wwwfaithformation2020net wwwfaithformationlearningexchangenet Factors that Promote Faith Growth Factors that Promote Faith Growth The combination of the following factors makes an enormous difference in religious outcomes during emerging adulthood ID: 435811
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Slide1
Hopeful Trends, Best Practices, & Promising Innovations Slide2
www.faithformation2020.netSlide3
www.faithformationlearningexchange.netSlide4
Factors that Promote Faith GrowthSlide5
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
The combination
of the following factors
makes an enormous difference in religious outcomes during emerging adulthood
:
the
teenager’s parental
religion
importance
of
faith
lack
of religious
doubts
prayer
Scripture reading
and
personal
religious experiences
having support nonparent adults in the church
These most influential factors make differences of sizeable magnitude in substantive outcomes. Slide6
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
Strong relational modeling and support
for religious commitment: parental religion, more supportive adults in
congregation
Genuine
internalization of religious significance
(importance of faith, religious experiences, no doubts
)
Personal
practice of religious faith
:
prayer, Scripture
reading
Paying
certain costs for one’s religious beliefs
(abstaining from sex, being made fun of for faith)Slide7
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
In these
seven factors alone, we have identified some powerful teenage factors associated with and, we think, causing differences in emerging adult religious commitment and practice. Slide8
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
“. . . teenagers with seriously religious parents are more likely that those without such parents to have been trained in their lives to think, feel, believe, and act as serious religious believers, and that that training “sticks” with them even when the leave home and enter emerging adulthood”Slide9
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
“Emerging adults who grew up with seriously religious parents are through socialization more likely (1) to have internalized their parents religious worldview, (2) to possess the practical religious know-how needed to live more highly religious lives, and (3) to embody the identity orientations and behavioral tendencies toward continuing to practice what they have been taught religiously.” Slide10
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
“At the heart of this social causal mechanism stands the elementary process of teaching—both formal and informal, verbal and nonverbal, oral and behavioral, intentional and unconscious, through both instruction and role modeling. We believe that one of the main ways by which empirically observed strong parental religion produced strong emerging adult religion in offspring is through the teaching involved in socialization.”
(
Souls in Transition: The Religious & Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults
by Christian Smith with Patricia Snell) Slide11
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
Approximately 70% of youth who at some time or other before mid-emerging adulthood commit to live their lives for God, the vast majority appear to do so early in life, apparently before the age of 14.
Most make their first commitments to God as children or during the preteen or very early teen years.
Many religious trajectories followed in the course of life’s development seemed to be formed early on in life. Slide12
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
In the transition from the teenager to the emerging adult years, the religious lives of youth are not thrown up into the air to land in a random jumble.
Where youth end up religiously as emerging adults is highly governed by the nature of their religious upbringings, commitments, and experiences in earlier years.
Most lives during this transition into emerging adulthood reflect a great amount of continuity with the past. Slide13
Factors that Promote Faith Growth
What people have been in the past is generally the best indicator of why they are what they are in the present and what they will likely be in the future. That is a fact the needs to condition the understanding of emerging adult religion. Slide14
Family Religious Socialization
Strengthen
family religious socialization
, especially in the first decade of life—by nurturing a vibrant faith in parents and equipping them with the skills and tools for developing faith at home.
Develop the
home as a center of faith formation
by promoting foundational family faith practices: caring conversations, rituals and traditions, prayer, Bible reading, and service.Slide15
Family Religious Socialization
Educate and equip parents
to embed foundational faith practices into the daily experience of family life.
Develop
family programs
: milestone faith formation, family learning, family service
Engage families
more fully in the life and ministries of the church community. Slide16
Family Faith Formation
Family Socialization
: Begin faith formation early in life – at Baptism and focusing on early childhood.
family faith formation at home – family faith practices
parent formation
parent support system / mentoring
resources for the first 5-6 years of life
milestone faith formationSlide17Slide18
The Impact of Congregational CultureSlide19
The Impact of Congregational Culture
It
is the culture of the whole church that is most influential in nurturing youth of vital Christian faith
.Slide20
44 Faith Assets
of Congregational CultureSlide21
44 Faith Assets:Congregational Faith
Congregation’s Biblical Emphasis
Congregation Teaches Core Christian Concepts
Congregation’s Moral Guidance
Worship Services’ Positive Characteristics
Congregation Promotes Service
Congregation’s Mission EffectivenessSlide22
44 Faith Assets:Congregational Qualities
Warm, Challenge Congregational Climate
Welcoming Atmosphere
Satisfied with the Congregation
Importance of this Church to Me
Congregation’s Moral Guidance
Congregation’s Social Interaction
Congregation’s Openness to Change
Members Experience Love and SupportSlide23
44 Faith Assets:Youth Ministry Qualities
What impact did involvement in youth ministry have on young people?
Deepen my relationship with Jesus
Understand my Christian faith better
Apply my faith to daily life
Make serious life choices (future, relationships, values)
Share my faith
These congregations are serious about making disciples of Jesus Christ. Slide24Slide25
44 Faith Assets:Family & Household Faith QualitiesSlide26
44 Faith AssetsFamily & Household Faith Qualities
Faith of the Parents…
My faith helps me know right from wrong
I have a sense of sharing in a great purpose
I have had feelings of being in the presence of God
I have a sense of being saved in Christ
I am spiritually moved by the beauty of God’s creation
God helps me decide what is right or wrong behavior
I have found a way of life that gives me direction.Slide27
44 Faith AssetsFamily & Household Faith Qualities
Faith of the Parents…
Religious faith is important in my life.
My life is committed to Jesus Christ.
My life is filled with meaning and purpose.
I have a real sense that God is guiding me.
Each of the 11 items rate 7.30 or better
on a 9.0 scale. Slide28
44 Faith Assets:Family & Household Faith Qualities
Teens: How have your parents influenced your faith life?
Values are focused on serving others and God.
Positive influence on my religious faith
Talk with me about my relationship with Jesus Christ
Attending Sunday worship
Talked with my parent about religious faith
Reading the Bible Slide29
44 Faith Assets:Family & Household Faith Qualities
One in four teens said their family sat down together and talked about God, the Bible, and other religious things on a weekly or daily basis.
40% of teens said they did this once or twice a month. Slide30
44 Faith Assets:Congregational Leadership
Pastors matter immensely in effective youth ministry
and
in very specific ways.
Support for Christian education and youth ministry (and involvement)
Leadership effectiveness
Communication skills
Interpersonal characteristics
Support for youth staffSlide31
44 Faith Assets:Congregational Leadership
Creates a healthy culture
Spiritual Influence (devout faith, exemplary life)
Personal characteristics
Good counselor
Mission is to make disciples
Preaches to make disciplesSlide32
44 Faith Assets:Congregational Leadership
Leadership of the Youth Minister
Positive Characteristics & Competence
(devout faith and exemplary life, good counselor, effective model for others, helps youth on their spiritual journey)
Leadership & Effectiveness
(trusted and respected, recruits and trains leaders, supports leaders, good organizer, works with parents)Slide33
44 Faith Assets:Congregational Leadership
Adult Leaders in Youth Ministry
People of Faith
God consciousness
Moral responsibility
Centrality of faith
Theological competence
Social responsibility
Relational Characteristics
Positive relationship with youth
Positive relationship with parentsSlide34
Embracing Congregational Culture
Pay attention to the culture of the whole church
Recognize the power of the congregation’s theological commitments.
Nurture the power of faith, multi-generational Christian relationships.
Focus on discipleship.
Engage parents and families in faith practice at home and church.Slide35
Embracing Congregation Culture
Apply common youth ministry practices and approaches contextually.
Cultivate faith-filled, competent, and committed leadership. Slide36
Faith Formation for Everyone
A Lifelong Faith Formation NetworkSlide37
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network
1.
A
Lifelong Faith Formation Network
addresses the diverse life tasks and situations, spiritual and religious needs, and interests of all ages and generations in the four scenarios by offering a variety of content, programs, activities, and resources. Slide38
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network
2.
A
Lifelong Faith Formation Network
guides individuals and families in discerning their spiritual and religious needs and creating personal learning pathways—a seasonal or annual plan for faith growth and learning. Slide39Slide40Slide41
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network
3.
Lifelong Faith Formation Network
incorporates informal learning, as well as formal learning in faith formation. Slide42
FORMAL
LEARNING
classes & workshops
speaker series
online courses
small group Bible study
self-study
Bible study
social networking
faith-sharing groups
INTENTIONAL
UNEXPECTED
reading
/watching a DVD
mentoring
service/mission activity
program at the library or
local bookstore
internet surfing
watching a movie
TV show
shopping at a home
improvement store
INFORMAL
LEARNING
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation NetworkSlide43
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network
4.
A Lifelong Faith Formation Network utilizes a variety of faith formation models to address the diverse life tasks and situations, religious and spiritual needs, and interests of people:
learning on your own
at home
in small groups
in large groups
in the congregation
in the community and worldSlide44
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network
5.
A
Lifelong Faith Formation Network
blends face-to-face, interactive faith formation programs and activities with virtual, online faith formation programs, activities, and resources.
web-based technologies and digital media provide 24x7 faith formation for all ages and generations, anytime and anywhereSlide45
Virtual & Physical Faith FormationSlide46
Digital & Face-t0-Face
Face-to-Face
Virtual
On Your Own
At Home
In Small Group
In Large Group
In Church
In Community & World
Spiritual & Religious Needs
Topics or ThemesSlide47
Approach #1
Begin
with people’s participation in face-to-face learning activities
and extend the learning online.
Sponsor a parish program on the Gospel of Matthew in preparation for Cycle A (a family or intergenerational program, a 3-session adult program, a youth meeting, etc.)
Extend
and
deepen the learning with
online
resources
weekly
commentaries
for each Sunday of Cycle A
online
Bible study program (independent or with a small group) on the Gospel of
Matthew
a
university course on the Gospel of
Matthew on
iTunes
U
an
online blog that allows people to post their reflections on each Sunday’s reading and invites discussion
onlineSlide48
Begin with people’s
participation in online learning
activities and
invite them to in parish learning programs
Develop an
online spiritual formation center
(website) for your church using
a variety of already existing resources
:
daily
fixed hour prayer (liturgy of the hours
)
weekly
and seasonal prayer
resources
links
to prayer sites around the
world
an
online retreat (A thirty-four week retreat for Everyday Life from Creighton
University
online
courses with spiritual guides like Thomas Merton, Joyce Rupp, Henri Nouwen, Joan Chittister from
SpiritualityandPractice.com
prayer center to pray for people in the community
l
inks to videos on prayer (YouTube)
online blog for sharing prayer practices and
experiences
Approach #2Slide49
Features of a Lifelong Faith Formation Network
6.
A
Lifelong Faith Formation Network
incorporates communities of practice to connect individuals and groups throughout the congregation. Slide50
Network Plan
People
- Age Group
- Family
- Generation
Life Task, Religious and Spiritual Need
Faith Formation Program, Activity or Resource
Faith Formation Model
- on your own
- at home
- small group
- large group
- congregation
- community and world
Dates and Times
Location
- physical/ facility
- online/
website
Slide51