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Introduction
Faith Sharing
Households of Faith
Gatherings
Service and Outreach
Introduction
Is
this just a current catechetical fad that will fade as time
goes on?
It is important that Whole Community Catechesis is not seen as a newly
created program, but a vision. This vision is simply an articulation of
church teaching that already exists in the documents of Vatican II, the General
Directory for Catechesis, and other catechetical documents. It is also
rooted in the Catholic understanding of what it means to be a community
of faith. It will not become a fad that fades away as long as parishes
understand its sources and roots and take the time to consistently consider
and reconsider its implications for their faith community.
How will we have time to implement
this vision?
Implementation of the Whole Community Catechesis vision will evolve over
many years. It is not a program that is simply put into place. It is a
way of viewing everything we do as a parish. This paradigm shift within
a parish will take a good amount of time to implement—and will need
to be implemented step by step. Some parishes spend an entire year studying
in order to fully understand what the Whole Community Catechesis vision
might mean for their particular community. This vision is one the whole
community works toward. |
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Faith Sharing
How
is faith sharing beneficial to others?
Because faith sharing is an open, honest communication of both the good
and bad moments in our faith lives, sharing our experience with others
helps us as well as them. Seeing commonalities and differences in our faith
stories is both affirming and challenging and can help us on our faith
journey. We begin to see we have many of the same joys, doubts, and frustrations
as others. This builds the larger community of faith by strengthening relationships
and helping us express that which is central to our lives.
What is a good size for a faith sharing
group?
The size of groups in the faith-sharing process can vary from one-on-one
sharing to sharing in a group as large as ten or more. If you have one
large group, you may need to break it into two smaller groups to facilitate
faith sharing. The real key in larger group sharing is to make sure that
everyone can be heard—and listened to—and that everyone has
ample time to share. Nothing is more frustrating than being in a group
so large that people are not heard or the time is cut off before some have
the chance to share. It takes both good time and group management skills
to overcome these obstacles. |
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Households of Faith
I
have spent many years working with family catechesis. How does
this fit into the Whole Community Catechesis vision?
If you have been including the family in the catechetical process, you
have already begun working toward the Whole Community Catechesis vision.
Family catechesis is the place where many parishes begin infusing the whole
community principles. If your family component is strong, try to include
more members of the community in your parish's offerings. Remember, households
of faith is an all-encompassing term that refers to all the households
of the parish, whatever they might look like, not just parent-child households.
Does this vision imply that all religious
education should be completed in the home?
Home-based catechesis, either by an individual family or by a combination
of local families, is an option some parishes elect in their quest to become
more in tune with the whole community vision. But moving toward implementing
Whole Community Catechesis certainly does not necessitate implementing
home-based catechesis. It is preferable that there are multiple options
for formal catechesis and home-based catechesis. Catechesis by grade level
at the parish should not be discounted and should remain a viable option
for most parishes. |
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Gatherings
Do
I have to include the whole parish in every meeting or program
I offer now?
The Whole Community Catechesis vision asks us to look at and be aware of
the activity in our parish that already brings multiple generations together.
It also challenges us to seek new ways in which we can provide ongoing
religious formation that involves a larger segment of the community. However,
this is not to take away from the effectiveness of age-specific learning
or gathering. While gatherings that include multiple generations may be
additional opportunities for learning, they do not necessarily need to
become the only means of catechesis.
Can I buy materials that will support
these catechetical sessions?
One of the strongest ways to support parish faith gatherings is to use
a textbook series. If you elect to have grades split up for the core catechetical
lesson, they can simply use the books in the room. But textbooks can also
be a wonderful support for the lead catechist in preparing content and
direction for the gathering. They can provide a range of age-appropriate
material that can become the basis for input. Many parishes also refer
families to the appropriate chapters in the student textbooks and family
guides that will lead to further information on the topic at hand. |
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Service and Outreach
Should
service be a requirement?
Service is a requirement for every Christian and we should certainly be
exposing all age levels to different opportunities for service throughout
the year. The key is to impart the fact that serving others as Christ commanded
is something all Christians should engage. All Christians have the responsibility
to serve others.
How can we promote unity among the
varying cultures present in our community?
As our parish communities continue to become more and more diverse, it
is important that we take the time to educate ourselves about the many
cultures that make up our community of faith. How people interact, communicate,
and celebrate change is qualified by the cultural influences surrounding
them which often include nuances and unspoken beliefs that can be difficult
to uncover. We must seek to open lines of communication, show a genuine
interest in learning about other cultures, and interact with people in
their own cultural settings. This will start us on the way to unity. |
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