Title: Liturgy Family Large Group Small Group Individual Fill
1Here Comes Everybody!
- Forming an Engaged Community
- Diocese of Broken Bay
- June, 2009
2What Do You Hope and Pray for When You Think of
Life in Your Diocese?
3A Vision of Community and of Catechesis
- A Vision of Parish as a Community of Believers of
All Ages on a Lifelong Journey of Living, Growing
Faith - A Community that Understands that Catechesis is
a responsibility of the entire Christian
community, (GDC, 220)
4In Response to Change
- Church and Culture have seen significant change
in last 50 years - Family
- Neighborhoods
- Rhythm of Life
5Guiding the Vision
- The General Directory
- for Catchesis
- Signed by John Paul II, 1997
- The parish is, without doubt, the most important
locus in which the Christian community is formed
and expressed. (257)
6Guiding the Vision
- Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us
- U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1999
- We seek to form adults who actively cultivate a
lively baptismal and eucharistic spirituality
with a powerful sense of mission and apostolate.
(introduction)
7Forming Individuals and the Community
- Two main goals
- Evangelization
- Real, Living, Growing Relationship with Christ,
Shared with Others - Lifelong Catechesis
- Forming Disciples Throughout a Lifetime
8Forming Individuals and the Community
- How have you experienced a faith community as the
locus in which Christians are formed in a lively
baptismal and eucharistic spirituality with a
powerful sense of mission and apostolate?
9Forming Individuals and the Community
- Six Tasks of Catechesis
- Promoting Knowledge of the Faith
- The Meaning of the Liturgy and Sacraments
- Moral Formation in Jesus Christ
- Teaching to Pray with Christ
- Communal Life
- Missionary Spirit
10Markers Along the Way Dimensions
- Centrality of the Liturgy
- Helping people make connections between the
prayer of the community and the rest of their
lives
11Markers Along the Way
- Living Discipleship
- Learning While Serving, Side by Side
- Making Christian Decisions
- Advocating for Justice
- Working toward Peaceful Solutions
12Markers Along the Way
- Engaged Adults
- When Adults, including Youth, are engaged in the
life of the parish, the result is living
discipleship
13Markers Along the Way
- Catechesis Involves Everyone
- All grow in faith in many ways over the course of
a lifetime.
14Markers Along the Way
- Catechumenate As Model
- Initiation is an
- on-going process
15Markers Along the Way
- Calling Forth The Gifts of All
- We come to recognize that all we have and are is
gift from God and must be returned with grateful
hearts
16Markers Along the Way
- Households of Faith
- Life in our faith communities must be pointed
outward toward the world, and equipping people
to live faith in their daily lives
17Markers Along the Way
- Evangelizing Community
- When people fall in love, they cant help but
share their love with others
18Vehicles for the Journey
- Connection to Sunday Liturgy
- Question of the Week
- Liturgical Catechesis
- Seasonal Connections
- Connecting Liturgy with Life
19Vehicles for the Journey
- Assemblies
- Parallel Assemblies
-
- Intergenerational Assemblies
20Assemblies Gathering the Faithful
- Catechesis assemblies draw adults, youth and
children together in lifelong growth - Use spiral scope and sequence to guide topics
- Parents provided with take-home packet for
further exploration - Assemblies once a week, once a month, with
household or neighborhood catechesis between
gatherings the possibilities are unlimited!
21Parallel Assemblies
- Often Begin with Everyone Together
- Children taken to age-group activities on related
topic or theme - Sometimes all come back together at the end
often parents are given description of childrens
activities
22All Ages Assemblies
- All but the youngest (pre-school through
Kindergarten or First Grade) remain together - Lots of time for questions, often time for
movement to stations of activities or
demonstrations
23Vehicles for the Journey
- Six tasks of catechesis
- Knowledge of the Faith
- Liturgical Life
- Communal Life
- Missionary Spirit
- Prayer
- Moral Formation
24Planning Adult Faith Formation
- Study catechetical principles with parishioners
and catechists - Prayerfully reflect upon the vision
25 Vehicles for the Journey
- Adult Faith Formation
- Adults come when they understand the impact in
their lives - Adults want to know what will be discussed, and
often like to know the planned format for the
event - One Size Does Not Fit All!
26Planning Adult Faith Formation
- Create a chart for each of the six elements
- At the top, list the following headings
- Liturgy Family Large Group
- Small Group Individual
- Fill in the chart and see what is already
happening to support AFF and where growth can be
facilitated
27(No Transcript)
28Our Vision Shapes Our Action
- What words or phrases speak to you most
powerfully? - What are these excerpts inviting us to be as
Church? - How might these excerpts guide the work of this
group at this time?
29Vehicles for the Journey
- Formed Through Service to Others
- Mission-oriented VBS
- Grade school age children and youth have service
projects each year - Youth model and encourage service
- Opportunities for families, or other adults,
youth and children, to serve together
30Vehicles for the Journey
- Sacramental Preparation Assemblies
- The same principles apply
- Greater community involvement
- Opportunities for sharing and shared learning
31Vehicles for the Journey
- What better way to jump start a relationship
with Christ? - Helps to infuse the community with enthusiasm for
faith and faithful living - Renews not just individuals but also the
community
32Vehicles for the Journey
- Support Parents as Primary in Faith Formation of
Children - Combine Parish and Family Processes with
Assemblies - Support by Catechetical Leader or Special
Catechetical Team
- Parish, School and Parents in Partnership
33Which Vehicles To Take?
- How Will You Enter or Continue on the Journey of
Lifelong Faith Formation? - Begin or Continue Reasonably!
- Begin with Elements that will most easily invite
people to connect their experience - Begin with a few assemblies the first year
- Just Begin!
- Continue by building on what is working
34The Importance of the Community of Believers
- Engagement
- Engagement is a deep emotional connection to the
parish community - Those who are Engaged in the life of their
congregation are much more likely to be
spiritually committed, exhibiting the outcomes of
life satisfaction, inviting, serving and giving. -
35The Importance of the Community of Believers
- Engaged
- Not Engaged
- Actively Disengaged
36The Importance of the Community of Believers
- Gallup Research
- The Engaged
- Are more likely to invite someone to worship or
an event at the parish - 64 of the Engaged
- 24 of the Not Engaged
- 5 of the Actively Disengaged
37The Importance of the Community of Believers
- The Engaged give at least two times more hours
per week in community service - Financial giving is nearly three times greater in
the Engaged than in the Actively Disengaged
38Belonging to Christ
- Those who enter Jesus new covenant find
themselves growing in a union of minds and hearts
with others who have also responded to Gods
call. They find their hearts and minds expanding
to embrace all men and women, especially those in
need, in a communion of mercy and love.
39Restoring All Things In Christ
- And what do Christians bring to the Eucharistic
celebration and join there with Jesus offering?
Their lives as Christian disciples their
personal vocations and the stewardship they have
exercised regarding them, their individual
contributions to the great work of restoring all
things in Christ. - Stewardship A Disciples Response
40What is Your Experience?
- What are your initial thoughts and reactions?
- What implications do you perceive?
41Aim is Always Living Discipleship
- A relationship with God that is growing
- Regular rhythm of full, conscious and active
participation in Eucharist and Sacraments - Life that is shaped through prayer, reflecting
upon the Paschal Mystery
42Aim is Always Living Discipleship
- Rooted in the word of God
- Basic understanding of, and ability to explain to
others, essential beliefs - Moral behavior that is shaped by faith, expressed
in Catholic teaching - Outpouring of service to others
43Aim is Always Living Discipleship
- Active participation in the faith community
- Including stewardship of all of life, everything
being given by God and returned to God in
gratitude - A marked desire to share ones love of God and
the way that love transforms over time
44Continuing the Journey Resources
- Forming Generous Hearts Stewardship Planning for
Lifelong Faith Formation (Anslinger/Shepp) - Growing an Engaged Church (Winseman)
- For samples, powerpoint slides, and more info
www.thegenerousheart.com - For conversation http//thegeneroushearttalk.blog
spot.com - For additional information and reasonably
priced, downloadable and adjustable resources - www.allaboutchurchengagement.com
- www.pastoralplanning.com