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Queensland Clergy Conference 2018

Reimagine Faith Formation for the 21st Century

Session 1. Vision & Practices

A CHANGING CONTEXT

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0-10 11-19 20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

Ten Decades of Life

Five Generations

GenerationZoriGen(2000-2015/18)

Millennials(1980-99)

GenerationX(1961-1979)

BabyBoomers(1946-60)

Builders(before1946)

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Contemporary Family Life

Spiritual Religious Identities

NotSpiritual,NotReligiousUnaffiliateds

TheSpiritualbutNot

ReligiousUninvolved

Faith&Engagement–oneamong

manyprioritiesOccasionals

Faith&EngagementattheCenterofLife

Actives

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Decline in Religious Socialization & Practice

THINKING ADAPTIVELY

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Thinking Adaptively ª  TechnicalProblemscanbesolved

withcurrentknowledgeandpracticesª  AdaptiveChallengesrequirenewknowledgeand

practices;theyrequireexperimentinginordertofindthesolution

ª  AdaptiveChallengesrequireustooperateinanewway

ª  AdaptiveChallengesrequiressomesacrificeofpastwaysofoperating–theyinvolverealorimaginedloss

ª  AdaptiveSolutionstaketime

Thinking Adaptively

ª  Adaptiveleadershipisspecificallyaboutchangethanenablesthecapacitytothrive.

ª  “Ofallthatwecareabout,whatmustbegivenuptosurviveandthrivegoingforward?

ª  “Ofallthatwecareabout,whatelementsareessentialandmustbepreservedintothefuture?”

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SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

#1. Faith Forming Ecology

Intergenerational

Family

LifeStage

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ThroughoutScripturethereisapervasivesensethatallgenerationsweretypicallypresentwhenfaithcommunitiesgatheredforworship,forcelebration,forfeasting,forpraise,for

encouragement,forreadingofScripture,intimesofdanger,andforsupportandservice....ToexperienceauthenticChristiancommunityandreaptheuniqueblessingsofintergenerationality,thegenerationsmustbetogetherregularlyand

often—infantstooctogenarians.(AllenandRoss,IntergenerationalChristianFormation)

Intergenerational

Intergenerational

UtilizeintergenerationaleventsinthefaithcommunityConnectthegenerationsthroughalleventsandprograms

InfusemultiplegenerationsintoagegroupprogramsCreatenewintergenerationalprograms&experiences

(learning,service,communitylife)

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Family

TheprimarymechanismsbywhichCatholicidentitybecomesrootedinchildren’slivesarenotCatholic

schoolingorsacramentalpreparation,butrathertheday-to-dayreligiouspracticesofthefamilyandthewaysparentsmodeltheirfaithandshareitinconversation,collaboration,and

exposuretooutsidereligiousopportunities.

(BurtkusandSmith)

FamilyFaithatHome

FamilyEngagementinthe

IntergenerationalFaithCommunity

FamilyLife&ParentFormation

Family

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Lifelong & Lifewide

Intergenerational

Children Teens / Youth

Young Adults

Midlife Adults

Mature Adults

Older Adults

Family

WorshipTheme-Readings-Sermon-Podcast

Weekly

IntergenerationalGathering

Monthly

Children&FamilyYouthAdult

Throughthemonth:-Learn-Pray-Live

YoungChildren&Families

GradeSchool

Children&Families

Adolescents&Families

YoungAdults

MidlifeAdults

MatureAdults OlderAdults

Whole Community

Life Stage

Integrating the Elements

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#2. Faith Forming Dynamic

Belong Behave Believe

Believe Behave BelongPost-ReformationEra(TheCatechismEra)

The Formation Dynamic Relationshipsleadtocraft,whichleadstoexperientialbelief.Thatisthepathtobecomingandbeingsomeonedifferent.Thepathoftransformation.ItisalsothepathfoundintheNewTestament;theWayofJesustheleadstoGod.Longago,beforethelasthalfmillennium,Christiansunderstoodthatfaithwasamatterofcommunityfirst,practicessecond,andbeliefasaresultofthefirsttwo.Ourimmediateancestorsreversedtheorder.Now,itisuptoustorestoretheoriginalorder.DianaButlerBassChristianitywithoutReligion(HarperOne,2012)

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#3. Maturing in Faith: Toward What Ends Are We Working

Children

Youth

YoungAdults

MidlifeAdults

MatureAdults

OlderAdults

Characteristics of

Mature Faith

Maturing in Faith

ª  FocusingontheessentialcharacteristicsoflifelonggrowthinChristianfaithanddiscipleship

ª  Incorporatingknowingandbelieving,relatingandbelonging,practicingandliving.

ª  Addressingeachcharacteristicindevelopmentally-appropriatewaysateachstageoflife

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#4. Personalize Faith Formation

Pathways of Faith Growth

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Playlists of Content & Experiences Project-Centered Faith Formation

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#5. Twenty-First Century Learning

21st Century Learning 1.  BlendedLearning2.  Micro-Learning3.  ImmersiveLearningEnvironments4.  MultipleWaysofLearning5.  MultisensoryLearning6.  Project-BasedLearning7.  CollaborativeLearning8.  VisualLearning9.  Practice-OrientedLearning10. Storytelling

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#6. Digital Transformation

The Print Era (1500s - )

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Technological Revolution: The Multimedia Era (1960s - )

Technological Revolution: The Digital Era (2000+)

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What is the Digital Transformation Making Possible?

1.  Learningandfaithformationarenowmobile–anytime,anyplace,24x7.Peoplehavethedigitaldevicestostayconnectedandtoaccesslearningandfaithformationonthego.

2.  Thereisabundanceofhighqualitydigitalcontentforfaithformation–audio,video,print,websites,apps,onlinelearningplatforms,andmore.

3.  Newdigitalmediaandlearningmethodsmeanthatwecanprovidemultiplewaystolearnandgrow—activitiesandexperiencesthatreflectdifferentlearningstylesandmultipleintelligences.

What is the Digital Transformation Making Possible?

4.  Digitalmediaandonlineactivities,especiallyvideos,meanthatwecandevelopcontentinsmallerunits(micro-learning)thatbettersuittoday’slearnerswhohaveshorterattentionspans.

5.  Afaithformationwebsitecanserveasanonlinelearningcenter,aportaltoactivitiesandresources,andaconnectingpointforpeople.

6.  Onlineclassrooms,likeEdmodo,Schoology,andGoogleClassroom,providesafespacesforyoungpeople,parents,andadultleaderstoengageinfaithformingexperiencesandinteraction.