Celebration
Holy Family Prayer Program
This is the complete list of Domestic Church activities that councils can conduct for credit this year. Some of these are already part of many council program calendars – others are newer this year. This complete list and program action pages are on kofc.org/domesticchurch – a complete website for the Domestic church initiative.
2 suggested programs that councils have a lot of flexibility with are:
Family Week – it has long been a KofC tradition to promote a week of family friendly activities in and around the parish – typically during the summer. The Fraternal Leader success planner lists this as the second week of August but councils can conduct these programs at any time that fits their community. There is no set schedule of events or agenda for this program, so any series of family events can fit this requirement.
Spiritual Formation Groups – If your councils promote, organize or operate any spiritual or scripture study groups for members or men of the parish – this is what we are talking about. Into the Breach is a very popular new resource available from CIS that can help councils start to organize such groups, but if this is already something that exists then it fits the requirement.

27. Keep Christ in Christmas
Journey to the Inn
Spiritual Formation Groups
Into the Breach
CIS Building the Domestic Church Series
Kiosk displays for councils

28. HOLY FAMILY PRAYER PROGRAM #5050
Opportunity to promote initiative
Build larger family events around the program
Plan diocesan celebrations
The holy family icons continue to travel around the jurisdictions. Each council should have the opportunity to welcome the icon and host the event in their parish.
Councils should use this event as an opportunity to promote the newer programs and focus of the Domestic Church initiative. Grand Knights or council leaders may take a few minutes to introduce some of the newer programs or ideas that they plan to enact in the parish with the permission and support of the pastor.
This is an easy event to expand and build a family event around, by simply providing hospitality afterwards and incorporating it after a Mass or asking your pastor to include adoration and benediction as part of the service.

29. Consecration to the Holy Family #10371
Every parish with KofC presence
First Sunday after Christmas
Feast of the Holy Family (most years)
Ideally between Christmas and Jan. 1 OR
Whenever makes sense for the parish
Every council should promote the annual Christmas time program of the Consecration to the Holy Family. The prayer cards are available from the Supply Department and it is an easy program to run by coordinating the prayer at every Mass on January 1st or sometime during Christmas week.

30. kofc.org/DomesticChurch
Journey to the Inn
Youth & Family focused
Advent program
Teaches and transmits the faith
Requires early planning
There is a brand new Keep Christ in Christmas page up at kofc.org/Christmas. Any of the Keep Christ in Christmas programs listed will receive credit towards the Domestic Church requirement.
• Journey to the Inn is a great way to incorporate a live re-enactment of the travels of the Holy Family, whether within the church or outside. This would be ideal if you are getting the parish school or religious education classes involved in the events.
kofc.org/DomesticChurch

31. THE FAMILY FULLY ALIVE #10162 NEW extended Third Edition
Ideal for new members and their families
Parish-wide monthly program
Councils should place their orders immediately for the newest Family Fully Alive program. This book is an ideal gift for new members and new parish families.
The prayers and meditations coincide with monthly themes for family prayer and reflection. Pastors may want to also utilize the book for a parish-wide program by addressing the monthly theme in one of the Sunday homilies each month.
These books are available now for order for only the cost of shipping through Knights Gear or by calling Supply. (U.S. and Canada)

32. INTO THE BREACH #340 Addresses need for men’s formation
Reflection guide to help launch new men’s program
Open to all men of your parish
Supreme Knight – During the State Deputies meeting in New Haven said “Our Domestic Church program, and “Into the Breach” will help our councils break any stereotypes still associated with the Knights and help them open wide their doors and invite more of their fellow parishioners in” This is a serious commitment to addressing the spiritual needs of men within our parish. Councils should organize study groups of interested men to read and pray through this important new CIS booklet.
This can be a model for other CIS study groups and men’s group gatherings that the council can host. The reflection guide at the back of the booklet offers a suggested program agenda and weekly guide. These books will be available from the Supply department beginning in July CIS Book #340 – Veritas Series.
Into the Breach is our newest and currently most popular CIS book. The encyclical letter by Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix is a challenge to all men, husbands fathers and Knights, to become more fully the man God is calling us to be. The Supreme Council staff has written a reflection guide to help councils start a discussion group in their parish centered around the book.
The hope is that these group reflections will inspire future men’s spirituality discussions run by our councils. These programs continue to be popular and attractive to all men, particularly younger parishioners.

33. NEW CIS SERIES BUILDING THE DOMESTIC CHURCH
New Kiosk available for councils ONLY
Ideal for parish hall or vestibule display
Special Pricing
Knights Gear & Supply Department
U.S. & Canada (English only)
The newest Building the Domestic Church program/activity is the promotion of the new CIS Building the Domestic Church Series – a set of 13 popular booklets that will help inspire and catechize our catholic families.
Councils (and only councils) can order the new series for their parish through CIS for the price of $ The cost covers the books and shipping – and receive a FREE kiosk to display the series in your parish vestibule or church hall.
By ordering and promoting this series within the parish, councils can receive credit for one Domestic Church activity.

34. Building the Domestic Church Initiative
COUNCIL ACTION PLAN
Building the Domestic Church Initiative

35. COUNCIL ACTION PLAN
Organize at least TWO activities from each of these four areas
Member
Family
Parish
Community
U.S and Canadian participating councils will receive a commemorative Holy Family icon

36. GETTING STARTED
Meet with your pastor. Does your pastor have an activity that needs doing?
Read or watch the Supreme Knight’s address.
Explore the Domestic Church web pages (kofc.org/DomesticChurch)
Promote the Family Fully Alive program.
Start an Into the Breach (#340) study group.
Meet with your pastor. Sit down with your pastor to plan your year. Parish priorities should drive your council’s activity.
Read or watch the Supreme Knight’s Domestic Church address. Available online at kofc.org/DomesticChurch.
Explore the Domestic Church web pages. There are resources available online to help your council plan activities and to share with your members and families.
Promote the Family Fully Alive program. Order copies of the program (#10162) for your members to begin at home. Ask your chaplain or lecturer to incorporate the monthly themes into your meetings. Go to for full details.
Start an Into the Breach (#340) study group. Invite all men of the parish to join your council in a study of Bishop Olmsted’s letter. Commit to promoting his Practices of a Committed Catholic Man throughout your council and parish.

37. COUNCIL BEST PRACTICES
Meet regularly with your pastor
Conduct programs consistent with parish goals
Solicit input from a wide variety of sources
Plan with the parish and community calendar, not against
Regular dialogue between pastors and council leaders can only help Knights of Columbus councils to be more parish-centered and parish-focused. Many pastors don’t fully realize – because they’ve never had the opportunity to experience – the myriad benefits that an active Knights of Columbus council can bring to a parish. Meet with him to learn about his hopes, dreams and goals for the parish. Suggest ways that the council can help. Make every effort to be there when he needs you to be. Exceed his expectations. He can’t do it alone.

38. COUNCIL BEST PRACTICES
Visit kofc.org and state council website
Tabulate the “measurables”
Dollars donated
Hours worked
Identify your best programs
Evaluate every program
Tabulate the measurables for each program
Dollars donated, man-hours expended, etc.
Report on Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity
Identify the council’s best programs
Enter your best programs – along with your Family of the Year – in the state council awards competition

39. PILGRIMAGE TO SAINT JOHN PAUL II NATIONAL SHRINE
All councils – especially those within driving distance of Washington are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine
A pilgrimage will fulfill TWO of the four program requirements in the Church Activities category if:
At least 10 Knights, family members or parishioners take part
The pilgrimage includes a Mass celebrated in the Luminous Mysteries Chapel at the Shrine
The pilgrims spend a minimum of 3.5 hours at the Shrine
Visit jp2shrine.org for additional information.

40. WORKSHOP REVIEW Understand the initiative
The Church’s vision for family life
Communicate & promote priorities
Strong Programs, Strong Councils, Strong Parishes
Develop your council action plan
Leaders in the New Evangelization
The Domestic Church initiative is not separate and apart from council programs. The goals of the initiative should inform all council programs, and should drive the selection of new programs for the council. There is no single Service Program category under which Domestic Church programs will naturally fall. Programs designed to build the domestic church and strengthen the parishes we serve will encompass all six Service Program categories.

41. “The family as domestic church is central to the work of the new evangelization and to the future sustainability of our parishes”

42. kofc.org/DomesticChurch
RESOURCES
(203)
kofc.org/Surge
kofc.org/DomesticChurch

43. RESOURCES Maryland State Council Program Handbook
State Council Program Team
State Council Book of Reports
Columbia Magazine
Your Council’s history and records
Your Council’s Past Grand Knights