Adult Faith Formation

An important tool for Adult Faith Formation is the "Question of the Week". The question is based on the Sunday Gospel and allows for further reflection on God's word during the week and helps build discipleship skills.

8/1/2021
Adults: When has my faith helped me believe without seeing?
Children: Who helps me believe in things I cannot see?

7/25/2021
Adults: When has a generous gift from someone offered me hope?
Children: What loving gift can I share with someone this week?

7/18/2021
Adults: What do I do to rest so that I may return to work refreshed?
Children: When will I make time to stop and pray this week?

7/11/2021
Adults:  What part of the Good News of Jesus Christ can I share this week?
Children:  Which of Jesus’s stories can I tell this week?
 
7/4/2021
Adults: What unavoidable weakness do I struggle to accept in myself?
Children: What do I ask Jesus to make stronger in me?

6/27/2021
Adults: Have I sacrificed something for another person and felt enriched? Children: Whom can I help with acts of kindness?

6/20/2021
Adults: When has the Lord calmed the stormy times of my life?
Children: What fear can Jesus help me overcome?

What is Adult Faith Formation?
The General Directory for Catechesis (GDC) and the National Directory for Catechesis (NDC) clearly place Adult Faith Formation within the framework of evangelization. Adult Faith Formation is the lifelong process of finding and falling in love with Christ in the midst of our human lives. Every one of us, by virtue of our Baptism, is on a life-long journey of faith. Consequently, Adult Faith Formation has as its purpose to support, nourish, and challenge adults as they explore their faith, experience its power, grow in relationship with God.
 
How important is Adult Faith Formation?
Religious education is not just for children. Adult faith formation is vital. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ document, Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us (OHWB):
“Adult faith formation, by which people consciously grow in the life of Christ through experience, reflection, prayer, and study, must be “the central task in [this] catechetical enterprise,” becoming “the axis around which revolves the catechesis of childhood and adolescence as well as that of old age.” (OHWB #5)
 
Why do we need Adult Faith Formation?
In their document Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, the US Bishops renewed a commitment to fostering faith formation for adults. Since we all are continually being formed in our faith as we walk our journeys of life, a renewed commitment to adult faith formation necessitates a need for quality programming and a variety of opportunities for all adults. It is often said t
 
What are the goals of Adult Faith Formation?
The Bishops outline three key goals of Adult Faith Formation (OHWB #67-73):

• Inviting and enabling ongoing conversion to Jesus in holiness of life:
  • helping adults acquire an attitude of conversion to the Lord
  • leading adults to repentance of sin, reconciliation through the sacraments and deepening faith in Jesus
• Promoting and supporting active membership in the Christian community:
  • helping adults make a conscious and firm decision to live the faith through membership in the Christian community
  • inviting and supporting baptized adults in their co-responsibility for the Church’s mission and life
• Calling and preparing adults to act as disciples in mission to the world
  • inviting baptized adults to evangelization and justice in the world