Planning Adult Faith Formation

1. Planning Adult Faith Formation “Faith Formation for Every Adult” John Roberto, LifelongFaith Associates

2. AFF Principles & Practices • Adult faith formation addresses the diverse life tasks and situations, spiritual and religious needs, and interests of adults in the church by offering a variety of content topics and learning activities out of which adults can develop their own personalized learning pathway. • Personalization • Customization

3. AFF Principles & Practices Adult faith formation pays attention to what is going on in the lives of adults and listens to what adults are talking about. • Emerging Adults: 18-30 • Young Adult Years: 30s – mid 40s • Middle Adult Years: mid 40s – 50s • Older Adult Years: 60s – mid 70s • Mature Years: mid 70s – 90s

4. AFF Principles & Practices For each stage of adulthood. . . • Life Issues • Life Tasks • Milestones and Life Transitions • Spiritual Needs • Religious Needs • Ethnic-Cultural Needs

5. Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network • Guide adults in discerning their spiritual and religious needs and creating personal learning pathways • Seasonal or annual plans for faith growth and learning • Discernment Tool & Process: United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, KS

6. AFF Principles & Practices • Adults are motivated to learn when facing life transitions. They seek learning and support to cope with changes in their lives that give rise to new developmental tasks, e.g., raising children, aging parents, financial matters, job changes, divorce, etc. • Adults are motivated to learn when there is a gap between their present level of understanding, skill, performance and/or growth and the desired level or goal that they set for themselves or that their organization/ community expects of them.

7. AFF Principles & Practices • Adults are motivated by appealing to personal and spiritual growth and/or personal benefits. • Adults are motivated to learn when they identify they have a need to learn. • Adults are motivated to learn when the benefits of a learning experience outweigh their resistance.

8. AFF Principles & Practices • Adults are motivated to learn when facing life transitions. They seek learning and support to cope with changes in their lives Adults are motivated to participate in adult learning programs that are enjoyable and enriching. • Adults are motivated to learn when they have the opportunity to do something they could not do before.

9. AFF Principles & Practices • Adults are motivated to learn by settings that have a natural, interactive, communal feel. They want to be treated and seated as adults in the physical settings where they gather. • Adults are motivated to learn when programs are sensitive to their time constraints by keeping commitments short in terms of duration and offering choices of times for participation.

10. AFF Principles & Practices • Adult faith formation views learning as a lifelong process that involves both formal and informal learning, intentional or unexpected.

11. AFF Principles & Practices

12. AFF Principles & Practices • Adult faith formation utilizes a variety of learning models to address the diverse life tasks and situations, religious and spiritual needs, and interests of adults; and incorporates both face-to-face, interactive learning activities and virtual, online learning activities.

13. AFF Principles & Practices • Learning on Your Own (through reading, online courses, audio and video programs, movies, television programs) • Learning in Small Groups (through Bible and theology study groups, social issues study groups, faith sharing groups, lectionary-based groups, service/mission action groups, support groups, special interest groups) • Learning in Large Groups (through courses, speaker series, workshops, film festivals, retreats, conferences, intergenerational programs)

14. AFF Principles & Practices • Learning in the Congregation (through Sunday worship, church year events and celebrations, service/mission activities, ministry and leadership in the church and community) • Learning in the Community and World (through programs/courses/clinics/ workshops/presentations at universities, retreat centers, YMCAs, libraries, bookstores, regional church programs; through engagement in community/political action, local and global service/justice organizations and projects)

15. On Your Own reading mentoring / spiritual direction podcasts and audio learning video podcasts and video-based learning online courses & online learning centers parish web site AFF Principles & Practices

16. Learning in Small Groups discipleship or faith sharing groups Lectionary or Bible study groups topical study groups practice-focused groups special interest groups ministry groups study-action/service groups spiritual formation / prayer groups AFF Principles & Practices

17. Learning in Large Groups multi-session courses/workshops single-session program/workshop intergenerational programs speaker series round table discussions film festivals field trips retreats conferences service projects AFF Principles & Practices

18. AFF Principles & Practices • Creating a multi-dimensional platform for faith formation with face-to-face interaction/experience at the core leading to continuing learning and faith growth orvirtual interaction leading to face-to-face interactions and experiences.

20. Approach #1 • Begin with people’s participation in face-to-face learning activities and extend the learning online. • Sponsor a parish program on the Gospel of Matthew in preparation for Cycle A (a family or intergenerational program, a 3-session adult program, a youth meeting, etc.) • Extend and deepen the learning with online resources • weekly commentaries for each Sunday of Cycle A • online Bible study program (independent or with a small group) on the Gospel of Matthew • university course on the Gospel of Matthew on iTunes U • an online blog that allows people to post their reflections on each Sunday’s reading and invites discussion online

21. Approach #2 • Begin with people’s participation in online learning activities and invite them to in parish learning programs • Develop an online spiritual formation center (website) for your church using a variety of already existing resources: • daily fixed hour prayer (liturgy of the hours) • weekly and seasonal prayer resources • links to prayer sites around the world • an online retreat (A thirty-four week retreat for Everyday Life from Creighton University • online courses with spiritual guides like Thomas Merton, Joyce Rupp, Henri Nouwen, Joan Chittister from SpiritualityandPractice.com • prayer center to pray for people in the community • links to videos on prayer (YouTube) • online blog for sharing prayer practices and experiences

22. Online Learning online learning courses and activities online small groups and reading groups faith formation resources spiritual formation / prayer social networking daily Bible study / prayer-of-the-day audio and video podcasts of sermons and guest speakers, and links to other sources (iTunes) e-newsletter AFF Principles & Practices

23. Summary of Features • Include a variety of content topics and learning activities in order to address addresses the diverse life tasks and situations, spiritual and religious needs, and interests of adults in the church. • Guide adults in developing their own personalized learning pathway. • Recognizes that the initiative for learning resides in the adult learner.

24. Summary of Features • Incorporate four types of learning: formal and informal, intentional and unexpected. • Utilize a variety of learning models: learning on your own, in small groups, in large groups, in the congregation, and in the community and world. • Provide learning activities in physical spaces (face-to-face) and virtual places (online).

25. AFF Design Process

26. AFF Design Process • Task 1. Form an Adult Faith Formation Task Force • Task 2. Prepare a Statement of Your Church’s Vision and Goals for Adult Faith Formation • Task 3. Develop an Inventory of Your Church’s Current Adult Faith Formation Programming

27. AFF Design Process • Task 4. Research the Life Issues and Learning Needs of Adults in Your Church • Research and Discussion • Focus Groups • A Profile of Life Issues and Learning Needs

28. AFF Design Process • Face-to-Face • Virtual • On Your Own • In Small Group • In Large Group • In Church • In Community & World

29. AFF Design Process • Task 5. Discover Faith Formation Activities, Leaders, and Resources to Address the Important Life Issues and Learning Needs • People Resources • Physical, Face-to-Face Learning Activity Resources • Print and Media Learning Activity Resources • Online Learning Activity Resources

30. AFF Design Process • Task 6. Design and Implement Your Adult Faith Formation Learning Resources System Plan • Develop Timeframe • Develop an Integrated AFF Activity Plan

31. AFF Design Process Integrated Adult Faith Formation Activity Plans • life issue or learning need • variety of ways to learn: • differing levels of depth and commitment • variety of learning models reflecting the diversity of learning styles • online and face-to-face learning • times and locations convenient for adults

32. AFF Plan

33. AFF Design Process • Balance • Leadership • Church Website • Program Guide • Spiritual/Learning Assessment • Marketing • Evaluate