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Inviting New Members

Inviting New Members. Moving Forward with Hope. CARA Study 2009. Requested by NRVC (National Religious Vocation Conference). Purpose: To survey new members and those who professed final vows after 1993. Return on the Survey. 60% of institutes. 40% of new members.

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Inviting New Members

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  1. Inviting New Members Moving Forward with Hope

  2. CARA Study 2009 Requested by NRVC (National Religious Vocation Conference) Purpose: To survey new members and those who professed final vows after 1993 Return on the Survey 60% of institutes 40% of new members Included LCWR and CMSWR communities

  3. General Findings Equal numbers of women have been attracted to institutes in both conferences. (LCWR and CMSWR) There areonly a small number of institutes that are attracting “more than a handful of entrants.”

  4. Findings continued Great variety of institutes in both conferences. Much diversity among new members • Age • Racial and ethnic background • Life experience • Education • Work

  5. The Attraction A sense of call and desire for spiritual growth The example of members Priorities

  6. Identifying a “Fit” Lived reality of members Millenials

  7. Best Practices Full-time vocation director with a team

  8. Challenges • Aging and diminishment • Age and experience differences (2 aspects) • Lack of peers • Differences in theologies and ecclesiologies • Complexity of young adult lives • Fewer younger U.S. Catholic women practicing their faith.

  9. To ponder How can we pay attention to those “places” that hold the promise of new life? • Growing young adult population in church • Ethnic diversity among the youngest generations in the church • Impact of members on attraction to religious life

  10. Moving Forward in Hope Purpose • Explore implications of the 2009 study • Create a national plan • Dialogue • Common Efforts

  11. Participants • Four regional gatherings • Vocation directors and a leadership team member/ both conferences • 115 congregational teams – 3 SND teams

  12. How to be together • Honest dialogue • Respectful listening • Guidelines

  13. Process Part I: Input from Sr. Mary Johnson, SNDdeN • The importance of sociological data • Population shifts • Age/experience of young adults • Attraction to religious life

  14. Process continued Part II: Follow-up discussion Emerging themes • Understanding • Mobility • Listening to younger members • Diminishment of a Catholic presence/effects of sexual abuse crisis • Role of women in the church • Hope for future vocations

  15. Process continued Part III: Formulating a Plan • Education • Expand vocation efforts • Outreach to young adults • Invitations

  16. CRITICAL ISSUES • Congregational identity • Impact of congregational decisions • Communication • Reconciliation and healing • Collaboration with diocese and parishes • Trust in God’s providence

  17. NRVC Support • Build on the results of the gatherings to help congregations connect with young adults • Offer environments for respectful and substantial dialogue.

  18. Heart Keeper “The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason to hope.” Teilhard de Chardin

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