I met this morning with Maryellen, the staff liason for Adult Faith Formation at St. Barnabas, for our first meeting to begin laying out a vision for what we hope to accomplish in AFF this year. We both agreed that the place to begin is NOT with a program but with a VISION and a PLAN! With that in mind, we are looking to meet with the Faith Formation Commission of the Parish Pastoral Council on August 20. This commission is made up of representatives from the following ministries in the parish:
- Marriage Prep
- Baptism Prep
- Bible Study
- Christ Renews His Parish
- Hospitality
- RCIA
- Youth Ministry
- House Build
I suggested to Maryellen that we invite several people to join this commission as “at-large” members – not representing a particular existing ministry but rather representing possibilities for growth in AFF. She is going to make that invitation through the parish bulletin and has a couple of people in mind.
At our gathering on August 20, I will do a brief piece on the vision and goals for AFF as stated in Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us in order to get us thinking in broader terms and not just about individual ministries and existing organizations but the parish as a whole.
Maryellen and I also identified some unique opportunities for AFF in the parish…more about that next time!
Hooray! Thank you for bringing the spotlight to AFF. Burning Hearts is a visionary document that could shift our Church focus back to adults. While we are good at teaching children, we are failing to engage adults, foster their spiritual growth and recognize their God-given talents. When we seriously commit our time and funds to developing adult formation, then we will see new hope and energy in Church participation. Families provide the best setting for passing on faith in Jesus.
Thanks Barbara…couldn’t agree more!