Adult Formation
« Christian Formation Program | Last edited on May 26, 2011 at 9:43 AMAdult Faith Formation Committee
The National Directory for Catechesis notes three major goals for Adult Catechesis:
1. “to acquire an attitude of conversion to the Lord.” To take on the mind of Christ, trust in God’s love, accept the Spirit’s guidance and seek holiness of life.
2. make”a conscious and firm decision to live the gift and choice of faith through membership in the Christian community.” To foster active participation in the Church as it is realized in families, small faith-based communities, parishes, dioceses and the communion of saints.
3. to become “more willing and able to be a Christian disciple in the world.” To enable adult disciples to accept their rightful place in the Church’s mission to evangelize, to hear the cry for justice, promote unity among Christians and to bear witness to the salvation won by Jesus Christ for all.
Responding to this vision, we call the adults of our parish to continuing growth and enrichment through various opportunities hosted by the parish and the dicoese. This is the responsibility of the Adult Faith Formation Committee.
The adult faith formation committee is a sub committee of the Christian Formation Committee. The focus of this committee is to develop and to present adult faith formation opportunities throughout the year.
Chairpersons: Mary Louise Chesley-Cora 302-453-8734 chezcor@msn.com and
Susan Oliver 302-737-1660 gramso4@verizon.net
SMALL FAITH SHARING GROUPS: In the National Directory of Catechesis it states: that the aim of catechesis is “to bring about in the believer an ever more mature faith in Jesus Christ, a deeper love and knowledge of his person and message, and afirm commitment to folow him.” The Directory also notes that catechesis should be a lifelong process for the individual adult, who is really the focus of catechetical efforts because of his/her ability to make a full response to God’s word. An important element in this catechetical effort is the local parish community. It is the place where the Christian faith is first received and where that faith is deepened. In this community of faith, the faithful become aware of being the people of God and of their apostolic mission in the world. One of the paths that Resurrection Parish has chosen to present a catechesis that enables believers to deepen their knowledge and love of Christ in order to follow him more faithfully is through the parish Small Faith Sharing Groups. It is here that the leadership of the parish family firmly believes that the faithful will deepen their faith as the people of God and come to understand their role to be “lights to the world.” Small Faith Sharing Groups will begin again the week of February 20 and continue for throughout Lent. Contact Pat Sormani at pat.sormani@gmail.com or Deacon John at jfalkowski@resurrectionde.org for more details.
THE FORUM FOR COMMON GROUND: Are you concerned about the future of the Catholic Church?Are you struggling with the challenging issues that face us as Catholics today? Are you concerned to see our young people leaving the Church? Does the Gospel challenge you to want to work on issues in our country and in our church that are in contradiction to the Good News of Jesus Christ? Many of us in our parish and in our church share these concerns and are looking for positive ways to be faithful to the gospel and also continue to be members of the Catholic community of faith. The wonderful retreat for our 40th anniversary as a parish in July gave us new hope and a new sense of commitment to living the gospel message. Unfortunatly, many were away and unable to join in that weekend of renewal. Part of the weekend was looking at the Common Ground intiative of the late Cardinal Joseph Bernadin, urging us to be willing to approach the church’s current situation with fresh eyes, open minds, and changed hearts.
It is in this spirit that we continue to look for ways to grow in our faith today. Sixteen people from Resurrection Parish went to a “listening session” that looked at issues surrounding church leadership, inclusive ministries, fiscal accountability, and the future of the church at Chestnut Hill College on Saturday, October 9. The day was sponsored by Voice of the Faithful and Call to Action. These sessions will occur around the country in preparation for a National conference at Pentecost 2011 to look for ways that the church can continue to grow and meet the needs of the People of God. The Catholic Church in the United States must confront issues and forces that are shaping the future. We are calling on the gifts of wisdom and understanding in the church to help strengthen the church, its leaders and people for the mission of this new millenium. We hope to provide opportunities for future gatherings, sharing prayer, looking at issues, supporting one another, growing as a community of faith not only in our own parish but throughout the Diocese. Any questions please contact Mary Louise Chesley-Cora at chezcor@msn.com.
RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: A team has been established and there is at least one candidate in the process. The process is under way for those who would like to explore the Catholic faith or for those who would like join as interested observers. Contact Deacon at jfalkowski@resurrectionde.org.
FUTURE ADULT FORMATION ACTIVITIES & DATES: June 16, 2011, the Forum for Common Ground will meet to share the experiences of those who attended the American Catholic Council. The meeting will take in room 4 beginning at 7 PM. July 21, 2011, Prayer Vigil for the feast of St. Mary Magdala, the Disciple of the Apostles. The Vigil will take place at 7 PM. July 15, 2011 after the 9:30 am mass will be the next meeting of the Adult Faith Formation Committee. October 1, 2011, a workshop on Centering Prayer will be held at Resurrection from 9 AM to 3 PM.
Adult formation opportunities are available at the Jesus House – www.jesushousecenter.org
Online Resources
loyolapress@mail79.subscribermail.com This is a site that helps families connect the faith to their lives and is a good site to help parents hand-on the faith to their children.