Create pastoral strategies that support the family as the Domestic Church; a place of transforming spiritual growth for forming disciples.

Objective 1: Incorporate church programs, ministries and/or apostolates that support the life cycle of marriage and family from dating through the end of life.

Resource Spotlight:

• Our Catholic Family – Activities, Conversations, and Prayer for Sharing Faith at Home - This simple and attractive new book can be a powerful help for families to share in faith-filled conversation, to engage in enjoyable religious activities, and to pray together.
• The US Bishops maintain a Parents and Parenting page on their web site that contains a wealth of resources for all stages of marriage and family life.
• Austin's chapter of Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers resources and events for entire families.

Desired Outcome:

• There are programs, ministries or apostolates available for parishioners to support the life cycle of marriage and family.

Objective 2: Foster and educate families that they are the Domestic Church and that the parish is a family of families.

Resource Spotlight:

• The Fragrance of Family Life - This guide will help you share prayer time with your children, parents, grandparents, and all those whom the Lord has placed in your life. La Fragancia de la Vida Familiar (The Fragrance of Family Life) ¡Esta guía les ayudará a compartir el momento de oración con sus hijos, sus padres, sus abuelos y con todos aquellos que el Señor ha puesto en sus vidas!
• New for Kids:We Pray in Many Ways - An excellent book to teach younger children the values and traditions of the Catholic Church through simple words and illustrations. Vibrant and colorful, We Pray in Many Ways introduces children ages 3-5 to the Catholic faith and its traditions.
• Being a parent isn’t easy. It can often be challenging and overwhelming, especially with the influences of social media. Technology safety begins in the home. The Faith and Safety Initiative is a collaboration between The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The site provides information and ideas to understand the use of technology through the eyes of faith.
• Lighthouse Catholic Media offers austin presentations, books and movies for families to dive deeper into their faith. Check your parish's entry way for the Lighthouse Catholic Media kiosk.
• Couples Time Out: Couple's Time Out is a short pause from the business of life that focuses on growing spiritually, to enrich and strengthen their marriage. It includes a talk from a Schoenstatt Father, time for private reflection and Adoration at the Marian Shrine. It occurs every second Saturday, from 9:30 to 11:30am, and babysitting is provided on site. Schoenstatt Movement of Austin www.schoenstatt.us
• Home Altar: The Home Altar is a special place in the home dedicated to God and to Mary. It’s a place of encounter and active participation in the faith, a real a miniature church at home. The Schoenstatt Movement will offer formation packages and trainings for parishes on how to create and organize their home altar and foster a culture of prayer in their every-day activities. Schoenstatt Movement of Austin www.schoenstatt.us

Objective 3: Create family centered formation that supports life-long faith formation.

Resource Spotlight:

• The Pontificium Consilium pro Familia has a website full of great formation for the entire family.
• Formed is an online streaming service that includes many big name titles such as Catholicism, Symbolon, 33 Day to Morning Glory and more! Subscription.
• The Humanum Series, a beautiful short documentary examines the longing for love on each of our hearts.Subscription.
• Awakening Faith is a friendly, simple tool that helps Catholic families reconnect with the fundamentals of our faith.