Moving Forward Together: Formation for All
Read comments given at the day at Washington then post your own responses to the questions on Formation for All below
(5):‘Adult Formation’ – What do we need to be forming Laity and Priests for?
HEADLINES
- Lay Formation to carry out those priestly functions they can
- Get the Diocese more on-line
- Seek clarity in communication with members of the Diocese at large – watch out for Jargon
- Purpose of adult formation is to enable priests and people to become fully human and disciples of the Lord
- Formation not Information = Transformation
- Gifts/talents – empowered to use? Waiting to be asked?
- Parish Priest running everything? – Fear of commitment
- Church’s purpose? – Good News
- Need to be Christ Centred
- Formation – life long, ongoing
- Lose parent/child structure
- All need to be – adult
- Importance of scripture in life of our communities
- People need to understand what is mission and how we can accomplish it
- New cultures, new structures
- Leadership – team work
- Encourage – develop others
- Use gifts (find gifts)
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Diocese should use all possible means to achieve above purpose
- Self-esteem
- God will help
- Need for confidence in our Christian outreach to the world
- Scripture
- Leadership
- Encouraging Talent
(6) What types of initiatives and events would best facilitate adult formation in the Diocese (ie seminars, online content, small groups)?
HEADLINES
- RCIA/Journey in Faith
problematic due to small groups and lack of resources. What training is available? Lack of uniformity - Problem promoting outreach
making ourselves look attractive, supportive, available - Seminar
Locations and venues for training - Fear of internet
- Adult Formation – who do we mean?
- What types of formation? Facilitation?
- Communication: designated person at parish/deanery level is needed
- Resources – centrally held – Ushaw College?
- Events
- Location? Work at local level
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Work at Deanery level, sharing resources, speakers, skills, gifts, talents. Need for Diocesan policy and structure and sensitivity
- Need overhaul of marketing networking and promotion = training
- Deanery level allowing training to come in, which encourages networking – deanery newsletter
- Multi-functional communication, hard copies, on-line copies re-look/modernise policies and procedures re communication reps eg up to date list of reps, training of reps
- Central list of e-mail addresses. Communications Officer to send appropriate information to list
- Central list of those involved in comm at parish level. Signposting what is available and advertising it well. Accessing what is available.
- Database of skills
- Core Group is crucial to enable any of the above to take place – good communication, formation and mission
(7) What would support people to learn about the different adult formation events that are organised in the Diocese?
HEADLINES
- Need for communication to inform and enthuse
- Reaching all people – wherever they are on their faith journey – those on the margin and those detached
- Inclusion language – ‘We all …” the leadership in each parish to encourage/support enthusiastically the ‘communication person’
- Range of communication methods which engage and enthuse people in language understood by all
- Parish discussion about ‘the needs’ of the parish
- Use schools to support/as focus for development – children bring parents
- Share experiences – provide this information to inform/support others
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Retain the traditional: posters, newsletters, bulletins, Northern Cross
- Develop all new technology safely
- Websites, Podcasts, Twitter, Facebook
- Interactive whiteboards in schools
- Appoint enthusiastic ‘communication person’ in every parish to ensure that information is passed on and people are enthused and energised
- Parish ministry days – or deaneries
- Share statistics
- Invite others to ‘come with me’
(8) We would like to explore the possibility of more shared formation of the clergy and the laity. Would this be of interest? If so, how could this be done?
HEADLINES
- Gap between priests and laity to bridge
- Personality needs to change – key lay and priests
- Opportunities for overlapping formation to be identified – reorganised etc
- Joint education opportunity offered by the changing liturgy
- Some changes already happening
- Collaboration partnership – key words
- Consultation - parishioner empowerment
- We must adopt a “partnership mentality” – “letting go” to reach our full potential
- We all share priesthood
- Ownership of new developments
- Communication must be clear, accessible, purposeful and shared
- All of us must take responsibility – not just the priests
- How do we promote / ‘sell’ training courses – so easy to put people right off or make training ‘exclusive’. Must be free
- One-to-one approach is vital – individual invitation is much more positive and effective
- ‘Events’ not ‘courses’ – make them very local – use talents already available at parish level
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Work together in parish councils (16 simple acts – priest/lay visible acts)
- Priest and people forum in each deanery
- Permanent Deacons to enable laity
- Opportunities for shared spiritual and pastoral formation
- To identify what is and can be shared
- Look at the separate councils and diocese
- Diocesan day of reflection for laity and priests together (getting a baseline of where we are now and where we would like to be)
- Formation of a Diocesan team and would visit each parish to let them know, right from the start, what is the ‘new vision’ for our Diocese and how they can be actively involved in it