a future skills course hope - clifton diocese

A FUTURE full of

hope

Notes toward a programme of formation leading to declaration of readiness for pastoral ministryfor students in the Loyola Certificate in Pastoral Ministry course as well as other people preparing for active pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Clifton

CLIFTON MINISTRY SKILLS COURSE

Clifton Ministry Skills certifying readiness for pastoral ministry │ Participants SA/BH 2

The Clifton Ministry Skills Course

Notes toward a programme of formation leading to declaration of readiness for pastoral ministry

for students in the Loyola Certificate in Pastoral Ministry course as well as other people preparing for active pastoral ministry

in the Diocese of Clifton

The Loyola Certificate course occurs in ten six-week modules over two years. The focus is on the theology of pastoral ministry. Others preparing for active pastoral ministry within the Diocese of Clifton may be

• gaining practical experience in a parish setting

• or preparing for pastoral ministry as chaplains or spiritual directors.

The Clifton Ministry Skills course is intended to bring all such people together for a formation program which consists of eight six-hour sessions (plus a “third year” of practical experience and theological reflection). It may be woven into the fabric of the Loyola Certificate course or work alongside other avenues of formation.

The foci of the Clifton Ministry Skills course are on: (a) learning the skills for ministry which are embedded in the theology;(b) experiencing and learning ways of prayer & discernment in pastoralpractice and deepening one’s spirituality as a leader;(c) understanding the role of lay or religious leaders in relation to the parishpriests and deacons when enacting pastoral ministry;(d) learning and practicing methods for pastoral ministry in a post-pandemicchurch(e) entering into a “third year” of practice where enacting pastoral ministry iscombined with intentional theological reflection.


About the Clifton Ministry Skills course

Six-hour sessions will be held on Saturday at a central location in the diocese. Students and team will attend and participate together.

The sessions in the Clifton Ministry Skills course will be taught by persons skilled in group facilitation and experienced in pastoral ministry. For those who have or are studying theology, the Clifton Ministry Skills sessions will help them connect that theology to the lived experience of the church in today’s world.

The leader of prayer and the leader of the experience segment may be different people in each of the Clifton Ministry Skills course sessions.

Everyone present will take part. There will be no observers of the process


Timetable for a typical session in the Clifton Ministry Skills Course

10:00 Arrive for tea and refreshments 10:20 Convene for prayer

Introductions as needed 11:00 The Experience of the Church

Introduction to today’s material Followed by the work of the session Sessions will include small and large group exercises 12:45 Break for lunch when the group reaches a logical stopping point This “free time” is an important time for getting to know one another. 1:30 Resume where we left off 2:30 Tea and refreshment break 2:45 Application of today’s material to pastoral ministry

Closing prayer and conclusion 3:30 Departures

In between Zoom/Teams Sessions

First Zoom: Looking back at the last session (about 1 hour)

• Check in and greetings all around including news from our lives

• What new questions did the material in this session raise for you?

• What new insights about ministry did you gain, looking back now from 4 weeks later?

• What gave you hope? What frustrated you?

• How can you see this material being applied within your parish? Second Zoom: Looking forward to our next session (about 1 hour)

• Check in and greetings all around including news from our lives

• A brief introduction to the next session from the assigned facilitator

• Possible invitation to read and reflect on the scripture story used in the Ignatian prayer at the opening and closing

• Discussion about the next topic to be determined and facilitated by the assigned facilitator

o Review the reading assignment which should always be read before the session

o Possibly offer some suggestions for other reading


YEAR ONE

Topic: Pastoral leadership For those studying in the Loyola Certificate, this is your theme for the Module. For others, prepare for this Clifton Ministry Skills session by reflecting on the outline immediately below:

Module 1) WHAT IS PASTORAL MINISTRY? —6 Feb-19 March 2021 SYNOPSIS Students will explore what being called to pastoral ministry in the Church means today. AIMS To provide students with: ►. the opportunity to recognise and reflect on their own call to pastoral ministry; ►. an appreciation of ministry and mission in the life of the Church; ►. an understanding of ministerial theology and praxis. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the module students will be able to: ►: identify and describe a theory and a method of ministry which will guide their practice; ►: reflect confidently on their ministry and gifts.

In the Clifton Ministry Skills course Session 1: Pastoral Leadership To be scheduled fairly early after the Certificate gets underway. It may even be held before the first module of the Certificate. This will be an introductory session for both the team and the students.

1. Opening Prayer

• Ignatian styled imaginative prayer based on the story of Jesus’ encounter with the woman caught in adultery in John 7:53-8:11.

2. The Experience of the Church

• Reading for this session. Please, read, pray, and reflect on this beforehand. o Promise and Hope, Part Two, pages 29-83.

• Presentation: Leaders that resemble Jesus o PowerPoint presentation of about 15 minutes

• Exercise: Qualities of church leaders o Drawing on the prayer experience, describe how a church leader best

reflects the ministry style of Jesus when enacting pastoral leadership among the People of God. Use the guidelines from Promise and Hope to describe how pastoral leaders treat people in a variety of ministry settings.

o Group Work

• Presentation: The enactment of pastoral ministry: o PowerPoint presentation of about 15 minutes

• Conversation: Small and then large group discussion in response to the emerging Catholic pastoral theology as you are learning it today. What strikes


you about it? What resonates with your understanding of this? What seems out of order to you?

3. Application to Ministry

• Exercise: What we take away o How might today’s material help us understand better how to enact

pastoral ministry. o How would you speak about their sense of being called to pastoral

ministry in today’s church?

• Next session time, place, and topic

• Prayer: Closing prayer based on the opening imaginative exercise. In this prayer, the leader should help people return to the biblical scene in which they encountered Jesus, in order to thank him and open themselves to his spirit.


Topic: Scripture in the Life of the Church For those studying in the Loyola Certificate, this is your theme for the Module. For others, prepare for this Clifton Ministry Skills session by reflecting on the outline immediately below:

Module 2) GOD WHO REVEALS: LOOKING AT THE OLD TESTAMENT —10 Apr-22 May 2021 SYNOPSIS Students will be introduced to the whole range of Old Testament texts revealing a God who loves God’s People. AIMS To provide students with: ►. an introduction to the different genres and contexts of the Old Testament; ►. an appreciation of the different ways of reading these biblical texts and especially the importance of ‘Story’; ►. an understanding of the Old Testament as an unfolding revelation of the God of Love and Salvation. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the module students will be able to: ►: recognise the main types of writing found within the Old Testament; ►: appreciate some of the key biblical stories as relevant for our time; ►: articulate a coherent appreciation of the Old Testament as a vehicle for Divine Revelation. Module 3) CHRIST AND HIS DISCIPLES: LOOKING AT THE NEW TESTAMENT —5 June-16 July 2021 SYNOPSIS Students will explore the New Testament texts with particular attention to the ministry of Jesus and of his followers. AIMS To provide students with: ►. an overview of the New Testament; ►. an understanding of the contexts and the communities in which the gospels were written; ►. an appreciation of the relationship between Christ and his disciples and their role in his ministry and mission. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the module students will be able to: ►: recognise the biblical roots of Jesus’ ministry and his unique role in God’s Divine Revelation; ►: appreciate the different styles of writing within the New Testament and their purpose; ►: to see their own ministry in relation to the ministry of Jesus and his followers.

In the Clifton Ministry Skills course Session 2: Methods for using Scripture effectively in pastoral ministry To be scheduled as soon after Module 3 is completed as possible.

1. Prayer

• Ignatian styled imaginative prayer based on the story of Jesus’ proclamation of the good news in the synagogue of his home town in Luke 4:16-24


• Reading for this session. Please, read, pray, and reflect on this beforehand.


o How do we Understand what Scripture Means? (handout) o Promise and Hope, pages 30-35 on how to understand Scripture.

• Presentation: How do we understand the meaning of Scripture? o About 15 minutes o Brief presentation on how to understand Scripture.

• Exercise: Understanding the Meaning of Scripture o Begin by writing in your journal a brief definition in your own words

of each of the elements of understanding Scripture that were presented. Share these in your group.

o Small group discussion: Analyze four texts—one in each small group— and discuss their meaning, based on what we have learned so far. Follow this line of discussion:

▪ What is Jesus teaching in this text? ▪ How does that apply to us today? ▪ What is Jesus asking of you personally through this text? ▪ What other related texts might also be relevant? ▪ Describe how a Christian should live in light of this teaching.

o Here are the four texts to study: ▪ The Rich Young Man in Matthew 19:16-30 ▪ Part of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 43-48 ▪ The Good Samaritan in Luke 10; 25-36 ▪ About worry in Luke 12: 22-31

o Return to the large group. Each group to report back.

• Presentation: When is Scripture used in pastoral ministry? o Brief presentation to show the many times in which Scripture is

proclaimed in the sacraments and life of the Church.

• Conversation: Invite participants to discuss how and when Scripture should be used in enacting pastoral ministry outside of the sacramental moments. With what people or in what situations would it be seen as “too much?” How would different people respond to its use?

o What effect can quoting Scripture “out of the blue” have on people who come forward asking for help, companionship, or forgiveness?

o For example, with a person asking for help who is mainly inactive, starting out by quoting Scripture might actually drive them away from us.


• Exercise: What we take away o Invite the participants to identify how today’s material might help

them understand better how to enact pastoral ministry. o How would each participant speak about how they ground their call to

pastoral ministry in the Scriptures? Which passages speak most loudly to them?


• Closing Prayer


Topic: Going out to the World as “missionaries” For those studying in the Loyola Certificate, this is your theme for the Module. For others, prepare for this Clifton Ministry Skills session by reflecting on the outline immediately below: Module 4) MISSIONARY DISCIPLES: THE STORY OF THE CHURCH IN BRITAIN —28 August-8 October 2021 SYNOPSIS Students will explore the historical background to the current situation of the Christian churches in Britain. AIMS To provide students with: ►: an opportunity to locate contemporary Christian experience in England and Wales in relation to key events in church history; ►: an overview of the relationships within and between Christian communities in Britain today. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the module students will be able to: ►: identify the key phases of the development of Christianity in Britain; ►: recognise the contribution of key figures in the history of the Christian Church in these islands; ►: be aware of the major divisions within the Christian communities and appreciate the Catholic Church’s commitment to ecumenism.

In the Clifton Ministry Skills Course Session 3: Missionaries of compassion and mercy To be scheduled after the 4th Module in the Certificate course. That Modules treats the history of the church in Great Britain while in the Clifton Ministry Skills course we amplify that and treat our outreach as missionary disciples in today’s church.

1. Prayer

• Ignatian styled imaginative prayer based on the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28.


• Reading for this session. Please, read, pray, and reflect on this beforehand. o Promise and Hope, pages 7-16, or all of Part One. o Promise and Hope, Part Three, pages 84-93

• Presentation: What is mercy and how is it a part of the life of the church? o PowerPoint reflection of about 20 minutes based on Pope Francis’

recent teachings o Questions in the large group.

• Exercise: Who are they? o Working first in small groups and then sharing in the larger group,

identify the persons or groups of people most in need of the mercy today here in the Diocese. Who feels least welcome among us and why? Whom do we “push away” from life in the church and why?

• Exercise: How do we invite them? o What are some practical ways in which we can help people see that the

church (that is, the people of God) loves them and welcomes them?


Who would we not want to welcome? What would turn people further away from us?

• Conversation: Obstacles and opportunities o Feedback from the small groups o The difference between overly law-centered, overly-self-centered, or

centered in Jesus.

• Conversation: Large group discussion. What opportunities for us are embedded in offering greater mercy? See again, Promise and Hope pages 40-47, the guidelines on mercy, mitigating circumstances, and putting people above the law.

o What are the implications of acting “with mercy of Jesus” for parish life, for the life of the wider church, for ecumenical relationships, and for the welfare of God’s mission in the world of our Diocese?


• Exercise: What we take away o Identify how today’s material might help us better how to enact

pastoral ministry. o How would you speak about your role as a minister of mercy for

others? To whom is each one called or sent?


• Closing Prayer


Topic: The Church in Today’s World For those studying in the Loyola Certificate, this is your theme for the Module. For others, prepare for this Clifton Ministry Skills session by reflecting on the outline immediately below: Module 5) VISION OF THE CHURCH: VATICAN II—16 Oct-26 Nov 2021 SYNOPSIS This module covers the story and promise of the Council, including a study of selected texts, discussions over its interpretation and implementation, and a dynamic view of its on-going relevance for the Church’s self-identity. AIMS To provide students with: ►. an overview of the Second Vatican Council and its significant characters and writings; ►. an appreciation of the breadth and depth of the Council documents. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the module students will be able to: ►: demonstrate an understanding of the Councils ongoing impact on the life of the Church; ►: appreciate the significance of Vatican II for pastoral ministry today.

In the Clifton Ministry Skills course: Session 4: The Ministry of Accompaniment at Liturgy and through Pastoral Care To be scheduled after Module 5 of the Certificate course which treats Vatican II and the vision of the church in today’s world.

1. Prayer

• Ignatian styled imaginative prayer based on the story of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.

• At the conclusion and working in the large group, participants to share their encounter with Jesus in this experience.


• Reading for this session. Please, read, pray, and reflect on this beforehand. o Promise and Hope pages 161-170 in Part Six

• Presentation: What is the liturgy and what is it so central to our life as Catholics?

• Exercise: Liturgy—mainly Sunday Mass o Working first in groups of 2-3 - discussion about how liturgy has

touched each one’s life, in what ways it has helped shape their faith in in what ways has it possibly been a hindrance to their faith. Take care that both the helpful and the hurtful outcomes are discussed.

o Drawing on todays’ prayer experience, how would Jesus approach people regarding their participation in the liturgy? What was his approach to Zacchaeus?

o How can we welcome people to our liturgy and help them see that they belong to us and are part of the body of Christ?


• Exercise: Reconciliation o Staying in small groups for the moment, invite participants to share

similarly about the sacrament of reconciliation. Continue to reflect on the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus as you share. See pages 165-166 of Promise and Hope.

o How can this sacrament become more vital for people? o In your own words, what is internal forum and how would you

describe it to someone asking for help?

• Exercise: Large group sharing o Each group or person to share the outcomes of their work in small

groups. Write responses on the flip chart. The purpose of this discussion is to connect pastoral ministry with how people are welcomed and embraced in these two sacraments.

• Conversation: What is pastoral care and to whom is it directed? o Conversational presentation in dialogue with the participants o Invite participants to consider in what ways pastoral care such as

hospital, care home, and prison visits, as well as outreach to people struggling with unemployment, financial troubles, and family disputes or violence, can be a key part of pastoral ministry.

o How can the parish reach out to people who are no longer active—many of them because they believe they are no longer welcome? See pages 169-170 of Promise and Hope.



them understand better how to enact pastoral ministry. o How would each participant speak about the forgiveness and mercy of

the church to someone who feels left out, alienated, or punished by the church?


• Closing Prayer

The conclusion of YEAR ONE


YEAR TWO

Topic: The Call to Holiness For those studying in the Loyola Certificate, this is your theme for the Module. For others, prepare for this Clifton Ministry Skills session by reflecting on the outline immediately below: Module 6) HOLINESS AND WHOLENESS: HOW WE GROW AS PEOPLE OF FAITH —5 Feb-18 March 2022 SYNOPSIS Students will explore human, spiritual and psychological development, and the unique call each person receives to be fully human and alive. AIMS To provide students with: ►. knowledge of the phases of life with references to particular psychological and spiritual developmental markers; ►. appreciation of how our developmental story from birth to death is our universal human story; ►. an ability to recognise the variations of growth that are specific to gender and cultural differences. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the module students will be able to: ►: describe and identify stages of human growth and development; ►: recognise differences in how people develop and relate these to pastoral ministry.

In the Clifton Ministry Skills course: Session 5: The Qualities of Holiness To be scheduled after Module 6.

1. Prayer

• Ignatian styled imaginative prayer based on the story of Jesus’ encounter with the rich young man in Matthew 19:16-22.



• Reading for this session. Please, read, pray, and reflect on this beforehand. o A wonderful story about a man called John and his call to holiness in

Promise and Hope, pages 24-29. o Matthew 23:25-28

• Presentation: The Paschal Mystery, SC #6, et al. o PowerPoint presentation of about 15 minutes o Questions in the large group.

• Exercise: Dying to self o Working first in small groups of 2-3 and then sharing in the larger

group, each participant to speak about a time in their lives when they were called to die to themselves, to give up something they considered precious for a greater good. This may be a time of rather personal sharing; no need to write points on the white board.


o Drawing on the opening prayer experience, reflect on why that rich young man found it so difficult to die to himself.

• Conversation: Holiness Defined o Work with the group to develop a definition of holiness. Building on

the material from the reading and your first conversation, be specific about what traits a holy person might have. Use examples from your lives to illustrate every trait in order to avoid working in the abstract.

o Thinking back to the people we discussed in Module 3, discuss how it’s possible to be holy even when outside the official fold of the church and downright unholy while inside it.

• Exercise: What Does Jesus think? o Working in small groups of 2-3 and then sharing in the larger group,

read aloud today’s assigned Scripture. o What is Jesus teaching us about holiness in this passage? How does

this reflect other teachings of Jesus throughout the Gospels? Write the main points on the white board.



them understand better how to enact pastoral ministry. o What personal lesson did each participant derive about their own call

to holiness and how that is lived out?


• Prayer: Closing prayer based on the opening imaginative exercise. In this prayer, the leader should help people return to the biblical scene in which they encountered Jesus, in order to thank him and open themselves to his spirit.


Topic: Parish Communities of Justice and Peace For those studying in the Loyola Certificate, this is your theme for the Module. For others, prepare for this Clifton Ministry Skills session by reflecting on the outline immediately below: Module 7) BUILDING A FAIRER WORLD: CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING —2 Apr-20 May 2022 SYNOPSIS Students will become familiar with the development of Catholic Social Thought and Practice in relation to particular contemporary global and local issues. Particular attention will be given to history, texts, methodology, and significant figures. AIMS To provide students with: ►. an overview of Catholic Social Teaching; ►. an understanding of selected key contemporary issues, local and global, as seen through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching; ►. an ability to use the insights of Catholic Social Teaching to inform their response to emerging issues. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the module students will be able to: ►: be able to articulate the key principles on which Catholic Social Teaching is founded; ►: apply these principles to different contemporary issues and within their own ministry. Module 8) BUILDING PARISH COMMUNITIES—4 June-15 July 2022 SYNOPSIS Parishes are where many Catholics experience their faith in community. Contemporary and emerging models for building parish communities will be explored in detail. Students will also learn about best practices for healthy parishes and effective collaboration and team work. AIMS To provide students with: ►: opportunity to explore different models of parish community; ►: an appreciation of those models emerging within their own context; ►: an introduction to best practices for building healthy, vibrant communities. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the module students will be able to: ►: articulate different models of parish communities; ►: recognise signs of healthy and unhealthy parish communities; ►: develop best practice within their communities.

In the Clifton Ministry Skills course Session 6: Catholic Parishes that Reflect Jesus’ Style of Servant Leadership To be scheduled after Module 8 is completed. Note that this might also be the time for each candidate in the Clifton Ministry Skills programme to arrange for an “internship” for the following year. This could either be in their own parish or in any parish of the diocese that calls them.

1. Prayer

• Ignatian styled imaginative prayer based on the story of Jesus’ washing of his disciples’ feet in John 13:3-17.

• See the Guideline on servant ministry in Promise and Hope, pages 70-75 to reflect on how Jesus was a servant to all.


• At the conclusion and working in the large group, invite participants to share their encounter with Jesus in this experience.


• Reading for this session. Please, read, pray, and reflect on this beforehand. o Promise and Hope, Part Five, pages 107-144 o Optional background reading in Promise and Hope, Part Four, pages 94-

106.

• Presentation: What is Theological Reflection o And how is it used in pastoral ministry? o Conversation: Using the material in today’s reading, participants

outline the steps needed in a pastoral encounter to help people discern what God might be asking of them in their specific, concrete circumstances.

o Use the material in Part 4 of P & H to guide you, especially beginning at the bottom of page 104 and running through 106.

• Exercise: What is “servant leadership?” o Continuing the work done in Session 1 of this course, participants will

identify how servant leaders carry out their ministry in a parish? What traits do we look for? What traits do we want to avoid?

o Drawing on today’s prayer experience, how did Jesus demonstrate servant ministry? What is the modern equivalent of “washing feet?”

• Conversation: The domestic church & the parish o How can the parish teach its households how to serve one another

selflessly at home? How is servant-based ministry & accompaniment expressed in our homes? Working first in small groups and then in the large group, participants will reflect on this and cite specific examples where the church can help form servant ministers

▪ within households ▪ among friends.

o Use the story of Helen and Wally beginning on page 1319 of P & H. Participants will read the story and respond with their own stories or their understanding of accompaniment in this pastoral ministry setting.

o How can a parish help its people learn how to enact justice, peace, care for the earth’s environment, and a heart for the poor—all beyond the household but intricately connected to it as members of the Body of Christ?

▪ for the sake of the poor? ▪ for the global environment? ▪ or in our political systems?


• Exercise: What we take away


o Participants will identify how today’s material might help them understand better how to enact pastoral ministry.

o How would each participant speak of his or her own life and work in terms of being a servant leader or minister?


• Closing prayer


Topic: Catechesis: How to Make Jesus Known For those studying in the Loyola Certificate, this is your theme for the Module. For others, prepare for this Clifton Ministry Skills session by reflecting on the outline immediately below: Module 9) MAKING CONNECTIONS: CATECHESIS AS SHARING FAITH TODAY —27 Aug-7 Oct 2022 SYNOPSIS This module will deepen students’ understanding of catechesis and its importance for the life and mission of the Church particularly the priority of adult formation. It will explore ‘critical conversation’ as an essential process for growth and development, and the relationship between evangelisation, catechesis and religious education. AIMS To provide students with: ►. a deepening appreciation of the importance of adult formation and catechesis; ►. the ability to appreciate RCIA as a model for catechesis and apply its principles; ►. a growing confidence in applying the principles of effective catechesis. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the module students will be able to: ►: understand the implications of the RCIA and the priority of adult faith formation for their own pastoral context; ►: appreciate ‘critical conversation’ as a tool for catechetical processes.

In the Clifton Ministry Skills course Session 7: Faith Formation in the Whole Community & Accompaniment as the Method To be scheduled shortly after Module 9.

1. Prayer

• Ignatian styled imaginative prayer based on the story of walk with the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-32. You may wish to use only selections of this passage in order to keep the energy of the group from sagging under too much reading.



• Reading for this session. Please, read, pray, and reflect on this beforehand. o Promise and Hope, Part Six, pages 145 -153 and 171-185 o Pay special attention to the example of St Mary’s parish and Rich

beginning on page 174.

• Presentation: Growing Up Catholic as a model for accompanying parents (handout)

• Exercise: Participants will share, first in small groups of 2-3 and then in the larger group, how they became persons of faith. Who guided them? What


attracted them to faith? What steps along the way did they take as they grew older?

o Name specific moments when your faith was made crystal clear even if just for a brief moment? A death? A glance over the hills of England? On a retreat? In communal prayer? In the arms of a loved one? And so forth.

• Conversation: Passing on the Faith o Drawing on the prayer experience of today in which Jesus

accompanied his disciples to Emmaus, create a definition of what it means to accompany another Christian. Use bullet points to list the characteristics and traits of an authentic Accompanist.

o Connect this understanding of accompaniment to faith formation and catechesis. How does a teacher of faith, a catechist, a team member of the RCIA, or a school-teacher of religion accompany his or her students along the road of life and faith? Draw on the style of Jesus to describe this.

• Exercise: Connect this to parish and school life o Give your parish or school a “letter grade” (A, B, C, D, or F) on how

well you accompany the following: ▪ Students in the school or RE program ▪ those in financial need ▪ people who aren’t in the parish but have a death in their family ▪ the sick and dying ▪ non-Catholic spouses of parish members ▪ young adults ▪ (name others as you wish)

o Following this, discuss plans that could be implemented to create a community of accompaniment. How can the parish become a place of accompaniment? How can families do this?



them understand better how to enact pastoral ministry. o How would each participant speak about their role as an accompanist

as they take up the work of pastoral ministry?

• Next session time, place, and topic • Closing prayer


Topic: Summary and Plan For those studying in the Loyola Certificate, this is your theme for the Module. For others, prepare for this Clifton Ministry Skills session by reflecting on the outline immediately below: Module 10) SERVING AND LEADING: SKILLS AND STRATEGIES FOR MINISTRY —15 Oct-25 Nov 2022 SYNOPSIS Students will explore the skills and strategies of effective pastoral ministry. AIMS To provide students with: ►. an opportunity to develop the skills and strategies of planning, organising and communicating; ►. a recognition of the need to tend to the health and wellness of self and others within the community; ►. the skills and knowledge of available resources for such needs. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the module students will be able to: ►: appreciate the complexities of pastoral ministry; ►: identify suitable resources in their local context to address particular needs.

In the Clifton Ministry Skills course Module 8: Summary of the Clifton Ministry Skills Sessions To be scheduled after Module 10 and will serve as a summary and mystagogia on the entire Clifton Ministry Skills course.

1. Prayer

• Ignatian styled imaginative prayer based on the story of Jesus’ call of the first disciples in Luke 5:1-11.


2. Summary of our work together in this Clifton Ministry Skills Course (60-90 minutes)

• Conversation: Memories: Looking back over the course. o Intro: Accompaniment

▪ Jesus with Bartimaeus in Mark 10 o 1: Qualities of leaders in today’s parish

▪ Jesus with the woman caught in adultery in John 7 o 2: Methods for using Scripture well

▪ Jesus’ proclamation of his mission in Luke 4 o 3: Being missionaries of mercy and compassion

▪ Jesus with the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 o 4: Liturgy and Pastoral Care

▪ Jesus and Zacchaeus in Luke 19 o 5: The call to holiness in ministry and life

▪ Jesus with the rich young man in Matthew 19 o 6: Servant leadership in parishes

▪ Jesus washing their feet in John 13


o 7: Catechesis or faith formation as Christian accompaniment ▪ Jesus on the walk to Emmaus in Luke 24

• Exercise: Looking back over your shoulder o Participants will be invited to respond to these two sets of questions,

first in small groups of 2-3 and then in the larger group. ▪ In each of these sessions, what touched your heart? What still

lingers there in your memories? How did Jesus speak to you? ▪ What “big memory” do you take away from this whole process,

both the Certificate modules if you were part of that as well as the CMSC sessions? Where does this leave you? What comes next for you? What do you desire for yourself or your parish, or for this group?

▪ Allow plenty of time for sharing.

• Closing prayer


Appendix

Ignatian imaginative prayer

Excerpt from The Ignatian Adventure by Kevin O’Brien, SJ.

(Chicago, IL: Loyola Press, 2011).

Used with permission.

Ignatius was convinced that God can speak to us as surely through our imagination as

through our thoughts and memories. In the Ignatian tradition, praying with the

imagination is called contemplation. In the Exercises, contemplation is a very active

way of praying that engages the mind and heart and stirs up thoughts and emotions.

(Note that in other spiritual traditions, contemplation has quite a different meaning: it

refers to a way of praying that frees the mind of all thoughts and images.)

Ignatian contemplation is suited especially for the Gospels. In the Second Week of the

Exercises, we accompany Jesus through his life by imagining scenes from the Gospel

stories. Let the events of Jesus’ life be present to you right now. Visualize the event as

if you were making a movie. Pay attention to the details: sights, sounds, tastes, smells,

and feelings of the event. Lose yourself in the story; don’t worry if your imagination is

running too wild. At some point, place yourself in the scene.

Contemplating a Gospel scene is not simply remembering it or going back in time.

Through the act of contemplation, the Holy Spirit makes present a mystery of Jesus’

life in a way that is meaningful for you now. Use your imagination to dig deeper into

the story so that God may communicate with you in a personal, evocative way.

We might initially worry about going beyond the text of the Gospel. If you have

offered your time of prayer to God, then begin by trusting that God is communicating

with you. If you wonder if your imagination is going “too far,” then do some

discernment with how you are praying. Where did your imagining lead you: Closer to

God or farther away? Is your imagining bringing you consolation or desolation?

Some people find imaginative prayer difficult. They may not be able to picture the

scene easily, yet they may have some intuition or gut reaction to the story. Or they

may hear or feel the story more than visualize it. In a spirit of generosity, pray as you

are able; don’t try to force it. Rest assured that God will speak to you, whether

through your memory, understanding, intellect, emotions, or imagination.


The method

1. The room should be quiet and the mood contemplative. Tend to what makes

you most comfortable and bring to the prayer whatever sacred objects suit

you.

2. Read the story. Listen with your heart and imagine yourself being within the

story, seeing and hearing Jesus. You should just allow the scene to unfold

without forcing it or thinking up a “correct answer.” God will meet you in the

story and speak to you. You will speak with God. Such imagination may be

difficult for some people but enter into it with an open heart. Relax and allow

the Spirit to move within you.

3. After a moment of quiet, read the story again, observing where and when it

occurs. See who is present and hear what happens.

4. Review the story one more time, putting yourself into the situation. You might

see yourself standing in the background or on the sidelines, watching and

listening as Jesus interacts with the characters in the story. Be attentive to what

you experience as you listen and imagine yourself within the story. What do

you smell, see, or hear? What emotions do you feel? What do you wish to say

to Jesus or to anyone?

5. Now allow the story to unfold within and see what happens. Do you speak to

Jesus? End in simple silence and allow that to last until you are finished.

cliftondiocese.com

DIOCESAN PRAYER

God our Father,open the horizons of our minds and heartsso that we can see what hope your call holds for us.

Pour out the overflowing gifts of your Spirit so that we, your Church,may become a people of hope for our world.

We ask you this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with youin the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

Our Lady, Woman of Hope, pray for us.

St Peter, Rock of Hope, pray for us.

St Paul, Apostle of Hope, pray for us.

a future skills course hope - clifton diocese

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