Nail down the facts, tear down the barriers

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is over nine hundred pages long, so it comes as no surprise that many Catholics think of their faith as complex--and certainly too complex to share with others A Well-Built Faith--cleverly developed around a construction theme--makes it easy and flat-out fun for any Catholic to know what they believe and to feel confident in sharing those beliefs with others.

The eighteen-chapter book--at times profound, at times humorous, always practical--follows the structure of the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Creed, Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer). Taking otherwise difficult topics about the Catholic faith and making them accessible and relevant to the lives of average Catholics, acclaimed author and teacher Joe Paprocki does so in a way that never compromises the rich depth of Catholic teaching and tradition.

From the Trinity to the seven sacraments, from the Ten Commandments to the Lord's Prayer, A Well-Built Faith will help Catholics nail down the facts of the faith and tear down the barriers keeping them from sharing their beliefs with others.'

Also available in Spanish Una Fe Bien Construida

Act now to tap into the current of God's loving grace.

While uncertainty and tough times are hallmarks of life, our current era feels more than a little unpredictable. And if we're honest with ourselves, many of us are feeling uncertain about God's plan. In times like these, we need a healthy boost of faith and a solid shot of inspiration to get through the day and lead us back to God. Pie-in-the-sky advice or overwrought platitudes won't do. We need substantial, practical ways to fortify our souls.

In 8 Steps to Energize Your Faith, beloved spiritual teacher Joe Paprocki offers hands-on advice to guide us out of the fog of an often-confusing world and bolster our confidence in who we are--children of God with a vision and a purpose. This, of course, means growing in faith, but how? By tapping into God's loving Spirit so we can go with the holy flow to put first things first and let the small stuff go.

Timely, inspiring, and filled with hard-earned, practical wisdom that applies to your life right now, 8 Steps to Energize Your Faith offers a path that we can all start on today to feel motivated, focused, and renewed in the Spirit.

Joe Paprocki, autor de la exitosa serie de libros La caja de herramientas del catequista ha escrito el primer libro que demuestra, paso por paso, c mo impartir una sesi n catequ tica de 75 minutos con t cnicas pr cticas que ampl an y enriquecen el material del libro de texto para crear un mejor clima de oraci n en el sal n de clase.

M s all de la caja de herramientas del catequista le permite a los j venes encontrar a Jes s en la oraci n, en lugar de solo leer sobre l, de manera que puedan convertirse en disc pulos de Cristo para toda la vida.

Joe Paprocki, best-selling author of The Catechist's Toolbox, has written the first step-by-step book that demonstrates how you can teach a 75-minute catechetical session with practical techniques that expand upon the textbook to create a more prayerful and experiential climate in the classroom.

While textbooks are an essential tool for catechists to present the teachings of the Catholic Church in a clear and accurate manner, Beyond the Catechist's Toolbox gives you the framework to guide your students toward personal transformation. By using Catholic rituals, prayers, and the Liturgy of the Word, Paprocki provides suggestions on how to get catechesis to resemble Mass more than class.

Reading a textbook can help children know about God, and Beyond the Catechist's Toolbox helps them know God personally as they prayerfully become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.

In 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness, best-selling author Joe Paprocki provides a prescription for spiritual health based on the rich wisdom of Catholic Tradition. Through his nondogmatic, downright inviting style of writing, Paprocki makes this book eminently accessible to non-Catholics and seekers as well.

Recognizing that the spiritual immune system is weakened almost daily by toxic patterns and attitudes that negatively impact our ability to live in a harmonious relationship with God and others, Paprocki offers seven enduring and reliable strategies for achieving spiritual wellness. After identifying practical ways to integrate each of these strategies into daily living, he describes seven persistent dangers to our spiritual well-being and how these dangers manifest themselves in our lives.

At its core, 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness helps us see the Christian faith not as a collection of rules and doctrine, but as a spiritual path--a path whose guideposts for spiritual wellness are sure to lead us to a more meaningful life and to a much richer experience of our faith.

Third Place, Resources for Ministry category
ACP Excellence in Publishing Awards, 2012
Third Place, Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith category
Catholic Press Association book awards, 2012
Paprocki's book is...rich with information, wit, and wisdom and short on preachiness.
It is said that practice makes perfect, but what else does practice make? If you ask Joe Paprocki, he'll say that practice makes Catholic--that is, there are certain distinct practices that make us essentially Catholic. The problem is that many Catholics don't understand--or at least misunderstand--why we engage in the many practices we do. In Practice Makes Catholic, Paprocki addresses the all-important why of many Catholic practices by articulating five key characteristics that form our Catholic identity: a sense of sacramentality, a commitment to community, a respect for the dignity of human life and commitment to justice, a reverence for Tradition, and a disposition to faith and hope rather than despair. Under each of these categories, he explores and explains multiple Catholic practices, then describes how following each one can make a profound difference in our faith and in our lives. Informative and inviting, Practice Makes Catholic is the perfect resource for RCIA candidates and their sponsors, for Catholics returning to the faith, and for all Catholics who want to get to the heart of what their faith is really about.

Written specifically for any catechist who is new to the job or has never had any formal training, The Catechist's Toolbox features an invaluable collection of catechetical tips, techniques, methodologies, and advice. Throughout the book, master teacher Joe Paprocki shares the wisdom he has gleaned in two decades as a catechist, high school teacher, and religious educator. Employing the metaphor of a homeowner's toolbox, Paprocki explains how a new catechist is like a do-it-yourself builder who needs the right collection of tools to do the job; he then explains what the tools are, what they can do, and how to use them skillfully and effectively.
Also available in Spanish! La caja de herramientas del catequista

2020 International Book Awards, Winner: Religion--Christianity
2019 Best Book Awards: Finalist, Religion--Christianity
2019 Catholic Press Association, Second Place: Sacraments
2019 Independent Press Awards, Distinguished Favorite: Religion Non-Fiction
2019 Illumination Book Awards, God in Catholic

Too many Catholics view the sacraments as isolated rites of passage disconnected from daily living, hoops to jump through, rather than as gateways to fulfilling lives centered on a spiritual relationship with God. Such a misunderstanding distances Catholics from the heart of their spiritual vitality and renders the Church less relevant to their experience.

In his friendly, practical, and accessible style, best-selling author and master teacher Joe Paprocki opens up this critical aspect of Catholic life in Living the Sacraments. He presents the sacraments as a spiritual path. Their power and grace open our hearts to ongoing encounter with God. By inviting readers to delve into the mystery of God's self-revelation through the sacraments, by teaching the essence of each sacrament without being overbearing, and by inviting readers to reflect the divine image of God, Paprocki shows us that the sacraments allow us to experience God's presence in Church rites and through ordinary, tangible experiences. We can, and should, celebrate the sacraments--but we are transformed as we live them.

PRAISE FROM READERS
The Living the Sacraments book was a great small group study. I liked how Joe Paprocki made our everyday lives thin moments--to learn anew how we are loved by God and are his disciples. It was enriching and renewing to recognize the truth of the title, here at the intersection of heaven and earth. -Lou Anne, St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, Birmingham, AL

The book, Living the Sacraments has given us a meaning that is practical and every day applicable to the sacraments of the Catholic Church. I wish I had had this knowledge of our sacraments earlier in our life. We did like the humor as well as the great insight that Joe gave us. -Sammy and Theresa, St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, Birmingham, AL

Este libro es ideal para nuevos catequistas, La caja de herramientas del catequista te entrena mientras llevas a cabo tu ministerio como catequista. Es un libro muy práctico que incluye ideas, técnicas y metodologías para la catequesis. El maestro Joe Paprocki nos comparte la sabiduría que ha cosechado durante más de dos décadas como catequista, profesor de preparatoria y educador religioso. Usando la metáfora de una caja de herramientas, Paprocki explica que un catequista nuevo es como un constructor que necesita las herramientas apropiadas para realizar su trabajo. A continuación, Paprocki nos dice cuáles son esas herramientas, qué hace cada una y cómo usarlas hábil y efectivamente.

Además de las abundantes sugerencias que ofrece La caja de herramientas del catequista, nuestros lectores encontrarán respuestas a sus preguntas sobre la catequesis y fe en general visitando el blog de Joe Paprocki en www.catechistsjourney.com.

2021 Illumination Book Awards, Silver Medal: Education

9 simple and effective ways to share the Good News.

The early followers of Jesus knew that their Good News was indeed unique, unlike any message they'd heard before. They knew Jesus could be trusted and that his words, once planted in a receptive heart, could transform a person's life. In Preparing Hearts and Minds, Joe Paprocki revisits how the early Church evangelized, identifying nine strategies to help catechists and learners alike. There are concrete ways to share the Gospel so that people can become more open and ready to engage with Jesus, and then share that friendship with others.

Joe Paprocki's award-winning Toolbox series has helped hundreds of thousands of catechists and teachers pass on a living faith to those they teach. In Preparing Hearts and Minds, he shows you how to share the good news of the Gospel with energy and positivity.

In The Bible Blueprint, best-selling author Joe Paprocki makes understanding the Bible not only easy for the person in the pew, but downright fun Using witty cartoons, thought-provoking sidebars, and short quizzes to supplement his easy-to-grasp teachings on the Bible, Paprocki guides lay Catholics to a solid understanding of the structure, organization, and purpose of God's Word.

Among numerous other topics, Paprocki covers the different genres of biblical writing, key figures in biblical history, and the methods Catholics rely on to interpret the Bible. As readers increase their understanding of the Bible, they will also increase their ability to find their way in Scripture: eight perforated Bible bookmarks are included.

Also available in Spanish planos de la Biblia

2017 Catholic Press Association Book Awards, Second Place: Pastoral Ministry

IF FORMER CATHOLICS WERE CONSIDERED A DENOMINATION, IT WOULD BE THE SECOND-LARGEST DENOMINATION IN THE U.S.--from A Church on the Move Many statistics on the Catholic Church today are sobering, and the future of the Church can seem bleak indeed. The average parish often feels helpless to do anything that might help turn the tide and revitalize the Church.

But best-selling author Joe Paprocki insists that there is good news: with the right plans in place, the Catholic Church--and the local parish specifically--will not only survive, but thrive. A Church on the Move offers 52 practical strategies for moving parishes forward, principally by focusing on the one thing the Church can offer that the world-at-large cannot: Jesus Christ.

Each chapter begins with a quote from Pope Francis, and each helpful strategy falls within one of five key categories: how a Church on the move thinks, functions, worships, forms disciples, and engages the world. Every chapter takes an honest look at a particular problem in the Church before moving to a creative, redemptive, and achievable solution.

A Church on the Move brings to the parish level the great themes of Pope Francis' papacy-- mission, mercy, and evangelization--and replaces despair with a profound hope for the future of the Catholic Church.

Los catequistas dedican su tiempo a guiar a ni os y adultos a profundizar su fe cat lica. Pero, qui n gu a a los catequistas en su viaje espiritual? Aunque hay muchos libros que tratan de lo que los catequistas deber an saber y hacer, hay muy pocos que traten de la espiritualidad del catequista. Escrito por dos laicos expertos en catequesis de renombre en el mbito nacional, La mochila del catequista brinda a los catequistas recursos que atienden a la dimensi n espiritual de su llamado a compartir la fe cat lica.

Joe Paprocki y Julianne Stanz, con un tono c lido y familiar, promueven, exploran y celebran la spiritualidad de los catequistas, anim ndolos a abrazar su espiritualidad para que puedan transmitir la fe viva a los ni os y adultos a quienes ense an.

Catechists spend their time guiding children and adults in deepening their Catholic faith. But who's guiding the catechists on their spiritual journey? While there are many books about what catechists should know and what they should do, there is very little on the spirituality of being a catechist. Written by two nationally known, expert lay catechists, The Catechist's Backpack gives catechists the resources that speak to the spiritual dimension of their call to share the Catholic faith.

Warm and conversational, Joe Paprocki and Julianne Stanz foster, explore, and celebrate the spirituality of the catechist, encouraging catechists to embrace their spirituality so that they can pass on a living faith to the children they teach.

The prophet Amos, along with the prophets Hosea and Micah, conveys in no uncertain terms what God thinks about oppression, injustice, and neglect of the poor. The blunt language of these prophets can get our attention in a way that few other things can, and this study of Amos, Hosea, and Micah is a call for each of us to return to the ways of the Lord.

A Guided Discovery of the Bible
The Bible invites us to explore God's word and reflect on how we might respond to it. To do this, we need guidance and the right tools for discovery. The Six Weeks with the Bible series of Bible discussion guides offers both in a concise six-week format. Whether focusing on a specific biblical book or exploring a theme that runs throughout the Bible, these practical guides in this series provide meaningful insights that explain Scripture while helping readers make connections to their own lives. Each guide- is faithful to Church teaching and is guided by sound biblical scholarship
- presents the insights of Church fathers and saints
- includes questions for discussion and reflection
- delivers information in a reader-friendly format
- gives suggestions for prayer that help readers respond to God's word
- appeals to beginners as well as to advanced students of the Bible

By reading Scripture, reflecting on its deeper meanings, and incorporating it into our daily life, we can grow not only in our understanding of God's word, but also in our relationship with God.

Thrive as a religious educator!
The original Catechist's Toolbox sold over 150,000 copies and is one of the best-known books in the catechetical field. In The Catechist's Toolbox 2.0, Joe Paprocki returns with a revised and updated handbook
filled with the knowledge and tools catechists need to facilitate a spiritual encounter with Jesus. In our post-pandemic, smartphone-driven, modern world, Joe offers catechists a practical framework that pairs the needs of today's learners with the vision of evangelizing catechesis, including:

• step-by-step strategies for adapting lessons to today's tech-savvy learners
• techniques to create a climate of prayer using the language of mystery to help learners establish an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ
• tips and tactics for lesson planning, such as following a catechetical process, integrating Scripture, handling discipline, and using technology

Joe Paprocki, best-selling author of The Catechist's Toolbox, has written the first step-by-step book that demonstrates how you can teach a 75-minute catechetical session with practical techniques that expand upon the textbook to create a more prayerful and experiential climate in the classroom.

While textbooks are an essential tool for catechists to present the teachings of the Catholic Church in a clear and accurate manner, Beyond the Catechist's Toolbox gives you the framework to guide your students toward personal transformation. By using Catholic rituals, prayers, and the Liturgy of the Word, Paprocki provides suggestions on how to get catechesis to resemble Mass more than class.

Reading a textbook can help children know about God, and Beyond the Catechist's Toolbox helps them know God personally as they prayerfully become lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.

Also available in Spanish M s all de la caja de herramientas del catequista

La ense anza de la fe cat lica se puede convertir en un aut ntico reto si no la conoces adecuadamente. Adem s, considerando que el Catecismo de la Iglesia tiene m s de 900 p ginas, no hay que extra arse si los cat licos sufren para comprender su fe.

Una fe bien construida --desarrollado con enorme creatividad usando metaf ricamente el tema de la construcci n-- facilita enormemente a los cat licos el conocimiento de su fe y les da seguridad al momento de compartirla. En 18 cap tulos el maestro catequista Joe Paprocki repasa las cuatro partes del Catecismo de la Iglesia Cat lica (Credo, sacramentos, moral y oraci n), convirtiendo este libro en una maravillosa, simp tica y abundante fuente de informaci n sobre la fe cat lica. Una fe bien construida tiene que ser un libro de referencia obligada para crecer en la fe cat lica.

Teaching the Catholic faith can be quite a challenge if you lack an adequate understanding of the Catholic faith yourself. And given the fact that the Catechism of the Catholic Church is over 900 pages in length, it's no wonder that Catholics struggle to comprehend their faith.

A Well-Built Faith--creatively developed around a construction theme--makes it easy for Catholics to know what they believe and to feel confident in sharing those beliefs.This 18-chapter book by master teacher Joe Paprocki follows the structure of the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Creed, Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer), making it a wonderful resource for learning about and teaching the Catholic faith. Highly informative and very fun at the same time, A Well-Built Faith is a must-have tool for developing the Catholic faith.

Conectar los sacramentos con la vida cotidiana.

Demasiados cat licos ven los sacramentos como ritos de iniciaci n aislados y desconectados de la vida cotidiana, en lugar de verlos como puertas de entrada a una relaci n gratificante con Dios. Este malentendido aleja a los cat licos de la esencia de su vitalidad espiritual y hace que la Iglesia sea menos relevante para su experiencia.

En Vivir los sacramentos Joe Paprocki, exitoso autor y maestro experto, desarrolla este aspecto fundamental de la vida cat lica con su estilo amable, pr ctico y accesible. Nos presenta los sacramentos como un camino espiritual cuyo poder y gracia abren nuestro coraz n al encuentro continuo con Dios. Al invitarnos a profundizar en el misterio de c mo Dios se nos revela a trav s de los sacramentos, ense arnos la esencia de cada sacramento de forma amena e invitarnos a ser refl ejo de la imagen divina de Dios, Paprocki nos muestra que los sacramentos nos permiten sentir la presencia de Dios en los ritos de la Iglesia y a trav s de experiencias tangibles en nuestra vida diaria. Somos llamados no solo a recibir los sacramentos, sino a vivirlos cada d a.

Many Catholics feel catechized but not evangelized, meaning they know about Jesus but do not feel they know him personally. The bridge between where we are and where we want to be in our faith journey can be confusing without the right guidance. In Under the Influence of Jesus, best-selling author Joe Paprocki explains complex spiritual concepts with engaging discussion so that everyday Catholics can integrate and articulate their faith and live the Gospel in a way that is simple, compelling, contemporary, liberating, and life-changing.

Also available in Spanish La experiencia transformadora de encontrarse con Cristo