A Different Kind of Small Faith Group

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Last summer, I posted about some ideas for adult faith formation that were less “churchy” sounding but still unabashedly spiritual. I’m working from the premise that we too often approach adult faith formation as attempting to get adults to come to our turf (the parish grounds) to join groups we are forming to study some aspect of the Catholic faith. Instead, I’m proposing that we identify where and around what activities adults are congregating and invite them to bring faith into the mix. Summer is a perfect time for this. Here is a summary of the ideas I shared last year. For more details on each idea, see that earlier post.

  • Theater and Theology
  • Volleyball and Virtues for Young Adults
  • Balance Class: Mind, Body, and Soul
  • Running with the Rosary
  • Camping with Christ
  • Hiking Toward Holiness
  • Fishing for Faith
  • Helping Hands Woodworking
  • Gardening with God
  • Finding God in Photography

The idea would be to gather a group of 10–12 folks who have a passion for one of the above and invite them to gather occasionally to share their experiences and to provide them with spiritual input for finding God in their activity.

Is anyone doing things like the above? If so, I’d love to hear from you!

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

3 Comments

  1. Joe, you do such a fabulous job steering us toward Jesus. Your ideas and resources are always exciting and inspiring. Although I’m not the DRE at our parish, I find your suggestions workable and creative. I often find myself sharing your posts with our DRE and pastor. Thank you for helping us to keep our faith alive and vibrant!

    • Thanks so much, Wanda, for your kind words! May the Spirit continue to inspire you, your DRE, and your pastor to make the faith alive and vibrant in your parish!

  2. Mr. Joe,
    Thank you for your generosity in sharing your ideas! The resources are always easy to followed and comprehend. Some of the resources are great and easy for parents in our Faith Formation process.

    God bless.
    Magdalena

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