The way we all practice and live out our communal faith life has been affected by this pandemic. As a result, people’s expectations of and commitment to the practice of our faith have been affected, some for the better and some for the worse.

Our people have changed;
has our faith formation adapted?
Are we just returning to what we did pre-pandemic?
If we are, how’s that really working out?
If we need change,
what needs to be different?
Can anything stay the same? 

The Office of Faith Formation has teamed up with Lifelong Faith Associates to offer this all-important five-part series of in-person and virtual workshops that provides parish faith formation leaders the opportunity to come together and collaboratively assess their present faith formation efforts in light of the disruption of this pandemic and plan for a unified vision and practice for their future faith formation ministry. 

What you will find below:

• The Content
• The Presenters
• Participation Fees
• How to Register

The Content                          (Download the complete series brochure HERE.)

Please note that dates have changed due to pandemic concerns and scheduling

In-Person Workshop Days

Foundations for Faith Formation in a Post-Pandemic World
Thursday, February 24 - 9:30 AM-3:00 PM - St. Patrick Church, Iowa City

Morning Session: Building Community and Relationships. This session identifies the scriptural and communal foundations of hospitality, and offers tools and resources to assess and design simple, effective and practical ways to create a community of welcome, hospitality and engagement that brings together everyone in the community. 

Afternoon Session: Formation for Christian Living in a New World. This session presents the vision and tools for designing faith formation that helps people who are searching anew for meaning and purpose in their lives as they ask: "How shall we live now?", and gives examples of program designs that do just that.

Developing a Lifelong Plan for Faith Formation
Thursday, April 28 - 9:30 AM-3:00 PM - St. Patrick Church, Iowa City

In this workshop, participants will develop a blueprint for lifelong faith formation in their parish, incorporating six seasons of life - children (0-10), adolescents (11-19), young adults (20s-30s), midlife adults (40s-50s), mature adults (50s-60s), and older adults (70+) - and design a plan to implement the blueprint over a three-year timeframe.
 

Webinars

Designing Children and Family Faith Formation for the Post-Pandemic World
Thursday, March 10 - 10:00-11:30 AM

This webinar presents a holistic approach to faith formation with children by incorporating intergenerational, family, and age group experiences; and presents practices and strategies for designing faith formation with children (0-10 years old) and parents that reinvents current programming and develops new and innovative approaches to children's faith formation.

Designing Adult Faith Formation for the Post-Pandemic World
Thursday, March 24 - 10:00-11:30 AM

This webinar presents effective practices, approaches, strategies, programs, and activities for faith formation with each season of adulthood - young adults, midlife adults, mature adults, and older adults that utilize online, hybrid, and gathered models of programming – along with the skills to design faith formation to address their unique life stages. 

Designing Adolescent Faith Formation for the Post-Pandemic World
Thursday, April 7 - 10:00-11:30 AM

This webinar engages leaders in designing faith formation with younger and older adolescents (middle school and high school) that puts the primary emphasis on their lives and needs today, and how to best nurture their growth in faith and discipleship. By exploring the unique life tasks, needs, interests, and spiritual journeys of adolescents today; we'll see how to design faith formation in today’s world that reinvents current programming and develops new and innovative approaches to faith formation.
 

The Presenters
 

Foundations for Faith Formation in a Post-Pandemic World
Thursday, February 24 - 9:30 AM-3:00 PM - St. Patrick Church, Iowa City

Jane Angha MTS is the founder of Ministry Blueprints, a company dedicated to hospitality, welcome and eengagement training for faith communities. She served for over 20 years as a Director of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry in Catholic parishes, a Project Coordinator for Young Neighbors in Action with the Center for Ministry Development, and as a Diocesan Coordinator for Young Adult Adult Ministry in the Diocese of Geen Bay. Jayne is a national speaker, consultant, coach, teacher, trainer, and national conference speaker.
 

Designing Children and Family Faith Formation for the Post-Pandemic World
Thursday, March 10 - 10:00-11:30 AM
Designing Adolescent Faith Formation for the Post-Pandemic World
Thursday, April 7 - 10:00-11:30 AM

Catherine (Catzel) LaVecchia is Director of Lifelong Learning at Church of the Presentation, Upper Saddle River, NJ. For the past 30 years she has served in various capacities, including youth ministry, family faith formation, and lifelong faith formation. Catzel is most passionate about parish ministries, ministering to the differently-abled, and creating effective and meaningful faith formation opportunities for all ages. She has a Masters Degree in Pastoral Ministry and Relgions Education and a Certificate in Church Management from Villanova's Center for Church Management.
 

Designing Adult Faith Formation for the Post-Pandemic World
Thursday, March 24 - 10:00-11:30 AM

Sister Janet Schaeffler is an Adrian Dominican Sister who has worked in parish and diocesan faith formation ministry. She is currently a consultant for adult faith formation and a presenter. The auther of hundreds of articles and several puclications including Deepening Faith: Adult Faith Formation in the Parish (Liturgical Press, 2016), she teaches online courses at Bostone College and the University of Dayton. She publishes GEMS - a monthly newsletter flowing from an ongoing international adult faith formation best practices study. 
 

Transforming Faith Formation for All Ages in a Post-Pandemic World
Thursday, April 28 - 9:30 AM-3:00 PM - St. Patrick Church, Iowa City

John Roberto is the founder of Lifelong Faith Associates and has spent a lifetime working in faith formation - teaching, writing, researching, and consulting. His latest publications include Faith Formation with a New Generation, Families at the Center of Faith Formation, Seasons of Adult Faith Formation, Reimagining Faith Formation for the 21st Century, and Generations Together. He is the founder of the Center for Ministry Development (1978).
 

Participation Fees

Option 1: Parish Ticket. For one flat fee of $275, parishes can send as many people as they want to all 3 webinars and the 2 workshops. (Fee includes materials for all events, and up to 2 lunches/in-person workshop. Additional lunches are available for $10/person.)

Option 2: Individual Ticket.  $45/person/in-person workshop (includes lunch and materials); $25/person/webinar (includes materials)
 

How to Register

• Parish Tickets are available if 2 or more people from your parish plan to attend. Instructions for submitting names of attendees from your parish will be sent in the confirmation email. 
• Individual Tickets may be purchased up to a week prior to the workshop/webinar. 
• To purchase either ticket, click on the appropriate button below: