Vision of Lifelong Faith Formation

1. Vision of Lifelong Faith Formation Models for Parish Programming Diocese of Buffalo

2. Vision of Lifelong Faith Formation . . . encourage a living, explicit and fruitful profession of faith . . . put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ (GDC) The object of catechesis is communion with Jesus Christ. Catechesis leads people to enter the mystery of Christ, to encounter him, and to discover themselves and the meaning of their lives in him. (NDC)

3. Vision of Lifelong Faith Formation Faith is a gift destined to grow in the hearts of believers. Adhering to Jesus Christ, in fact, sets in motion a process of continuing conversion, which lasts for the whole of life. (GDC)

4. Vision of Lifelong Faith Formation . . . the main task of handing on the faith is the whole community’s task, carried out as members of the community gather together to sustain each other, go out and witness to, and even work to transform (when appropriate) the world in the name of Jesus, the Christ. (Terrence Tilley, “Communication in Handing on the Faith”)

5. Part 1Vision of Lifelong Faith Formation • How can we provide faith formation across the whole lifespan? • Age groups (young children—older adults) • Families • Intergenerational • At the parish • At home

6. Vision of Lifelong Faith Formation Integrated & Comprehensive • Formation through participation in the life of the faith community • Education in Scripture and the Catholic tradition • Apprenticeship in the Christian life • Intimate connection with the liturgy and rituals of the Church • Development of a life of prayer • Engagement in actions of justice and service (General Directory for Catechesis 90)

7. Vision of Lifelong Faith Formation Engaging Learning Experiences • Experiential • Image-rich • Multi-sensory • Interactive and Participatory • Appropriate for All Learning Styles • Applicable to Real Life • Project-Centered

8. Vision of Lifelong Faith Formation Connected Faith Formation Church Life & Faith Practices Faith Formation Home/Family

9. Vision of Lifelong Faith Formation Connected Faith Formation • Prepare people for participation in church life—worship, prayer, service, liturgical year, leadership—through faith formation programming. • Engage people in church events and incorporate a learning-reflection component.

10. Vision of Lifelong Faith Formation Diversity of Learning Formats • Independent learning • Small group learning • Large group learning • Study action projects / service • Spiritual development • Online presence

11. Approaches & Models • Life-Span Faith Formation • thematic faith formation for all ages • milestones faith formation • events-centered intergenerational faith formation • faith formation in Christian practices • Family and Intergenerational Models • Age Group Program Models • Internet & Communication Media

12. Lifelong: Thematic • Align Faith Themes across All Age Groups • Four Pillars of Catechism 1. Creed 2. Sacraments 3. Morality 4. Prayer • Lectionary Cycle of Readings • Children’s Textbook Themes

13. Lifelong: Thematic • Weekly age-appropriate, learning materials on the Lectionary readings • Ages: 3-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-18, Adult • Weekly Worship Material: prayers, sermon ideas • Weekly Service Materials: faith in action projects

14. Lifelong: Thematic Theme eg.: We Believe (Creed) Month: October

15. Birth / Baptism Becoming a Parent/ Grandparent Anniversary of Baptism Welcoming Young Children to Worship Entering “Sunday School” Starting School Kids and Money Blessing of the Backpacks First Communion Receiving a first Bible Lifelong: Milestones

16. Confirmation Graduation (HS, College) A New Home / Apartment Career / First Job Engagement Wedding Retirement or AARP Card Transitions Death / Funeral Lifelong: Milestones

17. Lifelong: Milestones • Family Components • Faith Conversations • Devotions and Prayer • Service • Rituals and Traditions • Family Meal

18. Lifelong: Whole Parish All Ages Intergenerational Approach

19. Lifelong: Whole Parish Characteristics • Involvement of all ages in faith formation together • Curriculum centered in the life of the church: events-centered • Preparation of all generations for participation in Catholic community life, especially Sunday Mass

20. Lifelong: Whole Parish • Intergenerational learning: all of the generations learning together • Formation of the whole family, and especially parents, to create a pattern of family faith sharing and a Catholic way of life at home

21. Lifelong: Whole Parish • Core Curriculum for the whole community with intergenerational learning for all ages • Church Year & Scripture • Creed • Sacraments • Morality • Justice • Prayer

23. Lifelong: Whole Parish

24. Lifelong: Whole Parish

25. Lifelong: Whole Parish Connecting Faith, Worship, and Life Based upon the Gospel and the call of Pope Benedict XVI and his predecessors for a new evangelization and stronger catechetical effort, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish uses a liturgy-centered, lifelong, and intergenerational approach to Catholic faith formation. The goal is to help and support everyone who wishes to become a better disciple by integrating faith, worship, and life in light of the Gospel. Since this is an ongoing, lifelong task, we invite EVERYONE in the parish to participate. All are welcome!

26. Lifelong: Whole Parish Connecting Faith, Worship, and Life • September: Mass for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time • October: Mass for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time • November: Mass for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time • December: Mass for the 2nd Sunday of Advent • January: Mass for the Baptism of the Lord • February: Mass for the 1st Sunday of Lent • March: Mass for Palm Sunday • April: Mass for the 4th Sunday of Easter • May: Mass for Holy Trinity Sunday

27. Family Faith Formation “. . . in every Christian family the different aspects and functions of the life of the entire Church may be reflected: mission; catechesis; witness; prayer etc. Indeed in the same way as the Church, the family ‘is a place in which the Gospel is transmitted and from which it extends.’ The family as a locus of catechesis has a unique privilege: transmitting the Gospel by rooting it in the context of profound human values. …It is, indeed, a Christian education more witnessed to than taught, more occasional than systematic, more ongoing and daily than structured into periods.” (General Directory for Catechesis, 1997)

28. Family Faith Formation For the good of families and the whole Christian community, the church must provide opportunities to equip homes as centers of faith formation at every stage of life, and this needs to be a primary goal for congregational ministry. Congregations need to make family faith formation one focus of everything they do as a church community.

29. Family Faith Formation • The evidence clearly shows that the single most important social influence on the religious and spiritual lives of children and adolescents is their parents.

30. Family Faith Formation • “We’ll get what we are.” Most parents most likely will end up getting religiously of their children what they themselves are. • The best way to get most youth involved in and serious about their faith communities is to get their parents more involved in and serious about their faith communities. (Christian Smith, Soul Searching)

31. Family Faith Formation CaringConversations Family Meal Our Goal FamilyFaithPractice Devotions and Prayer Service • Rituals and Traditions

32. Family Faith Formation • Utilize church ministries and programming to teach, model, and demonstrate family faith practices, and then provide the resources for families to live the practice at home, e.g., Sunday Worship.

33. Family Faith Formation • Involve the whole family in congregational life, programs, and leadership roles. • Redesign programs to incorporate family learning. • Involve the whole family in worship and leadership roles.

34. Family Faith Formation • Offer family learning programs: • monthly large group family sessions • family workshops on family faith practices, church year seasons, and/or family topics • family cluster or small group learning programs • family-centered lectionary-based program • family-centered vacation Bible school • family retreats and camps • family Bible study • family-centered sacramental preparation

35. Family Faith Formation • Develop family faith formation around lifecycle milestones. • Life cycle specific faith formation around life span milestones at home and in the congregation, utilizing daily, seasonal, and yearly practices and traditions. • The life span approach creates a partnership between home and parish.

36. Family Faith Formation • Offer family service programs & projects. • Provide at-home resources for the family faith practices. • Use the Internet to resource and connect families.

37. Family Faith Formation

38. Family Faith Formation • Provide parent education, resources, support, and encouragement. • Classes, workshops, retreats, and/or support groups to nurture parental faith; to teach parenting skills, ways to share faith at home, etc. • Parent-child/teen programming • Parent information and resources: print, audio, video, and/or web-based. • Parallel parent program to the children and adolescent program.

39. Intergenerational Faith Formation Elements of Intergenerational Learning • an all-ages learning experience for the whole assembly • age-appropriate in-depth learning experiences for families with children, adolescents, young adults, and adults • an all-ages contributive learning experience in which each generation teaches the other generations • reflection on the learning experience and interactive group sharing

40. Intergenerational Faith Formation Meal and Community Building (30 minutes) Part 1. Gathering and Prayer (10-15) Part 2. All Ages Learning Experience (20-30) Part 3. In-Depth Learning Experience (75-90) • Option 1. Whole Group • Option 2. Age Group • Option 3. Activity Center Part 4. Sharing Learning Experiences and Home Application (15-20) Part 5. Closing Prayer (5-10)

41. Intergenerational Faith Formation • Offer intergenerational learning programs: • monthly learning programs • weekly or bi-weekly small groups • intergenerational summer camp programs • intergenerational vacation Bible school • intergenerational Bible study • intergenerational retreats • Intergenerational workshops

42. Intergenerational Faith Formation • Develop a faith formation curriculum for the whole community using intergenerational faith formation as the primary learning model. • Extend a topic or theme being featured in the faith formation program for children or adolescents, to the whole community through intergenerational learning. • Replace a topic in the children or adolescent program with intergenerational learning on the same theme.

43. Intergenerational Faith Formation • Add intergenerational learning to sacramental preparation and celebrations. • Conduct intergenerational faith formation before major church year feasts and seasons, as well as church events. • Add intergenerational learning to a vacation Bible school or summer program. • Conduct intergenerational learning around justice issues, events, and action projects. • Sponsor an intergenerational retreat for the whole community.

44. Age Group Learning Models Models of learning for age groups: • Independent learning • Small group learning • Large group learning • Study action projects • Spiritual development • Online presence

45. Independent Learning 1. Independent Learning • podcasts and audio learning • video podcasts and video-based learning • online courses & online learning centers • parish web site

46. Small Group Learning 2. Small Group Learning • discipleship or faith sharing groups • Bible study groups • topical study groups • practice-focused groups • special interest groups • ministry groups

47. Large Group Learning 3. Large Group Learning • multi-session courses • speaker series • one-session program • round table discussions • parent parallel learning • field trips • workshops • film festivals

48. Study-Action 4. Study-Action Projects: combine study, action, and reflection • Justice and service projects: local, national, global • Age groups • Families • Multi-generational • Church ministry/leadership groups

49. Study-Action • Engage People in a Variety of Study-Action Projects • Local, national, global projects • Age groups • Families • Multi-generational • Process • Study  Action  Reflection • Action  Reflection  Study

50. Study-Action • Add an Action Project to a Learning Program: for Participants, Families or for the Whole Church Program Action Reflection Option for Poor Creation/Environment Dignity of Human Life Rights and Responsibilities Peace