About the Book
The statistics are troubling: 6.5 people leave the Catholic Church for every one that joins, and 50% of young people who were raised Catholic are no longer Catholic today. The Catholic Church is hemorrhaging young people.
Behind these statistics are countless stories of wounded families. Millions of mothers and fathers are longing for their prodigal children to come home to the Church, crying: “Where did we go wrong?”
The passive wait-and-see approach is no longer an option. We need a different strategy. We need to understand the real reasons why our young people drift away, and we need a game plan to bring them home. We need Return.
Contents
FOREWORD
By Bishop Robert Barron
Introduction
PART I - UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
Chapter 1 - WHY ARE THEY LEAVING?
Chapter 2 - WHERE ARE THEY GOING?
Chapter 3 - THE FIVE BIG MYTHS ABOUT FALLEN-AWAY CATHOLICS
PART II - UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
Chapter 4 - THE BASICS
Chapter 5 - PRAY, FAST, AND SACRIFICE
Chapter 6 - EQUIP YOURSELF
Chapter 7 - PLANT THE SEEDS
Chapter 8 - PLANT THE SEEDS
Chapter 9 - MOVE THE DIALOGUE FORWARD.
Chapter 10 - INVITE AND CONNECT
Chapter 11 - CLOSE THE LOOP
PART III - THE BIG OBJECTIONS
Chapter 12 - PERSONAL OBJECTIONS
Chapter 13 - MORAL OBJECTIONS
Chapter 14 - THEOLOGICAL OBJECTIONS
Conclusion - One Step Forward
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
What People Are Saying...
“
If your son or daughter has left the faith, I encourage you not to give up hope and to learn from the advice in this book. Return will serve as an essential resource for the Church’s evangelization efforts and a true game-changer for desperate parents everywhere.
”
—Bishop Robert Barron
Founder, Word on Fire Catholic Ministries
“
Return is the resource that parents of fallen-away children have been waiting for: it combines powerful spiritual insights with practical tips that you can begin applying right now. It’s like a bootcamp for spiritual warriors who are about to go out on a great search-and-rescue mission.
”
—Jennifer Fulwiler
blogger and author of Something Other Than God
“
Everywhere I go I meet parents who are troubled because their children no longer practice the faith. Finally, here is a practical guide to doing something about that. It’s time we took this problem seriously, and Return can help with that.
”
—Matthew Kelly
staff apologist for Catholic Answers
“
Brandon Vogt’s Return offers practical and realistic ways to bring lost souls home. And I should know: I was one of those kids who left the Church for over ten years. Return hits home for me. It reveals not just why people are drifting from the Church but how to get them back into the fold of Christ. It’s a true treasure for our times.
”
—Leah Darrow
Catholic speaker, author, and founder of Lux University