Message from the Coach

As we go through the material, you’ll notice that:

1. It is conducive to men with busy schedules
2. The leadership responsibilities are minimal
3. The content is practical and user friendly

Also, I want to let you know that I have started and participate in a CTG workout in my own parish.

Crossing the Goal Ministries (CTG) was created to be an outreach ministry to men concerning their spiritual well-being.  I have personally been involved in Catholic Men’s ministry for 25 years and I have seen a growing need for resources, adapted solely for men, that would challenge them to become spiritually fit.

For this reason, the CTG team began developing resources, beginning with a TV show, Crossing the Goal, that airs on EWTN television and radio and can be viewed online at www.crossingthegoal.com. Springing forth from the shows, we developed sets of DVDs based on the various episodes along with sets of questions that can be used either personally or in a group setting which we call Spiritual Fitness Workouts (SFW).

CTG-Show

• Crossing the Goal is a weekly program for men that airs on Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and radio
• The show’s set and the format has a sports theme comparable to ESPN Sportscenter and NFL Today
• The show has 4 parts:
1. Kickoff (KO)—the team introduces the topic
2. Game Plan (GP)—we go more ‘in depth’ about the subject matter
3. Red Zone (RZ)—we personalize the topic
4. End Zone (EZ)—each team member gives the viewers an action item to work on for the next week
• The content for the shows is based on (and faithful to) the teachings of the Catholic Church, along with the use of scriptures and portions of the Catechism as sources of reference
• Some of the basic topics covered on these shows are:  Virtues, Godly Man, Becoming Disciples, etc.
• Each topic is broken down into 8-12 episodes that make up a series

CTG — Spiritual Fitness Workout Groups

What are Spiritual Fitness Workouts?

Profile: Spiritual Fitness Workout Groups are groups of 10-15 men that meet once a week for 90 minutes.  They use a CTG DVD of an episode along with corresponding questions to use as discussion guides.

Mission: To train and strengthen men inwardly through these workouts so that they become Godly men who will make a positive difference in their homes, parishes, workplaces, and communities.

Purpose:

1. To gather men together in order to honor God in prayer and worship.
2. To invite the Holy Spirit to penetrate our hearts to change us interiorly.
3. To educate ourselves through the teachings of the Catholic Church utilizing the Scriptures and the Catechism.
4. To share with one another how God is working in each of our lives on a daily basis.
5. To recruit and encourage other men to join us in spiritual training and workouts.

Goal: To increase the number of strong, vibrant, and active Catholic men in our parishes.

CTG Resources

DVD’S

• Each disc contains a number of shows that make up a series (8-12 episodes) (ex: Godly Man, Becoming Disciples, etc.)
• Each show contains four parts—Kick Off, Game Plan, Red Zone, End Zone
• Total time of content on each episode is approximately 25 minutes
• DVD’s are available for sale right here on the website

Questions

• A set of (warm up and workout) questions has been designed by the CTG team that correspond to each episode of a particular series
• These questions can be downloaded from the CTG website for free
• The men utilize the episode questions by answering them prior to attending the meeting so that they will be better prepared for discussions in the breakout segments

SCHEDULE

Workouts are usually held weekly (90 minutes).

Examples:

• Thursdays, 7:30-9:00 PM
• Saturdays, 7:00 – 8:30 AM
• Tuesdays after 6:30 AM Mass

FORMAT

Warm-Up

Workout

Watch each CTG episode as an entire group by segments, as shown below. Then, break into your small discussion groups of 5-7 men after viewing each segment.

HOW TO USE THE CTG DVD WITH QUESTIONS

• Bring CTG questions and Bible to each and every workout
• After the warm-up portion of the meeting is completed, the Workout Leader starts the workout by showing Segment #1 (the Kick-off and Game Plan) of the CTG DVD (10 min.) to all the men as a group
• The large group then breaks into smaller groups of 5-7 men each—appoint one facilitator for each group. 
• Refer to the question sheet which can be helpful to encourage each man to share his answers with his group.  This portion of sharing lasts 20 minutes.
• The Workout Leader then shows segment #2 (the Red Zone) of the DVD (10-12 min.) to all the men.
• The men break into small groups and, once again, refer to the question sheet that applies to the Red Zone and continue discussing these particular questions.  This portion of sharing lasts 25 minutes.
• The Workout Leader shows segment #3 (the End Zone) of the DVD (3 min.) followed by a short time period (2 minutes) for the men to write down an action item for the week ahead. 
• The action item will be discussed at the beginning of the following week’s workout in the warm-up portion.  The reason for this sharing is for accountability purposes. This portion of sharing lasts 10 minutes.

COACHING POINTS FOR A GREAT WORKOUT

1. “Starting team” no more than 10-15 members
2. Each team member should purchase his own DVD (website group pricing)
3. Questions can be downloaded from the Crossing the Goal site for free
4. Make a hard copy of the questions
5. Each team member should view the episode for the week prior to attending the workout
6. The questions should be completed prior to the workout
7. Bring the questions to the workout, so that you can refer to your notes during the sharing/discussion portion of the workout
8. Make a concerted effort to accomplish your action item for the week

Note:  If possible, review and reflect on prior week’s content to help make it stick.

HOW TO SET UP SPIRITUAL FITNESS WORKOUT GROUPS

Follow these steps to set up Workout Groups in your Parish:

Step 1: LEADERSHIP

• Two or three key men in the Parish will make up the core leadership team—pray for the Lord’s guidance
• Choose two men to be the initial workout leaders
• As you grow, encourage others to become more involved in leadership roles

Step 2: APPROVAL

• Set an appointment with the Pastor so that you can get his approval and ask him to join in with you in the meetings as a participant; make sure the deacons are included
• Make sure you understand the mission, purpose and goal for the Spiritual Fitness Workout (SFW) before meeting with the Pastor
• Be prepared to explain to the Pastor the format of the workouts and the benefits to the Parish

Step 3: LOCATION

• Parish – choose a meeting room in the Parish center that gives you some privacy and the ability to expand
• Make sure the area you choose is set up to handle a TV monitor
• Homes are very nice but you will be limited to the size of the group and it is a huge commitment

Step 4: EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS

1. Each man should purchase a CTG DVD of the series you are currently covering
2. Bring a copy of the discussion questions along with the Bible
3. The leader is responsible for bringing the CTG DVD to the workout
4. Music sheets and CD player for worship songs (if necessary)
5. TV monitor and DVD player (for viewing)

Step 1: RECRUITMENT

• All men are invited—recommendations from the pastor/deacon would be helpful
• A personal invitation seems to work the best and is the most effective
• Make announcement from pulpit at Mass; Parish bulletin
• Announcement and sign up will occur at the CTG Conference (if applicable)

Step 2: GROWTH

• Send out an email weekly to keep men informed of the next meeting
• Try to follow-up with a phone call to each new member that you bring to the meeting; make sure everything is OK and remind him of the next meeting
• Be aware of men that are “no-shows” and let them know they are missed
• Each man should invite and bring one new man per month, and then follow through by encouraging him to keep coming back, with a personal invite by you
• Invite men from other parishes to attend so that they might be encouraged to start a CTG Workout Group in their parish

Step 3: Key Points About Workouts

• CTG workout groups, as you can see, are easy to organize and to facilitate — guys don’t need to be “experts” in order to use the materials
• Great for men that are new to groups and for men that have been in groups for years
• Useful for all age groups-teens to retirees; in fact, fathers and sons can attend together

Men, now is the time to get into spiritual shape!