Chapter 3 — How to Conduct Your Meetings

What a Monthly Meeting Looks Like

Meet once a month if possible. If that is not realistic, meet as often as you can. What matters most is consistency. Choose a regular day and time so members can plan ahead and build the meeting into their routine. A predictable rhythm builds momentum, strengthens relationships, and helps everyone know what to expect.

Most meetings will last about 60 to 90 minutes, depending on what needs to be covered. Keep them focused, practical, and encouraging so members leave with clarity and energy for the month ahead.

Standard Meeting Structure

• Opening prayer
• Education and discussion
• Review previous action items
• Plan and prepare
• Assign responsibilities
• Closing prayer

Opening Prayer

Begin every meeting with prayer. This keeps the work grounded in its true purpose and reminds the team that evangelism is ultimately God’s work, not ours.

Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast shown forth the fishermen as supremely wise by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit, and through them didst draw the world into Thy net. O Befriender of man, glory to Thee.

Almighty God, our Help and Refuge, who knows that we can do nothing without Your guidance and help; direct us by Your wisdom and power, that we may accomplish this task and, whatever we do according to Your divine will, so that it may be beneficial to us and others and to the glory of Your holy Name. Amen.

Education and Discussion

Discuss a helpful resource together — a book chapter, podcast episode, video, or article. Reflect on how the material relates to evangelism and consider practical ways it can be applied in parish life or in your own witness.

To make this easier, the ministry provides suggested content on the website each month. These resources are meant to save time and help guide fruitful conversations. A longer discussion series based on Spread the Word by Father Michael Kaiser and Saint Innocent’s missionary instructions is also in development. You are welcome to use the provided materials or choose content that fits the needs of your group.

Use these four questions with any piece of content:

• What does this teach us about evangelism?
• How does this apply to our parish?
• What could we do differently?
• How does this help us personally?

Review Previous Action Items

Revisit the action items from the last meeting. Give each person a chance to share progress, completed tasks, challenges, or anything that still needs support. This keeps the team accountable and prevents good intentions from fading between meetings.

Plan and Prepare

Discuss current and upcoming evangelism efforts. This may include parish events, hospitality improvements, follow-up with visitors, community presence, digital presence, or other local initiatives. This is the heart of the working portion of the meeting.

Assign Responsibilities

Before closing, make sure every action item has three things:

• A clear owner
• A realistic deadline
• Simple, understood expectations

Vague next steps rarely get done. Named responsibilities with deadlines do. End every meeting with both.

Closing Prayer

Close the meeting by returning to prayer. The work belongs to God. The team’s role is faithfulness.

God of truth and love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, hear our prayer for those who do not know You. That they may come to a saving knowledge of the truth, and that Your Name may be praised among all peoples of the world.

Sustain, inspire, and enlighten Your servants who bring them the Gospel. Bring fresh vigor to wavering faith; sustain our faith when it is still fragile. Continually renew missionary zeal in ourselves and in the Church, and raise up new missionaries who will follow You to the ends of the world.

Make us witnesses to Your goodness full of love, full of strength, and full of faith for Your glory and the salvation of the entire world. Through the prayers of all the missionary saints, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.