Discipleship: a Path to Lifelong learning

by

Mary E Donato

St Norbert College

De Pere, WI

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree

of

Master of Theological Studies

Approved:

_______________

Thesis director

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Reader

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Reader

Ó 2008 Mary E Donato, All rights reserved

The author hereby grants to St. Norbert College permission to reproduce and distribute

publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis document in whole or part

Table of Contents

History of learning and discipleship: An introduction to the issue of concern addressed in this thesis 3

A. Statement of issue or concern

B. Perspective

Current philosophies 8

The plan for the development of adult discipleship 15

The forums: rationale, application and outcome 24

Conclusion 31

Bibliography 37

Appendix 39

The History of Learning and Discipleship:

An introduction to the issue of concern addressed in this thesis

Adults in society today have gotten so caught up in the demands of the secular world that they have forgotten, for the most part, their most important purpose, growing in the likeness of Jesus Christ and through him, of attaining eternal life. Scripture clearly shows the spontaneous and fruitful passion the first disciples had for their mission. We read in St. Paul’s letter to the Romans 16:3-5 “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life to whom not only I am grateful but also all the churches of the Gentiles.....” It is the church’s duty to encourage and nurture adults in their ongoing discipleship through diverse learning opportunities within the community of seekers and believers.

Historical background for this thesis:

From St. John Chrysostom and St. Augustine to John Paul II, many Christian theologians through the centuries since Pentecost have supported and encouraged continuing education of adults. Their philosophies are reflected in the General Directory for Catechesis, published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It states, “The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy with Jesus Christ...... This demands a permanent commitment to think like him, to judge like him and to live as he lived. In this way the believer unites himself to the community of disciples and appropriates the faith of the church.” For this reason the documents of the Second Vatican Council call for an emphasis on the education of adults in a lifelong role as disciples and proclaimers of the “Good News”. Deuteronomy 6:5-9, the “Shema” of our Jewish brothers and sisters, gives us the mandate for this call; Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad whether you are busy or at rest. Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.” In this Hebrew scripture there is an emphasis on adults knowing and loving their God deeply and totally to the point of binding that love and his words on their wrists and their door posts as an outward sign to all and a reminder to themselves and to the community of their commitment to continue to grow in their relationship with God and to reveal this relationship to everyone they encounter.

All Christians by virtue of Baptism are invited to pursue a deeper knowledge of the teachings of Christ and to instill these truths in their children in the family. Benedict XVI echoed St John Chrysostom in his address to the world on September 19,2007 when he quoted him saying “When the first child is born (in a marriage) this is like a bridge; the three become one flesh, so that the child links the two parts, and the three make up one family, a little church” (Homily #59 0n Matthew 18).

The laity has an indispensable role in the mission of the church to carry out their role, in the community, to spread the kingdom of Christ throughout the world for the glory of God the Father. This mission is expressed in the Gospels in Mk 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” and in Mt.28:19-20 “Go, therefore make disciples of all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” The specific role of the laity within this mission is spelled out in the document of the Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, promulgated by His Holiness, Pope Paul VI on November 18,1965. In section four the document reminds us that the success of the laity is dependent on their living union with Christ. This life of intimate union is nourished by spiritual aids which are common to all the faithful, especially active participation in the sacred liturgy (Apostlicam Actuositatem, 3). Of course, the primary source of learning for the community is sacred Scripture but it can be challenging for many members of the community to read through as a person might read a secular novel or book of non-fiction because of the style of writing at the time, allegorical and prophetical which can be difficult to understand or apply to everyday life.

The early church of the Apostles focused it’s intellectual effort on the mission to win the hearts and minds of men and women and to change their lives, (Wilken XIV) The Hebrew Scriptures provided the historical source for the stories of unforgettable men and women who were actual persons rather than mythical figures as were popular in Greek and Roman religion. It also provided an opportunity to learn a whole new language of religious vocabulary as well as theological thought. The early church provided an education to all seekers, not only to the wealthy elite of society as had been the common practice of the time ( . The Apostles were following the example of Jesus who taught adults and loved children instead of focusing education on children as is the practice today (Mt. 19::13-15). The church community today must embrace initiates in the same way, providing stimulating and encouraging information as food for their growth in faith. This tradition was established and carried on through the first 15 centuries of the church, first by the Apostles and then by their initiates and the bishops who followed and established centers of learning in monasteries and later in universities.

These schools, established in the first century, were for adults and not children. They were intended to train philosophers to answer the objections brought by pagan philosophers against Christian doctrine. No council mentions the need to train children until the Council of Vaison in 529 AD (Kellmeyer 17) and that was directed at the training of boys in liturgy and Scripture, presumably in preparation for the clerical life. None of the early bishops seem to have involved themselves in the training of children. Cyprian did insist on the earliest possible baptism but never established a single school, that we know of, for the instruction of children after they were baptized. At the Fifth Council of Carthage and the Second Council of Mileum, Ireneaus, Hippolytus, Origen, Gregory of Nazianzen, John Chrysostom and Augustine supported infant baptism but no one appears to have ever mentioned elementary school for the education of these children. The one exception might be John Chrysostom when he said “What greater work is there than training the mind and forming the habits of the young?” However, when this quote is translated from Latin, the word for the young refers to teenagers. (Kellmeyer,16) This is supported by the fact that the age for receiving First Communion during Aquinas’ life was typically twelve to fifteen years old and marriage at sixteen was not uncommon, with death occurring at about forty five (www.utexas.edu/dept/classics/documents/life)

Since the church did not institutionally assume responsibility for the faith formation of children, we find evidence for the support for the training of children in several of Chrysostom’s homilies where he holds parents responsible for the training of their children. In one of them he states, “The fathers are to blame. They require their horsebreakers to disciple their horses...............But their children? These they overlook. They allow their children to go about for long season unbridled, and without temperance............ Do you not know that you can do no greater kindness to a youth than to keep him pure from whorish uncleaness?” (Homily 59 on Matthew 18). Women such as Macrina, Emmelia, Nonna, Monoca and Paula who were mothers of the saints and scholars show the success of training of the young by their parents in the home.( Catholic Encyclopedia, schools) In the fourth century AD, Chrysostom already laments the fact that parents fail to take this duty seriously, but he never suggests outside training for the children, he simply continues to teach the parents, and exhort them to do their duty.

In the early sixteenth century the reformation was initiated by Martin Luther, as a result of his dissent, from within the structure of the Church.

Martin Luther was the first to recognize that by the process of education he could interpose himself between children and their parents. He found that badly taught adults often rejected his theology which gave motivation for teaching children in order to win more followers of his philosophy of sola scriptura (Kellmeyer 26-27) Adults had been poorly taught because at that time, prior to the Council of Trent, 1545-1563, priests had been trained primarily through an apprenticeship program and lacked any in depth study of theology to do a professional, thorough job of training. their flock in the teachings of Scripture and Tradition of the Church.

During the late middle ages many adults had fallen away from the faith because they had not been trained to defend it in an adult fashion and had begun to question their practices. The Bishops attending the Council of Trent spoke of the need to teach adults in many of their decrees but of the children they said “Bishops shall take care, that, at least on the Lord’s days and other festivals, the children in every parish be carefully taught the rudiments of the faith, and obedience towards God and their parents, by those whose duty it is.” These passages show that the Council of Trent directed the great thrust of instruction towards Catholic adults. The first compulsory schools of Christendom were established at this time; the seminaries, for the formation of well educated clergy. This turned out to be an excellent way to form priests and was a direct result of Trent’s enormous emphasis on teaching adults. This council was the primary guide for American Bishops in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries who were in the process of discerning how to shepherd their flocks. (Kellmeyer, 28)

The Industrial Revolution soon moved from Europe to this country and the need by factories to alienate individuals from family loyalty, to loyalty to the corporation was apparent to big manufacturing concerns. There was also a perceived need to separate the individual from his faith in order to separate him from his believed importance to God as an individual. Religion provided a sense of worth to the person that did not derive from his association with the company.(Kellmeyer, 64) Those individuals trained in the Church learned that they had been created in God’s image and were unique, loved and acknowledged individually by their creator. More and more people were defining themselves by their work association, rather than their identity as children of God and disciples of Jesus Christ, which was being supported by the advent of the public school system and the separation of church and state in America.

Current Philosophies and practices

It is the obligation of the Church to equip the laity for their role as disciples. The early history of evangelization of the world practiced by the Apostles and subsequent early Christians provides us with a road map for the way they were directed by the Holy Spirit to spread the good news of Jesus life and teachings.

For several centuries the practice, beginning with the training of adults through home worship, breaking of bread (eucharist) and teaching Jesus’ words and leading to the establishment of a hierarchy of bishops and priests who were formally trained, led us by a circuitous route to the Second Vatican Council and the practice of catechesis espoused in the Roman Catholic Church today. However, there was a need for change in the Church before this could take place.

This is precisely the problem seen today in the decline of active discipleship in the United States and European countries of and abdication of parents in their role as the primary provider of transference of beliefs to their children. The lowered age for First Holy Communion and Confirmation in Europe around ? may be the cause for this but this was not the adopted practice in the united States. The focus continues to be on the education of children by others outside the family and ends at confirmation. Instead of members of the faith community seeing this as a stepping off point, they see confirmation as the completion of their faith education, and nothing further is needed. It is not uncommon for young adults to drift away from the Church at this time and often connect with a more overtly evangelical church to fulfill their need for a more personal connection with the practice of their faith. The General Directory for Catechesis, Article 41 states “It is the task of catechesis to show who Jesus Christ is, his life and ministry, and to present the Christian faith as following of his person.” (emphasis mine) It is in this that the Church seems to have failed if the lack of programs for adults is any indication. The GDC, in fact, points out that “Frequently, many who present themselves for catechesis truly require genuine conversion.... Only by starting with conversion and therefore by making allowance for the interior disposition of “whoever believes” can catechesis, strictly speaking fulfill its proper task of education in the faith” (USCCB General Directory for Catechesis, Article 41) This is clearly speaking of adult seekers. The need to develop a new approach to teaching adults is key to this endeavor and is considered key to programs for the third millennium (Reichert, 31). This will require a move away from rote teaching of the truths of our faith, that was common before the Second Vatican Council, toward a more biblical, personal faith that is more personally based and involves an intimate relationship with our Lord and teacher. This is evidenced in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults which was formed, approved and initiated by the Second Vatican Council in 1966 and updated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop in 1988. They published a report in October, 2000 titled Journey to the Fullness of Life. This report recognized the importance of the entire faith community in the formation and life long development of the membership (American Catholic.org A New Look at the RCIA)

The development of a new catechesis involves an ongoing effort to promote a biblical understanding of faith as a dynamic personal relationship with God, a personal response to God’s invitation to covenantal friendship. (Reichert, 33) The tasks of this relationship require a commitment to walk with him, follow along or be a companion with our Lord Jesus Christ. The next requirement is to learn from him, that is to think and judge like him and lastly to participate in his mission and act as he acted and taught the Apostles to act in sharing the “good news”. This is the new catechesis agenda for adults outlined in Vatican II and the General Directory for Catechesis. It is the professed mission of the bishops to convert and catechize these adult seekers, some of whom are marginal members of the church, some fallen away Catholics and some seekers who want to learn and know more. This is the catechesis of discipleship. The seeker then becomes an apprentice in his seeking and learning role, on his way to full discipleship.

Why do we need this closer walk with Jesus today, more than ever before? The first commandment tells us to “I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other Gods besides me.” If an individual does not know and worship the Lord as God he will place his confidence in strange gods such as celebrities, jobs, self-image, security, money, family or power that he will honor and worship with the same fervor that the Apostles and Saints reserved for God and they will fill his time until there is little left over for the worship and discipleship to the one true God (National Directory for Catechesis, 43). It is very easy today to be caught up in the bombardment of media dictates concerning what is necessary to have/do/be in order to be successful and happy. These strange gods would be easy for us to recognize and eliminate if they were ugly, obviously evil, golden statues or the pagan gods of some other religion. These substitutes for the true God are probably as well denied and disguised as they were in Jesus’ time (National Directory for Catechesis,16). The obvious idols are money, sex and power. The less obvious ones are even more devious because they frequently imitate or are partial reflections of the Sacred. Like a really good science fiction or psychological movie, they inspire awe. For some reason that which is huge, powerful or inspires wonder in people can lead them away from the true source of the Sacred. They are reflectors of the light of God but only absolute and ultimate God centeredness, which is at the heart of Jesus’ teachings is the genuine article. Matthew 13:33 tells us that a relatively small “leaven” of true believers is all that is needed to raise the “whole loaf”. It is this need for opportunities for these seekers to become disciples and evangelizers that is the reason for the Church to become more diligent and active in providing the“food” of deeper understanding of Jesus’ teachings for those who are waiting on the “hillsides” to hear it.

Just as Jesus sent the Apostles forth with the Holy Spirit to spread the Good News, the Church sends the laity forth according to the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, (Vatican II, Chapter 1 paragraph 2,3,4) In this document the Church is identified as being responsible for spreading the “kingdom of Christ throughout the earth for the glory of God the Father to enable men to share in his redemption.” Likewise the laity is given the right and duty through baptism to serve as part of the apostolate and all are consecrated as part of the royal priesthood and holy people to bear witness to Christ and promote the salvation of all of humanity. “Since the laity, in accordance with their state in life, live in the midst of the world and its concern, they are called by God to exercise their apostolate in the world like leaven...”(Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Chapter 1, paragraph 2). For this reason, it is the obligation of the Church in it’s role as teaching authority, to provide the laity the tools to do their job.

The fulfillment of the Church’s obligation is a difficult and challenging one given the distractions and temptations of the world. There is a need to develop an apprentice program to help budding disciples learn how to participate effectively in the sacraments and encourage their motivation toward discipleship. This motivation derives from a fundamental desire and an awareness of their responsibility to find ways to walk with and in the presence of the risen Lord.

Providing further educational programs presupposes some initial desire of the catechized or a desire or openness to be disciples. There is also a need for the faithful to reach out to the community of believers or seekers who have fallen away from full participation due to a lack of understanding about the true teachings of Jesus and the Church in the world today and bring them back to hear the truth and be able to make informed decisions concerning their discipleship.

Jesus’ teaching is the very wisdom of God his Father. It possesses inexhaustible depth (Reichert, 55). This very depth and richness of our doctrine can be overwhelming to a newly inspired Christian. Introducing too much too soon can be daunting. Reichert, Poole and Groome advocate small, facilitated groups of inquirers as an initial phase for the development of disciples (Reichert 73, Poole 211). Jesus’ core message is simple enough to cut across all cultures and situations and be applied easily to every day life. He gathered his Apostles around him and patiently trained them until they could effectively go out and spread his teaching. Likewise, in a facilitated group it is possible for the seekers to share information and ideas with one another and call on the facilitator as a resource as needed. It must be remembered in these groups that Jesus was often controversial in his teachings, he was often judged as immoral, irreverent, unpatriotic or even criminal for some of his action and speech. There is risk involved whenever we speak up about our convictions. The participants must feel able to freely discuss their

questions and concerns about what it means to be a true disciple for the group to be able to learn and grow.

The Plan For Development of Adult Discipleship: Proposed Practice

Richard Reichert, Garry Poole and Thomas Groome have developed and outlined a plan for groups to grow seekers into true disciples. Richard Reichert has catechetical experience that spans a time period before and after the Second Vatican Council and has served as a teacher, catechetical leader and consultant for the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin as well as serving on the executive board of the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership. He has authored over sixty student catechetical texts and manuals and brings the Roman Catholic perspective to this research. Garry Poole is the director of evangelism at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois and brings a perspective from a protestant mega-church. He has authored two books in addition to Seeker Small Groups used in this thesis. Thomas Groome is a professor of Pastoral Theology and Religious Education at Boston College. He has authored two significant books on religious education in the twentieth century on of which, Sharing Faith, is already considered a classic in the field. Their work was selected as the primary resources for the proposed application of a response to the issue or concern addressed by this work.

First, however, it must be recognized that God alone is establishing the reign of God and that we have no power or control over when or how it will happen or who will be used or in what way. It is through God’s power alone that the forces of evil, which continue to attempt to impede and prevent the coming of the kingdom, will ultimately be overcome. Each is called to play his own part in the plan, some will be sowers and some will reap but in the end it is God who will cause the increase of the fold.

It is the task and mission of the Church to introduce seekers to the fullness of the life of the faith community. One of the ways to accomplish this is through the use of small discussion groups for seekers. This form used in the earliest churches which were usually gatherings for a meal in the home of one of the community. In these groups it is possible to explore the doctrine of the Church as deeply as necessary to answer questions and concerns of the participants. The groups also allow for a rich input and application of the experiences of daily life by the members. In the past, the Church’s catechetical conversation was one way and was more a matter of imparting doctrine to be memorized with little application to, or discussion of, the daily life of the person. It is essential to develop and maintain an atmosphere of basic respect for each person in the group. There should be an ability and willingness of each member to be truly attentive and respectful of what others say, their ideas, values and convictions and a sensitivity as well, to their unspoken feelings, hurts, and concerns. The group can also be instrumental in developing and gradually fostering basic skills required for good communication, consensus building, conflict resolution, and problem solving. Nurturing a sense of concern for the well being of others in the group will be required as well as the ability to recognize when it is necessary to set aside the participant’s personal interests to attain the common good. The group setting will help individuals recognize the gifts and talents they have to offer to the group as well as acknowledging and affirming the gifts others bring and their importance to the group. Some of this will require periodic formal instruction by the facilitator or an outside presenter.

Garry Poole, in his book Seeker Small Groups, identifies five stages of spiritual discovery that each individual goes through in the process of becoming a disciple. During these phases the seeker slowly grows in self awareness and the awareness of God within and in his life.

In the first phase the seeker begins the spiritual journey by identifying what he/she believes and is able to discuss these beliefs with the group. Some of the likely topics are what they think about God, who God is, the meaning of life and death, whether there is an afterlife, who Jesus is and his relationship to God and man. Discussion of the importance of the Bible and it’s significance in everyday life is also a likely area that the new seeker will want to explore.

After a thorough examination of their beliefs, the seeker will need to discover why they believe what they do and if these beliefs that they hold are reasonable and valid. Few people have taken the time to establish defendable reasons for what they believe or even think about why they hold the beliefs they do. During this phase it is important to show respect for the beliefs of those in the group and help them identify how they can defend or not defend their beliefs. The group and facilitator must make a genuine effort to understand the reasons behind each person’s beliefs. Questions should be asked that will help in this understanding but that are worded in a non-threatening way.

The third phase, according to Poole is one where the seekers explore possible options and dialog about who and what they initially believed. Now that they have made the effort to discover what and why they believe what they do, they often become dissatisfied with their current beliefs (Poole, 39). At this point they are willing and eager to explore and discover the truth. The seekers frequently have more questions than answers and may feel somewhat lost or confused. It is a time of doubts and uncertainties but also a time when some real growth in awareness is possible along with the desire to dig deeper into resources such as the Bible. This is a real opportunity for learning and growth and the individual needs to be given the resources necessary to explore and find answers.

The next phase involves the evaluation of these new discoveries. The seeker must earnestly assess the validity of their beliefs and deal with the tough questions and objections they may have to the teachings of Christianity and other faiths. This is a time that they are more willing than ever to make comparisons between what they believe, what the Bible says and what the Church teaches. At the point of decision about each major belief, the seeker may return to the beginning of the process to go through the phases again for each.

In the fifth and final phase the seekers decide what to believe. This is the most significant phase because at this point the person can make some life changing decisions involving a personal relationship with Jesus and what it means to be a disciple. The degree of impact on the life of the individual will depend on how far the new disciple has come to reach the point of being a true believer.

Poole cautions the facilitator to avoid jumping too quickly to phase five. He tells the reader that it is very important for the seeker to move slowly through all the phases to get to a comfort level at the end of each before moving on to the next. If the move is made too quickly, there is a risk that the seeker will be alienated and feel pressured or betrayed.

Of course, the Holy Spirit can intervene at any time and move the individual along much more quickly than we might expect. After the final phase there is a point where the seeker can identify the level of trust in Jesus, the Bible or any Christian beliefs that has been attained. At low levels of trust there will continue to be some cynicism or skepticism about spiritual matters. The new disciple will find it difficult to turn problems over to the will of God and will continue to worry about control issues. No two disciples are alike and will continue to grow and develop in God’s time, not ours. It is important, therefore, not to have specific expectations or concerns about the rate of growth or if an individual’s growth seems lopsided (too much Bible versus too much community or service). The same group of participants will remain together throughout the program. Additional groups may be formed and run concurrently but it is beneficial for the members to stay together in order to develop relationships and trust as well as mentoring each other.

Poole agrees with Reichert on the importance of the invitation. It should be personal and non-threatening. The setting should be comfortable, inviting and convenient for the invitees. Poole advocates praying at the beginning and end of each session. Distraction should be minimized such as phones or activities in adjoining rooms. If meetings are in participant’s homes, children and pets should be kept away or elsewhere. Little things like room temperature, fresh flowers and refreshments can make a big difference to the overall success of the encounter but keep in mind that this is God’s gathering. The facilitator is not in control or ultimately responsible. Poole emphasizes the importance of allowing the group to get acquainted through the use of name tags and time set aside for this purpose. Poole suggests the use of icebreakers to get conversations going. They can be accomplished by using everyday questions like; Do you squeeze the toothpaste tube or roll it? What is one of your nicknames? Who do you know who performs the greatest number of acts of kindness, tell about one? Poole points out that later, as a transition, there are some great questions in the Bible that could be discussed as a group such as; If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? (Lk. 6:32).

Once the invitations have been sent out and responses received it is time to move in to implementation. Responders will be contacted and a date set for the initial gathering. The initial meeting will be primarily devoted to introductions, ice breaker activities and setting a format for subsequent meetings including the choice of topics. Members of the group will choose the topics to explore. The goal of the forums is to create a desire in the participants to want to know more about their faith and to answer any doubts or questions they have. The emphasis on any particular topic will be determined by its importance to the group or a particular seeker disciple. The orientation will be on being a disciple rather than on learning about the faith. The discussion of each topic will be more personal and practical than theological or academic.

The setting for the group must be relational rather than academic and allow for a comfortable interactive environment. This relational model fits well with the goal of developing a relationship with Jesus as his disciple. In addition, the day and time must be workable for the greatest number of those desiring to participate but be flexible for members who are unable to attend on a given day and open to those who desire to drop in when they are able.

Richard J. Reichert outlines a plan or structure for a seeker group in his book, Renewing Catechetical Ministry. Like Poole he recommends that time should be allowed at the beginning of each session for the community to greet each other, discuss their week or current concerns and allow for latecomers to join the group. This conversation can range from the latest sports event to movies seen by the members or blessings or trials members have experienced at home or at work lately. This is a totally unstructured and unplanned time for the membership to develop their relationship with one another and practice some of the listening and communication skills that will benefit the group later. The group will naturally call time on this interaction when they are ready to get started on the chosen topic. Someone will be eager to get started, perhaps the person who suggested it in the first place.

The group gathers in a comfortable room with seating arranged in a circle or other arrangement that allows for each person to face an interact directly with each other person in the group. One person will open the gathering with a Scripture reading either from the coming Sunday or one pertaining to the topic of discussion for the session. After the reading some time is allowed for personal reflection discussion of the reading follows. The reader changes each time and is selected for the coming meeting at the end of the discussion of this reading. The reflection and discussion time will vary from a few minutes to a half hour or so.

Enough time should be allowed for the topic planned for this gathering but meaningful discussion should not be cut short if the group wishes to continue. A topic can be deferred to a later date if the group wishes. The group has no particular agenda other than to grow as disciples of Jesus. To that end, topics of interest or concern including social justice issues as well as more formal theological concerns may be suggested by the members at any time and prioritized according to the wishes of the community.

Near the time for concluding the group gathers in a circle and offers prayers of petition or thanksgiving as each person wishes and the session ends with the “Our Father”.

Some basic principles of Reichert’s small group model include the concept that when the goal is discipleship and the group is relational in nature that attendance is more invitational and volitional. This is based on the principle that each person is valued as a person and that each has something uniquely theirs to offer the group. Each has gifts that are needed by the group and their participation is truly valued by the group. This model comes with challenges. How can the invitation be appealing enough to make people willing and eager to give up their personal time to develop as disciples? How can the invitation communicate that each person and the gifts they bring, are needed and wanted to participate? How can the invitation be framed to give the feeling that it came from Jesus as when he invited the Apostles to join him? Since many adults have very busy secular lives, the invitation can be the most important step toward the success of putting a seeker’s small group together.

In Thomas Groome’s Educating for Life, the author advocates taking the participant, where he is now in his physical and spiritual life, and working forward from there. Groome says that it is necessary to foster the deeper personal insight of the individual, relating spiritual growth to ones own life experiences. In learning situations, he subscribes to the use of dialogue to allow the learners to learn from each other. Through learning from each other we recognize the necessity of the inclusion of tradition as a basis for new learning and look forward to possible change and future action. This process shifts learning from the transmittal of information to the genuine formation and conversion of the adult. Luke 24:32 says it perfectly, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures to us?” Groome’s path to discipleship is through evangelization and ecumenism using the inclusivity of catholicity which has been stressed by the Church since the Second Vatican Council and supported by the Scripture John 14:2 “In my Father’s house there are many mansions.”

Boil down AND put into the first paragraph of the thesis

From the teachings of Jesus we move forward through these two thousand years of adult inquiry, discernment and ultimately, discipleship. Jesus preached the Good News to adults and taught them how to live. He loved and played with children. The doctors of the church and bishops have realized that it is the teaching of adults that must be the focus but somehow we have been emphasizing the educations of children for approximately the past century and a half and neglecting the formation of the adult seekers in our community. It is an essential part of who we are and what we do as church to involve the entire community by helping adults to deepen their understanding and recognize their responsibilities as adult Christians. It is through community that adults strengthen their relationship with Jesus Christ,. The mission of the Church is to continually grow as an adult faith community. This requires that pastoral ministers meet people where they are in their faith development as well as where they are in their adult vocational roles as parents, spouses, workers, retirees or wherever they are on their path of life. Today many Catholics have limited opportunities available to them. Usually these are limited to Scripture readings during mass, the homily, regular reception of the sacraments and additional formation may occur in the form of Bible study or Scripture classes. Many members of the community may feel the need for a deeper connection with the community and their walk with Jesus but don’t know where to look or even what they are looking for, they may just feel something is missing in their lives. Because they are adults and come to the learning situation with their own experiences, they need to be a part of the process and must be allowed to be self directed in their approach to learning. These adult learners come at all different levels of knowledge and understanding and can effectively share their individual wisdom with each other. Opportunities for this type of experience must be provided by the pastoral leadership as frequently as possible. Individuals are called and respond to that call at different points in their lives and something should be available when they are ready.

The Forums: Rationale, Application and Critique

Adult faith formation and development of discipleship among parents of students attending parochial schools can benefit the adults as well as the students who will have the parents as resources for their continued studies.

A Catholic middle school in Albuquerque, NM was chosen to do a trial program of adult forums where parents or caregivers could gather and discuss issues of faith as well as issues pertaining to their families and parenting adolescents. This is a difficult period for both parent and child when the adolescent is questioning many of the teachings of their parents and the Church. The parents of the sixth and seventh grade students were included in the pool of potential participants. The title “parent” will be used to mean the person(s) primarily responsible for the day to day care and faith formation of the student.

An invitation (Appendix 1) was sent out to the families of seventy six students. It included an explanation of the reason for the gatherings and the flexibility of the agenda. In order to put parents at ease and insure the non threatening nature of the gatherings, examples of the topic to be considered was included in the invitation along with a request for suggestions of other topics from the recipients of the invitations. It needed to be clear from the beginning that the meetings belong to the attendees and would not be a formal instructional type of environment. The invitational letter also provided an explanation of the position of the Church since the Second Vatican Council on the need for full participation of the community of believers in the evangelization and ecumenical movement by all its members.

The letter was written in an informal, warm and inviting tone in order to create a sense of community and common interest to the families. It informed families of the mission for the gatherings to be an opportunity to share beliefs and goals for our lives as lifelong seekers and learners. There are suggestions given for dates, times and places for the gatherings to take place. The Lenten season is the time frame for the gatherings as this is an important time of renewal in the liturgical year for Catholics and other Christians. The frequency of meetings is left open in order not to overwhelm families with one more demand on their time.

The letters were sent out February 1 which was a Friday, to allow for family discussion and thought over the weekend. A response was requested on the following Monday in order to schedule the first meeting within the following week. An initial group of six to ten participants would be a minimum in order to have a good discussion and allow for times when not everyone is able to attend. If there were a response of larger than sixteen, a second group would be formed.

After a week of encouraging the students to return the responses, three were returned. One was a note of appreciation for the initiation of the project and saying that the choices of times were not practical due to other commitments and that the day they were available they preferred to use as a family day of rest. There were two other families who responded. They were contacted for a beginning session although four was less than the minimum hoped for. One of the families thought they would be able to encourage and get others to participate which would make the number more practical in case a situation arose when people couldn’t attend. When the two families were called, one of them had already made plans for the coming two weeks. The other family was advised and told that if they were able to find another family or two to participate, we would go ahead with the gatherings and the first couple could catch up later. After a week the second family was contacted and they had been unable to find any others interested in participating. We agreed that it just wasn’t working at this time and that perhaps we would try again at a later date.

Since there wasn’t sufficient response from parents to conduct the forums, an alternative questionnaire (Appendix 2) was sent out to the same group of parents as a follow up. The questionnaire was designed to determine the family’s background in the areas of faith formation/education, practice, and interest in going deeper into the learning process of discipleship. In addition, questions were asked to determine the family’s awareness of current Church teachings on social and political issues. Comments on the questions and any other thoughts they might have were requested at the end. This letter was sent out three weeks after the original invitation. To ensure that the questionnaire got home to the family and read, an offer of fifty points of extra credit for the class was made. Out of 74 letters sent out, thirty-one were completed and returned, a return rate of 42%. In one family, both parents responded individually and were counted as two responses. For statistical purposes, this would mean that for each question there was a possible 32 responses. Some respondents chose not to answer one or more of the questions.

The first question, ”Were you raised in a practicing home?” was answered positively by 97% of the respondents. Since the school has a population of 200 families who are Catholic, this response would indicate that primarily Catholic families answered and returned the questionnaire. This would seem to indicate that although the initial invitation and questionnaire were intended to be worded to include participants of all faiths, those who are non-Catholic are less comfortable responding than those who are Catholic. The second question, “Did you attend Catholic or other faith based schools?” was included in the questionnaire to determine the background and experience with private school education and expectations. Slightly fewer than half (47%) responded yes to this question. This response could indicate the positive image of the school and value of private education over public education and may also show that those who did attend private faith based schools had a positive experience.

The third question was intended to determine how inclined the families are to be active in the community of church and school. It would also be an indicator of interest in discipleship activities such as the parent forums. This question asked,” Do you participate in faith activities outside of regular Sunday services?” The positive response to this question was 59%. This is an especially positive indicator since most church organizations experience under a 20% response rate to activities provided outside of Sunday services. It is also a positive indicator that the parent forums, if presented in an appealing way and at a workable time, could be a great vehicle to get families involved in their own growth and faith education of their children and provide a pathway to developing discipleship.

Question four was intended to assess the perceived needs parents have for the school to satisfy and if they feel these needs are being met. It was also intended to determine if the families believed that opportunities were being offered to assist them in the development of their faith and growth of their families in the Church. This question asked, “Do you feel you are getting the support you need from the Church/school?” The overwhelming response was positive (87.5% said yes). This would seem to indicate a satisfaction level from the respondents that shows no need for immediate action by the Church or school. However, there are always those things that can make our lives better that we are unaware of and comments indicated that there could be a positive outcome to parent forums if offered again.

The responses to the fifth question would almost seem to contradict the responses to the fourth. 81% said that the Church should help us understand her teachings. Perhaps the respondents felt the Church was already doing this and the positive response was just an affirmation rather than a request for more. The question could have been worded better by saying “Do you think the Church should do more to help us understand her teachings?” If the response were accurate to the intention of the question, it would seem to indicate that families would like more opportunities to explore and understand the teachings of the Church.

The sixth question was “Do you think the Church should play a role in our political decision making?” This question only received a yes answer by 31% of the responders. This would seem to indicate that the majority of church affiliated people who send their children to faith based schools believe that Church and politics should be separated. This question prompted the most written comments. Out of fourteen comments, five were in response to this question. Three responded that the individual should keep the teachings of Christianity in mind when choosing a candidate to vote for or voting on a particular issue. One respondent commented that the Church should play a role but only if the Church contributes financially (to what was not indicated). One was unsure of the role that should be played by the Church but marked yes that the Church should be involved.

The last question asked, “Do you have an interest in learning more about Jesus’ teaching for our lives?” This question received 31 affirmative responses. These positive responses would seem to indicate that there is a need for opportunities for people to explore their faith more deeply and become true disciples on a daily basis. Three of the comments to the questionnaire indicated interest in the forums but said that distance and time was an issue preventing them from attending. One family had written a response on the invitation letter also, indicating time as a factor in their decision not to participate. Pressures in society and priorities in the secular lives of families and probably all people play a significant role in their spiritual lives. The impact on families is probably greater due to the sheer number of people and schedules to consider. It is also possible that the great number of positive responses was based on the responders answering what they thought they should say. However, it still may be an indicator that more needs to be done to accommodate scheduling issues. Another difficulty is due to students and parishioners living a distance from the church/school. It is no longer the practice in the Catholic Church for members of the community to be living in the neighborhood; consequently the challenge of time is compounded by distance. The Church can do more to encourage families to put their spiritual lives ahead of secular activities by teaching the benefits of a strong spiritual base and character in addressing the difficulties and challenges we face every day in the modern world.

Conclusion

From the earliest beginning of the Christian faith community, small faith groups indoctrinated new seekers who saw what these groups had in the way of their love for one another and their belief in Jesus Christ as the means to eternal life and wanted to learn more about this new way of believing and living. They began with meetings in homes that supported and nurtured each individual. Those who were more knowledgeable trained those who were newer to the faith. Just as Jesus’ followers first learned from Him and later taught others who followed, faith communities continued this tradition. The Apostles traveled throughout the Mediterranean and Southern Europe to spread the good news to adults who in turn trained their children. Christianity spread in this manner for several centuries. In the meanwhile a formal Church began to be formed by councils of bishops beginning as early as the Council of Jerusalem in the first century (Acts 15). These Councils of bishops solidified, in writing, the precepts of the faith as taught by Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit. In these councils, the early church fathers gathered and with the help of the Holy Spirit, hammered out, through their understanding of Jesus’ teachings, Jewish faith and tradition, how the church would function into the future. This was beautifully documented in Chapter 15 of the Acts of the Apostles where it is documented that the new Greek (gentile) converts would not be bound to follow Jewish practices of circumcision and certain dietary laws. In this chapter it is also apparent that the community was still small and that public discussion of issues was still the practice. The mission of spreading the faith to all people was still foremost in their minds and hearts.

By the sixth century, at the Council of Vaison it was decided that the training of boys in liturgy and scripture was needed presumably in preparation for service in the role of clergy. The church continued to grow and missionaries traveled and converted large numbers of people to the faith in Northern Europe throughout the next four hundred years. History tells us that life was hard and short for these people and that this good news offered hope and comfort to them. Again, the practice was the education of adults.

At the time of the reformation, there was a change in the availability of education to the general population. Instead of the very limited access to scripture that had been the case for the past fourteen hundred years, the printing press made them available to the general public. Adults who could read could make their own decisions about what they believed instead of relying on the clergy to transmit information to them. In the Catholic Church, however, many adults had fallen away from the church because they lacked the ability and knowledge to defend their faith. The community still preferred to receive their instruction from the clergy and this continued to be the practice for the next four hundred years. Seminaries were established during this time and training of clergy was emphasized in order to impart the doctrine of the church to the community of believers.

The early nineteenth century brought in a shift from the rural environments of the past where communities were small and the church was the center of the community to the lure of jobs and prosperity in the cities and a fragmentation of the close knit communities of the faithful. People began to look to their work for a sense of identity and belonging. The church was separated from most adults due to language barriers, with the mass being said in Latin, and the hierarchy who were the authority on spiritual issues who were called upon in times of serious need for spiritual decisions. The community of believers lived and acted more in isolation than as a community of disciples and life long learners of the teachings of Christ. Adults were catechized as children and relied on the clergy for any subsequent decision making involving spiritual matters. The need for the ongoing teaching of the doctrine of the church to adults was minimally addressed by the teachings of scripture in the homily offered after scripture readings at Sunday mass by the parish priest. Parents relied more and more on the church and parochial schools to train children in the faith, due to the separation of church and state in America and their own reliance on the clergy for decisions and instruction.

In the mid twentieth century Pope John XXIII who called for renewal and modernization of the church initiated The Second Vatican Council. Evangelism and ecumenism were emphasized (Pope Paul VI, Chapter 1, #2) This council brought the direction and focus of the church around one hundred and eighty degrees, with the likely intent being to return to the beginnings and traditions of the early church. Lay adults were called to be a part of the royal priesthood referred to in Peter 2:4-10 and invited to an intimate union with Christ and participation in the liturgy (Pope Paul VI Chapter 1 #4). This statement implies the additional education and training of adults in knowledge of the doctrine of the church and an understanding of why it is doctrine. The Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity (Apostolicam Actuositatem) calls each of us to “not cease to develop earnestly” each of the gifts we have received and follow the direction of their vocation and particular character. Whether married, parents, single or widowed, the laity is called to become members of the associations or institutions approved by the church where they can serve using their particular and special skills (Pope Paul VI Chapter 1 #4) This document calls the laity to evangelization as well and states that in all daily activities opportunities arise that are appropriate for sharing the good news with others. The implication here is that the lay member of the community has an obligation to know the precepts of his faith and be able to defend them. This is another example of the church’s obligation to provide and encourage opportunities for adult education.

In addition to the call to evangelize and to reunite Christians everywhere, Pope Paul VI spoke of the necessity of examining our priorities. He tells the world that the use of temporal things has been marred by serious vices. Among these are the corruption of human institutions and contempt for the human person. He speaks of the idolatry of the technical arts and science to the extent that man no longer places his relationship with God in first place. This seemed to be borne out by responses to the invitation to the forum and the subsequent questionnaire where the parents cited other commitments and lack of free time as the reason for there inability to attend.