This document discusses strategies for effective adult faith formation programming in parishes. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the needs, concerns, and life stages of different age groups in the congregation. The document recommends assessing implicit and explicit faith needs rather than just interests, and providing a variety of programming options tailored to different generations to nourish a lively faith through word, sacrament and community. The goal is to form disciples who witness to their faith in daily life.

1. Ready, Set, Plan! Implementation of Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us

2. The Call to Discipleship To teach as Jesus did means calling and equipping all Christians of every age and stage of life to fulfill their baptismal call to holiness in family, Church and society…

3. The Call to Discipleship As disciples we are apprentices to Jesus Christ himself.

4. The Church exists to proclaim Christ To sustain this work of the Gospel is to nourish, strengthen and form lay men and women in their life long conversion.

5. Why Adult Faith Formation? We seek to form parishes that are vitally alive in faith. #17

6. Why Adult Faith Formation? provide a parish climate and an array of activities and resources designed to help adults more fully understand and live their faith.

7. Why Adult Faith Formation? It is the central task in catechesis and the axis around which revolves the catechesis of childhood, adolescence and that of old age. #5

8. We seek to form adults who actively cultivate a lively baptismal and eucharistic spirituality with a powerful sense of mission and apostolate .

9. Adults, who… Nourished by word, sacrament, and communal life, they will witness and share the gospel in their homes, neighborhoods, places of work, and centers of culture .

10. Come Holy Spirit We are all “animators” of the Gospel Message

11. Immaculate Conception Ready, Set, Plan! Designing Programs for Adult Faith Formation

12. The Blue Prints of Spiritual Life Understanding and reaching all of the generations in our Church

13. Elders/Builders

14. The “Elders/Builders”

15. The “Elders/Builders”

16. The “Living Stones” Boomers

17. The “Boomers”

18. The “Boomers”

19. The “Living Stones” Gen-Xers

20. The “Gen-X/Busters”

21. The “Gen-X/Busters”

22. The “Living Stones” Young Professionals - Millenials

23. The “Millennials”

24. The “Millennials”

25. Living Faith Is always searching— what do we seek? Is there room for doubt?

26. Living Faith Is aware of sin and conscious of it hold over us— how do we repent and renew ourselves?

27. Living Faith Longs for fulfillment of the Reign of God How do we serve justice and peace?

28. Explicit Faith We have a personal relationship with Jesus lived in the Christian community.

29. Explicit Faith Is connected to the Church— its life, teaching, and mission.

30. Explicit Faith Is confident in professing faith based on knowledge of scripture and church teachings

31. Explicit Faith Knows what is essential and respects legitimate diversity

32. Fruitful Faith Radiates the presence of the Holy Spirit— exhibits love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control .

33. Mature Faith Recognizes that faith is always a gift! For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God. Eph. 2:8

34. “ Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not [yet] seen.” By faith we are called to be signs of the reign of God. Mature Faith

35. Programming Adult Faith Formation

36. Four Basic Steps of assessing and setting a program in motion.

37. Interests Vs. Needs Two Erroneous Assumptions: People know and will honestly say what programs they are interested in People will actually come to programs that they say they are interested in

38. Look for Deeper, Basic Needs Who are these people?

39. Look for Deeper, Basic Needs Who are these people? What concerns them?

40. Look for Deeper, Basic Needs Who are these people? What concerns them? What are some of the personal, family, and work issues with which they struggle?

41. Look for Deeper, Basic Needs Who are these people? What concerns them? What are some of the personal, family, and work issues with which they struggle? Where do they spend their time and money?

42. Marketing and Publicity: What is Happening and Why Should You Care? Use Variety Personal Invitation Invite Neighboring Parishes Quality Is Important Do “After Event” Publicity

43. “ Begin with the End in Mind” What do you want to happen next?

44. “ Begin with the End in Mind” Describe the “growing edges” those areas that at the moment are weaknesses that can be turned into opportunities ?

45. Problem Solving We learn by having to deal with a problem area. Growing and developing in this skill carries over to problem solving activities outside the group, thus, We learn the process of problem solving.

46. You Are Gift God sends each person into this world with a special message to deliver, with a special song to sing for others, with a special act of love to bestow. No one else can speak your message, or sing your song, or offer your act of love. Reverend John Powell