Office of Religious Education at 601 S. Jefferson Ave., Springfield, MO 65806 US - Adult Education Help for Parishes
| Adult Education Help for Parishes |
IMPROVING PARISH ADULT EDUCATION EFFORTS: Objective One: The pastor and other pastoral leaders will demonstrate a clear commitment to the vision and practice of lifelong learning in faith. _____ The pastor establishes policies and procedures that give priority to the vision and practice of adult faith formation. _____ Other parish staff members promote and support the faith formation of adults and encourage parish adults to participate in basic and continuous education in the faith. _____ The parish places the faith formation of adults squarely in the center of its stated mission and goals. _____ The parish helps to provide access to various available learning resources and opportunities for adults. Objective Two: Each parish will designate an adult faith formation leader, authorized by the pastor, to assume primary responsibility and accept accountability for implementing the ministry of adult faith formation. _____ The parish designates a staff person or qualified parishioner as the adult faith formation leader. Objective Three: The parish will have a core team of trained parishioners committed to and responsible for implementing the parish vision and plan for adult faith formation. _____ The parish has a functioning adult faith formation team or committee with a formally recognized place in the parish leadership structure. Objective Four: Each parish will have trained teachers/facilitators to serve the diverse adult faith formation efforts of the parish or region. _____ Each parish has, or has access to, various types of teachers/facilitators for adult faith formation.
What are the elements that are necessary for organizing adult faith formation in a parish? The following objectives and indicators from Our Hearts Were Burning: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States can help pave the way. Congratulations on the indicators that your parish has already implemented. Make note of the ones that you feel you will have to implement in order to establish an effective organization for adult faith formation. Disregard the ones that do not seem to fit your parish situation. Copy these for your parish group.
_____ The parish gives adult faith formation a priority in the allocation of financial resources, in providing learning space, and in parish scheduling.
_____ The leader advocates for the primacy of adult faith formation in the parish.
_____ The leader promotes the development of an effective adult faith formation team.
_____ The team works together to provide a diverse range of quality
programming for parish adult faith formation.
_____ The team receives both initial and ongoing training to prepare it to
accomplish its mission effectively.
_____ The parish is resourced by the adult faith formation leader.
_____ Teachers/facilitators for adults participate in both initial training and ongoing formation.
_____ Parishes provide recognition for their adult teachers/facilitators and funding for their initial and ongoing formation.