FORMED Launch ─ Pulpit Pitch:2-3 minutes

Before the final blessing celebrant invites the person who is going to speak about FORMED to come up to the ambo, OR Father makes the announcement himself.

Good Morning/Evening! To begin, I want to personally thank Father ______for purchasing a gift for every family in our parish. (pause/ smile)

That gift is a subscription to FORMED, a wonderful website that has been called a “Catholic Netflix.” FORMED has inspiring movies and video based studies, audio presentations and e-books from the Church's most compelling speakers and authors.

By a show of hands:

  • How many of you would like to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ? (make sure you and Father raises his hand)
  • How many of you know someone who has fallen away from the Church, perhaps a friend, a family member, a co-worker, and you want reach them but you just don’t know how to? (more will raise their hands)

This is why our parish has invested in FORMED so that each of us might grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ and in our desire to share our Faith with others, especially those closest to us.

With your free access to FORMED, 24/7 on your television, phone, laptop, ipad, or Kindle, you can:

• Prepare for Mass each week by watching an insightful five-minute video on the Sunday Readings;

• Enjoy movies as a family that are both nourishing and entertaining;

• Enrich your marriage with the award winning video program Beloved; and

• Help your children grow in faith and character with engaging children’s materials.

So, as I finish speaking the ushers will pass the collection basket again. However, instead of putting ina donation, please take out of the basket a postcard/business card that gives the instructions on how to register for your free access to all the amazing content on FORMED. In fact, take a few if you would like and share them with your neighbors!

OR

In the parish bulletin (show insert) is a flyer with step by step instructions on how to register for free access to FORMED, please take one as you leave.

I’ll close with a testimony from a gentleman named Dennis, he writes: “Each week before Sunday Mass our family watches Opening the Word and then we have a discussion. It has made Sunday Mass more meaningful for us and helps us to talk about those things that really matter in life. It makes me wonder what might happen in our parish if everyone committed to this!"

Thank you for your time! I will be in the gathering space at the end of Mass to answer any questions and help you sign up.

FOLLOW UP

The next week, Father should make an announcement at the end of each Mass and ask:

Last week you receiveda postcard with our FORMED login (hold the card up), did you register yet? If you didn’t please do so this week, because we are going to use Opening the Word program together as a parish. (Give details of where and when)

If you did register, please pass on that postcard to a family member, neighbor, or friend so that they can register for FORMED as well.