There are a number of challenges we face in the Roman Catholic Church. When I do a mission in a Catholic school and a large amount of young people come to know Jesus, the problem which arises is where to send them next, as parishes are not ready to receive such a vibrant and newly-converted group. Likewise, every year in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, hundreds of young people have a deep experience of the Holy Spirit, meet Jesus and are found by the Father at an event, only to return to parishes that are lifeless and not equipped to meet the needs of today’s generation.
In 2012 I received a vision, through a series of prophetic words and dreams, to launch a three-year discipleship process for 15-18 year-olds to tackle the problem. TheAscent exists to raise up a loving and prophetic generation who are intent on serving Jesus in their localities. We aim to achieve this by evangelising, discipling and empowering a small cohort of around 20 young people each year in any one location. The process is based around three weekends a year and weekly online meetings which we call POD (pockets of disciples). Each young person also checks in with a mentor once a month and we are also raising money to take them on a mission across Europe, to Krakow World Youth Day in 2016.
Over the three years we take them through the entire Bible and YouCat (Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church) as well as exploring Saint John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (teaching on human sexuality), a lifestyle of worship, training in the charisms and the Onelife School of Leadership material which develops character and leadership skills. Our heart is to see each young person impact their local parish and school. We help them achieve this by training them in how to launch Alpha as well as a local service project, while helping them discern and develop their particular charisms (gifts of the Holy Spirit).
Our biggest desire is for young people to walk out the process as people of prayer. We hope to instill this lifestyle by holding 24 / 7 prayer during the weekends which they can dip into, equipping them to meet with God in the secret place, in turn fuelling them to have influence in the places he sends them.
Recently, one of the ‘Ascenters’ was taking part in our weekly online POD which is our equivalent of a cell or small group. The difference was that this young person was POD-ing from his mobile phone on a London bus. When it came to the time to pray, he volunteered and proceeded to pray out loud, on a crowded London bus, a prayer of surrender and dying to self (we had been looking at Rahab as a portrait of conversion during the POD). Having finished praying he opened his eyes to find the whole bus looking at him! That kind of boldness is what is going to lead to an awakening of faith in the nation. This is a generation who can have an impact on the world like never before!
THREE LESSONS FROM theAscent
1. We don’t have to achieve everything in one go. God is a lover of process and as Blessed Peter Faber used to say, ‘Time is God’s messenger’.
2. Everything must be deeply rooted in prayer. As Pope Francis recently said: ‘Without prolonged moments of adoration, of prayerful encounter with the word, of sincere conversation with the Lord, our work easily becomes meaningless; we lose energy as a result of weariness and difficulties, and our fervour dies out.’
3. Collaborate with others to achieve the bigger visions. We are a part of the body of Christ for a reason, we don’t have to do it all on our own. Remember if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
