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Fruitful Discipleship: Living the Mission of Jesus in the Church and the World
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. - John 15:8 How does God's grace change our individual lives, families, neighborhoods, parish communities, and cities? In Fruitful Living the Mission of Jesus in the Church and the World, Sherry A. Weddell describes how the Holy Spirit is at work in all the baptized-calling and gifting us to say yes in ways that will be the longed-for answer to someone else's prayers and fuel the mission of the whole Church. God has chosen to be present in this world through the faith and obedience of missionary disciples who witness to Jesus Christ and bear abundant fruit. In Fruitful Discipleship, Sherry About the Author In 1993, Sherry A. Weddell created the first charism-discernment process for Catholics. She co-founded, with Father Michael Sweeney, O.P., the Catherine of Siena Institute (CSI) in 1997 to train twenty-first-century Catholic leaders. Her previous book, Forming Intentional The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus (2012), has been influential in shaping Catholic leaders for successful evangelization and discipleship in the twenty-first century.
232 pages, Paperback
Published June 21, 2017
About the author
Sherry A. Weddell
5 books24 followersSherry Anne Weddell created the first charism discernment process specifically designed for Catholics in 1993. In 1997, she co-founded the Catherine of Siena Institute, an affiliated international ministry of the Western Dominican Province, and currently serves as Co-Director.
Sherry has developed numerous unique formation resources that are used around the world and trained and helps lead an international team who have worked directly with over 100,000 lay, religious, and ordained Catholics in hundreds of parishes in 137 (arch)dioceses on 5 continents.
When not hanging around airports, Sherry enjoys tending her high altitude Tuscan garden in the Colorado Rockies.
Sherry has developed numerous unique formation resources that are used around the world and trained and helps lead an international team who have worked directly with over 100,000 lay, religious, and ordained Catholics in hundreds of parishes in 137 (arch)dioceses on 5 continents.
When not hanging around airports, Sherry enjoys tending her high altitude Tuscan garden in the Colorado Rockies.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 3, 2025
Absolutely beautiful in terms of vision and witness!
July 2, 2017
"For every one of us, the fruit we bear has a profound impact on our personal maturation and holiness as disciples in Christ. But your fruit also increases the evangelical capacity of the whole Church: her love and ability to bear witness to Christ. The mission and compassion of the whole Church is fueled by your fruit. Today’s “nones” and “former Catholics” are seldom interested in our insider debates but are really intrigued and moved by the fruit that Christians bear. The fruit we bear “reveals” the presence and the love of God. Our fruit builds powerful bridges of spiritual trust and rouses spiritual curiosity.
...There is someone out there right now who is waiting for what you have been given to give, and their life, their spiritual and personal destiny, hangs in the balance. You may not have met them yet. They may not even have been born yet, but in God’s providence, you are the one. It matters that you say 'yes.'"- Sherry Weddell, "Fruitful Discipleship: Living the Mission of Jesus in the Church and the World"
What does FRUITFUL discipleship look like? How do we become fruitful disciples? What's at stake if we do not bear fruit? What are individual charisms and what role do they play in the mission of the Church? How do individual charisms work together with hierarchical (ecclesial/ordained) and founding (religious orders) charisms? How do we discern charisms? How can we move from maintenance-oriented busy-ness to fruitful disciple and apostle making?
Sherry Weddell's new book is out, and it is a compelling read! It is well-researched and grounded in Catholic teaching - teaching that is known and understood by too few in the Church. But the greatest value to evangelisers and would-be evangelisers is that this book contains treasure that is borne of solid PRAXIS - it contains not only sound Catholic teaching and theology but also the fruit of over two decades of pastoral practice, particularly in the area of the formation of lay apostles by Sherry Weddell and her collaborators in the Catherine of Siena Institute (www.siena.org). This is a book that could start amazing discussions between both ordained and lay and a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about how to discern their charisms and personal vocation or to help others discern theirs. There is also a powerful chapter at the end of the book that talks about what "parish culture" is, why it matters, and what an outward-facing, missional parish spiritual culture looks like and what it can do.
In Weddell's first published book, "Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus", there is a chapter titled "We Don't Know What Normal Is" which described how most Catholics are so used to a sub-discipleship spiritual culture that we don't know what normal fruit-bearing discipleship actually looks like. In "Fruitful Discipleship", the entire book is filled with awe-inspiring stories and examples of the amazing fruits that mature intentional discipleship bears in the Holy Spirit. Reading it was a galvanising experience for me as I was personally reminded of the power that Christ has promised to - and will realise in - the humblest of his disciples to do no less than transform the world together though his goodness, beauty, and truth.
Sherry Weddell writes from a primarily American context, but the truths and principles contained in this relatively pithy and concise volume are universal and will surely speak to every reader who is desirous of becoming and forming other fruitful disciples of Christ in the Church and the world!
...There is someone out there right now who is waiting for what you have been given to give, and their life, their spiritual and personal destiny, hangs in the balance. You may not have met them yet. They may not even have been born yet, but in God’s providence, you are the one. It matters that you say 'yes.'"- Sherry Weddell, "Fruitful Discipleship: Living the Mission of Jesus in the Church and the World"
What does FRUITFUL discipleship look like? How do we become fruitful disciples? What's at stake if we do not bear fruit? What are individual charisms and what role do they play in the mission of the Church? How do individual charisms work together with hierarchical (ecclesial/ordained) and founding (religious orders) charisms? How do we discern charisms? How can we move from maintenance-oriented busy-ness to fruitful disciple and apostle making?
Sherry Weddell's new book is out, and it is a compelling read! It is well-researched and grounded in Catholic teaching - teaching that is known and understood by too few in the Church. But the greatest value to evangelisers and would-be evangelisers is that this book contains treasure that is borne of solid PRAXIS - it contains not only sound Catholic teaching and theology but also the fruit of over two decades of pastoral practice, particularly in the area of the formation of lay apostles by Sherry Weddell and her collaborators in the Catherine of Siena Institute (www.siena.org). This is a book that could start amazing discussions between both ordained and lay and a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about how to discern their charisms and personal vocation or to help others discern theirs. There is also a powerful chapter at the end of the book that talks about what "parish culture" is, why it matters, and what an outward-facing, missional parish spiritual culture looks like and what it can do.
In Weddell's first published book, "Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus", there is a chapter titled "We Don't Know What Normal Is" which described how most Catholics are so used to a sub-discipleship spiritual culture that we don't know what normal fruit-bearing discipleship actually looks like. In "Fruitful Discipleship", the entire book is filled with awe-inspiring stories and examples of the amazing fruits that mature intentional discipleship bears in the Holy Spirit. Reading it was a galvanising experience for me as I was personally reminded of the power that Christ has promised to - and will realise in - the humblest of his disciples to do no less than transform the world together though his goodness, beauty, and truth.
Sherry Weddell writes from a primarily American context, but the truths and principles contained in this relatively pithy and concise volume are universal and will surely speak to every reader who is desirous of becoming and forming other fruitful disciples of Christ in the Church and the world!
May 12, 2021
First of all, I have to say a big 'thank you" to the person who gifted me this book - it so affected my spiritual life. Weddell is a fantastic writer. She has succinctly and blessedly put into words what beautiful gifts (charisms) are ours from the Holy Spirit. Through her description, one is able to pinpoint places of growth to deepen our faith and places of growth to build community. By inwardly focusing on our gifts, we are able to outwardly give to others. Her powerful descriptions of the end result of using these gifts is so motivating. One can gain clarity in their development while also seeing gifts in others. It is humbling to discern such powerful gifts and is exciting to see how they can be used in parishes. Weddell shows how discernment of charisms is so important in parish life and that with a welcoming and hospitable environment, these charisms can grow and build a community that is "on fire". I highly recommend this book. For those interested, she has ongoing discussions on facebook under "Forming Intentional Disciples".
February 18, 2019
Amazing. Beyond intentional discipleship, this book really digs into the fruits of the Holy Spirit active in one’s life. The main focus is on the charisms and their detailed explanations (not to be confused with the gifts & fruits of the Holy Spirit). If you are baptized, you have at least one charism, a gift to be “given away” in order to build up the kingdom of God. However, these can only manifest out of a lived actual relationship with Christ - which is rooted in a committed prayer life. In addition, the author stresses the link between holiness and mission. Can’t grow in one without the other.
August 24, 2024
This was an interesting follow up to Weddell's other book, Forming Intentional Disciples. The focus in this one is to help people to look at how the Holy Spirit is working in their lives and what charisms have been given to them. If you know nothing about charisms, this book gets a pretty easy recommendation since it goes over everything in very simple and concise ways to help the reader discern what gifts have been given them and how they might be used in service to the Church and the world.
May 12, 2025
This is probably one of the best explanations of Spiritual Gifts I’ve ever had. Growing up Protestant I had many “tests” that I was given but was never given truth behind what the Spiritual Gifts are, that we could have more than 1, OR that there were reasons why we resonated with one more than another. I am so grateful that I have the entire course to work through so I can go into a time of discernment. I truly thought this was going to be boring. It was anything but!
July 9, 2017
Another solid book from Sherry Weddell. Simple argument, supported by magisterial teaching, classic works of spirituality, lives of the saints, and her wealth of anecdotal evidence from twenty years in ministry. Discernment of charisms needs to find a place in every parish alongside Strengths, ChristLife, Alpha, and engaging catechesis.
July 6, 2018
This is a surprise! So much information linking one's spiritual talents to practical examples in both current day, and throughout church history. I particularly appreciated the nonjudgmental scholarship afforded to the gifts of the charismata, and having these alongside the more mainstream spiritual gifts. Most highly recommended.
December 10, 2023
Has some good insights. The end was amusing, the revelation that non-Catholics can also follow the original church concept. The discernment process is good for any Christian person. Doesn't need to be a Catholic.
July 13, 2017
Excellent guidance in helping find your role in the Church ~ and life.
April 19, 2021
A bit list-ey at times, but another insightful contribution from Sherry Weddell.
August 9, 2024
I read this book as part of a parish small group; our parish is seeking to increase our ability to share the good news of Jesus and invite people to enter into a meaningful relationship with him. I found the book encouraging and challenging.
The central purpose of the book is to introduce the reader to various gifts of the Holy Spirit which enable us to build up the community, and to invite the reader to discern what gifts s/he has been given - and to use them.
This is a compelling book which deserves re-reading and calls one to prayer and discernment. The author's experience, enthusiasm and commitment shine on every page. I am grateful for having read it - now must re-read and bring it to prayer.
The central purpose of the book is to introduce the reader to various gifts of the Holy Spirit which enable us to build up the community, and to invite the reader to discern what gifts s/he has been given - and to use them.
This is a compelling book which deserves re-reading and calls one to prayer and discernment. The author's experience, enthusiasm and commitment shine on every page. I am grateful for having read it - now must re-read and bring it to prayer.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews