Building Catholic Futures offers presentations, workshops, and guided discussions to build confidence among Catholics responsible for the care of souls. We have adapted our basic curriculum for a wide range of audiences, including parents, Catholic educators, priests and seminarians, campus ministry, and diocesan leadership.

In each setting, we have seen how these insights allow Catholics to move from conflict to collaboration, and from confusion to confidence. With these tools, Catholics can welcome and form gay people as intentional disciples whose gifts enrich the Church.

What is Building Catholic Futures’ Journeys Curriculum?

The Journeys Curriculum is the outcome of research done by Eve and Keith, including formal interviews, literature review, and their decades of experience mentoring gay Catholics on journeys of faith. This curriculum forms the basis of our training programs and events.

• Know Your Starting Points – and Others’. Identifies and explores the four most common lenses through which Catholics approach LGBT/SSA+ questions. (for everyone)

• Walk and Discern identifies the stages by which gay people integrate their faith and their orientation. BCF explores the challenges and opportunities for gay people and their mentors at each stage of the journey. (for parents, educators, pastors, spiritual directors and others who give pastoral counsel)

• Inroads and Obstacles focuses on evangelization. BCF helps you explore what makes it hard for gay and same-sex attracted people to step closer to Christ – and what unlocks Catholicism as an imaginable and beautiful way of life for them. (for OCIA, new parishioner intake, campus ministry, adult faith formation, and other ministries of outreach)

• Doctrine and Discipleship connects Catholic teaching to on-the-ground pastoral experience. building confidence that the Church guides people in widely different circumstances to a “next good step.” (for priests, seminarians, and catechists)

What kinds of training and events does Building Catholic Futures offer?

• Workshops. Structured presentations and discussion of Journeys material. Formats include study days, professional development days, week-long workshops, study groups.

• Mission Week. When hosting BCF, dioceses can use a workshop as an “anchor” program and add talks, panels, devotional events (Adoration, rosary walk, evening prayer), and other events to create a “Mission Week.”

• Talks. When BCF presents our insights in stand-alone talks, we often focus on storytelling, e.g. finding the stories in Scripture that inspire gay believers.

• Witness Panels. Eve and Keith join with other gay Catholic disciples for a panel discussion and Q&A.

• Guided Discussions. BCF facilitation draws out the insights of groups such as gay Catholics, educators, and parents of LGBTQ+ people. Guided discussion allows people who come in with fear, pain, anger, or confusion to move toward hope and collaboration with the Church.

• Informal Events. “Encounter” events are informal low-stake settings, like a dinner during which two different groups (e.g. clergy and LGBTQ+ disciples) share perspectives.

To hear a little about what our training and events are like, check out some testimonials from participants!