hopeful trends, best practices, & promising innovations
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Hopeful Trends, Best Practices, & Promising Innovations . www.faithformation2020.net. www.faithformationlearningexchange.net. Factors that Promote Faith Growth. Factors that Promote Faith Growth. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Hopeful Trends, Best Practices, & Promising Innovations
www.faithformation2020.net
www.faithformationlearningexchange.net
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
The combination of the following factors makes an enormous difference in religious outcomes during emerging adulthood:1. the teenager’s parental religion 2. importance of faith3. lack of religious doubts4. prayer5. Scripture reading and 6. personal religious experiences 7. having support nonparent adults in the church
These most influential factors make differences of sizeable magnitude in substantive outcomes.
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
1. Strong relational modeling and support for religious commitment: parental religion, more supportive adults in congregation
2. Genuine internalization of religious significance (importance of faith, religious experiences, no doubts)
3. Personal practice of religious faith: prayer, Scripture reading
4. Paying certain costs for one’s religious beliefs (abstaining from sex, being made fun of for faith)
Factors that Promote Faith GrowthIn these seven factors alone, we have identified some powerful teenage factors associated with and, we think, causing differences in emerging adult religious commitment and practice.
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
“. . . teenagers with seriously religious parents are more likely that those without such parents to have been trained in their lives to think, feel,
believe, and act as serious religious believers, and that that training
“sticks” with them even when the leave home and enter emerging
adulthood”
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
“Emerging adults who grew up with seriously religious parents are through
socialization more likely (1) to have internalized their parents religious
worldview, (2) to possess the practical religious know-how needed to live more highly religious lives, and (3) to embody the identity orientations and behavioral
tendencies toward continuing to practice what they have been taught religiously.”
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
“At the heart of this social causal mechanism stands the elementary process of teaching—both
formal and informal, verbal and nonverbal, oral and behavioral, intentional and unconscious, through
both instruction and role modeling. We believe that one of the main ways by which empirically
observed strong parental religion produced strong emerging adult religion in offspring is through the
teaching involved in socialization.”
(Souls in Transition: The Religious & Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults by Christian Smith with Patricia Snell)
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
Approximately 70% of youth who at some time or other before mid-emerging adulthood commit to live their lives for God, the vast majority appear to do so early in life, apparently before the age of 14.
Most make their first commitments to God as children or during the preteen or very early teen years.
Many religious trajectories followed in the course of life’s development seemed to be formed early on in life.
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
In the transition from the teenager to the emerging adult years, the religious lives of youth are not thrown up into the air to land in a random jumble.
Where youth end up religiously as emerging adults is highly governed by the nature of their religious upbringings, commitments, and experiences in earlier years.
Most lives during this transition into emerging adulthood reflect a great amount of continuity with the past.
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
What people have been in the past is generally the best indicator of why
they are what they are in the present and what they will likely be in the future. That is a fact the needs to
condition the understanding of emerging adult religion.
Family Religious Socialization
Strengthen family religious socialization, especially in the first decade of life—by nurturing a vibrant faith in parents and equipping them with the skills and tools for developing faith at home.
Develop the home as a center of faith formation by promoting foundational family faith practices: caring conversations, rituals and traditions, prayer, Bible reading, and service.
Family Religious Socialization Educate and equip parents to
embed foundational faith practices into the daily experience of family life.
Develop family programs: milestone faith formation, family learning, family service
Engage families more fully in the life and ministries of the church community.
Family Faith Formation Family Socialization: Begin faith
formation early in life – at Baptism and focusing on early childhood. family faith formation at home –
family faith practices parent formation parent support system / mentoring resources for the first 5-6 years of
life milestone faith formation
The Impact of Congregational Culture
The Impact of Congregational CultureCongregational Life
& Ministries
Youth
Ministry
Congregational
Leadership
Family & Househol
d Faith
It is the culture of the whole church that is most influential in nurturing youth of vital Christian faith.
44 Faith Assets of Congregational Culture
Congregational Faith & Qualities
Youth Ministry Qualities
Family & Household
Faith Qualities
Congregational
Leadership Qualities
44 Faith Assets:Congregational Faith
1. Congregation’s Biblical Emphasis2. Congregation Teaches Core Christian
Concepts3. Congregation’s Moral Guidance4. Worship Services’ Positive Characteristics5. Congregation Promotes Service6. Congregation’s Mission Effectiveness
44 Faith Assets:Congregational Qualities1. Warm, Challenge Congregational
Climate2. Welcoming Atmosphere3. Satisfied with the Congregation4. Importance of this Church to Me5. Congregation’s Moral Guidance6. Congregation’s Social Interaction7. Congregation’s Openness to Change8. Members Experience Love and
Support
44 Faith Assets:Youth Ministry Qualities
What impact did involvement in youth ministry have on young people? 1. Deepen my relationship with Jesus2. Understand my Christian faith better3. Apply my faith to daily life4. Make serious life choices (future, relationships, values)5. Share my faithThese congregations are serious about making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Common YM Practices
44 Faith Assets:Family & Household Faith Qualities
Parental Faith Life & Practice
Family
Harmon
yParental Affection toward
Children
Parental Help with Problems
44 Faith AssetsFamily & Household Faith Qualities
Faith of the Parents…1. My faith helps me know right from wrong2. I have a sense of sharing in a great purpose3. I have had feelings of being in the presence
of God4. I have a sense of being saved in Christ5. I am spiritually moved by the beauty of God’s
creation6. God helps me decide what is right or wrong
behavior7. I have found a way of life that gives me
direction.
44 Faith AssetsFamily & Household Faith Qualities
Faith of the Parents…8. Religious faith is important in my life.9. My life is committed to Jesus Christ.10.My life is filled with meaning and purpose.11. I have a real sense that God is guiding me.
Each of the 11 items rate 7.30 or better
on a 9.0 scale.
44 Faith Assets:Family & Household Faith Qualities
Teens: How have your parents influenced your faith life?1. Values are focused on serving others and God.2. Positive influence on my religious faith3. Talk with me about my relationship with Jesus
Christ4. Attending Sunday worship5. Talked with my parent about religious faith6. Reading the Bible
44 Faith Assets:Family & Household Faith Qualities
One in four teens said their family sat down together and talked about God, the Bible, and other religious things on a weekly or daily basis.
40% of teens said they did this once or twice a month.
44 Faith Assets:Congregational Leadership
Pastors matter immensely in effective youth ministry and in very specific ways.1. Support for Christian education and youth
ministry (and involvement)2. Leadership effectiveness3. Communication skills4. Interpersonal characteristics5. Support for youth staff
44 Faith Assets:Congregational Leadership
6. Creates a healthy culture7. Spiritual Influence (devout faith,
exemplary life)8. Personal characteristics9. Good counselor10.Mission is to make disciples11.Preaches to make disciples
44 Faith Assets:Congregational LeadershipLeadership of the Youth Minister Positive Characteristics & Competence
(devout faith and exemplary life, good counselor, effective model for others, helps youth on their spiritual journey)
Leadership & Effectiveness (trusted and respected, recruits and trains leaders, supports leaders, good organizer, works with parents)
44 Faith Assets:Congregational LeadershipAdult Leaders in Youth Ministry People of Faith
o God consciousnesso Moral responsibilityo Centrality of faitho Theological competenceo Social responsibility
Relational Characteristicso Positive relationship with youtho Positive relationship with parents
Embracing Congregational Culture
Pay attention to the culture of the whole church
Recognize the power of the congregation’s theological commitments.
Nurture the power of faith, multi-generational Christian relationships.
Focus on discipleship. Engage parents and families in faith
practice at home and church.
Embracing Congregation Culture Apply common youth ministry practices
and approaches contextually. Cultivate faith-filled, competent, and
committed leadership.
Faith Formation for EveryoneA Lifelong Faith Formation Network
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network1. A Lifelong Faith Formation
Network addresses the diverse life tasks and situations, spiritual and religious needs, and interests of all ages and generations in the four scenarios by offering a variety of content, programs, activities, and resources.
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network2. A Lifelong Faith Formation Network
guides individuals and families in discerning their spiritual and religious needs and creating personal learning pathways—a seasonal or annual plan for faith growth and learning.
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network3. Lifelong Faith Formation
Network incorporates informal learning, as well as formal learning in faith formation.
FORMAL LEARNINGclasses & workshops
speaker seriesonline courses
small group Bible study
self-studyBible study
social networkingfaith-sharing groups
INTENTIONAL UNEXPECTEDreading /watching a DVD
mentoringservice/mission activity
program at the library orlocal bookstore
internet surfingwatching a movie
TV showshopping at a homeimprovement store
INFORMAL LEARNING
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network4. A Lifelong Faith Formation Network
utilizes a variety of faith formation models to address the diverse life tasks and situations, religious and spiritual needs, and interests of people: learning on your own at home in small groups in large groups in the congregation in the community and world
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network5. A Lifelong Faith Formation
Network blends face-to-face, interactive faith formation programs and activities with virtual, online faith formation programs, activities, and resources. web-based technologies and digital
media provide 24x7 faith formation for all ages and generations, anytime and anywhere
Virtual & Physical Faith Formation
Face-to-Face Interactive
Transformative Experiences
Digital & Face-t0-Face
Activity
ActivityActivity
• Face-to-Face• Virtual
1. On Your Own2. At Home3. In Small Group4. In Large Group5. In Church6. In Community
& World
Spiritual & Religious
Needs
Topics or Themes
Approach #1 Begin with people’s participation in face-to-face learning
activities and extend the learning online. Sponsor a parish program on the Gospel of Matthew in
preparation for Cycle A (a family or intergenerational program, a 3-session adult program, a youth meeting, etc.)
Extend and deepen the learning with online resources weekly commentaries for each Sunday of Cycle A online Bible study program (independent or with a small
group) on the Gospel of Matthew a university course on the Gospel of Matthew on iTunes
U an online blog that allows people to post their reflections
on each Sunday’s reading and invites discussion online
Begin with people’s participation in online learning activities and invite them to in parish learning programs
Develop an online spiritual formation center (website) for your church using a variety of already existing resources: daily fixed hour prayer (liturgy of the hours) weekly and seasonal prayer resources links to prayer sites around the world an online retreat (A thirty-four week retreat for Everyday
Life from Creighton University online courses with spiritual guides like Thomas Merton,
Joyce Rupp, Henri Nouwen, Joan Chittister from SpiritualityandPractice.com
prayer center to pray for people in the community links to videos on prayer (YouTube) online blog for sharing prayer practices and experiences
Approach #2
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network6. A Lifelong Faith Formation
Network incorporates communities of practice to connect individuals and groups throughout the congregation.
Network PlanPeople- Age Group
- Family -
Generation
Life Task, Religious
and Spiritual Need
Faith Formation Program, Activity or Resource
Faith Formation
Model- on your
own- at home
- small group- large group
- congregation- community and world
Dates and
Times
Location- physical/
facility- online/website