Diocese holds training sessions for Generations of Faith

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
May 25, 2006

The Diocese of Sioux City teamed up with the Center for Ministry Development to offer a series of three training sessions for Generations of Faith, which focuses on the concept of intergenerational ministry and lifelong faith formation.

According to Bev Hurni, director of the Office of Adult and Family Ministries, the training included three one-day workshops that were presented by Mariette Martineau, Generations of Faith project coordinator for the Center for Ministry Development. Along with the Office of Adult and Family Ministries, the Office of Catechesis sponsored these workshops.

"We had 20 parishes that attended, some were from cluster groups," noted Hurni. The Union Cluster consisting of parishes in Hartley, Primghar, Sanborn and Sutherland had strong attendance with from six to 10 people at each of the three sessions.

The first workshop was held Feb. 10. It focused on the topic exploring the vision and the practice of lifelong catechesis for the parish/school community.

The second workshop was held March 24. The main topic for that session was developing and implementing a lifelong curriculum in your parish.

The third and final workshop in the training series was held May 17. This workshop addressed designing learning experiences for the whole parish.

These training workshops were offered at no charge to the people of the diocese thanks to a grant from the Lilly Endowment that was intended to help parishes in developing lifelong catechesis for the whole parish community.

"That grant is running out so that is why we wanted to be sure to get it in this year," noted Hurni.

This is the second such training that the diocese has provided to interested parish and cluster personnel in the last four or five years. The initial training sessions were also funded through the Lilly Foundation.

Through these sessions, parish personnel - staff and/or volunteers - learned that Generations of Faith offers "a basic substantive and systematic catechesis," she said. "There is a scope and sequence approach to this so that you have a plan to cover all of the bases through the years."

While Generations of Faith is designed to offer faith formation experiences to all people of the parish - from grade school age youth through senior citizens, Hurni noted that one parish is considering offering this type of formation to their adults specifically.

Other parishes spoke of their intentions of offering two intergenerational events per year.

The Center for Ministry Development is currently working with over 1,500 parishes in 70 dioceses of the country with Generations of Faith. Most of these are presently using the blended format, which consists of parishes offering traditional religious education classes for school-age children and then hosting from two to four intergenerational events for the entire parish community.

In the Diocese of Sioux City, the Webster County Team Parishes offer intergenerational ministry as its primary form of religious education. They are among the few hundred of parishes throughout the country that have gone this route.

"Father Ed Girres and Sister Teresa Engels from the Webster County team were at all of the workshops. They were able to give the lived experience of this ministry," said Hurni.

These two were able to address the struggles as well as the accomplishments of the process.

"Some parishes are going to start with the blended model and then - maybe years down the road if things are going well - they will go for the primary," said Hurni.

In the end, she said that for most of the people it was exciting for them to see a new vision and have an approach that responds to some of their concerns.

"One of the benefits of an intergenerational approach to formation is that there is an easier transition between home and church and church and home because the whole family comes together and learns about a specific topic," she said.

This not only helps keep the adults informed as to what their children are learning but also gives them increased faith knowledge for their own spiritual nourishment. In the end what is both desired and usually experienced is that the adults can more confidently discuss the Catholic faith with their children.

The ministry is beneficial to others, too.

Hurni said it also provides a venue for people without children - young adults, empty nesters - to form relationships and build community within the parish.