Christian Formation

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Introduction
Christian Formation is a dynamic, unceasing program of growth and development which each of us experiences in our lives with and in the Risen Christ. Christian Formation cannot be reduced to the acquisition of skills or knowledge by completing a prescribed curriculum similar to achieving and satisfying the requirements for a degree. It is not simply one of the activities or occurrences in a person’s life; Christian Formation is the continuing activity that gives shape and meaning to all activities in the life of a Christian.

Each of us enters into this relationship, this adventure of formation, with our Lord at different times from different levels and experiences. And in so far as our church can provide us the preparation and training to live out our commitments through formation, this parish church with full consideration of the witness to the Catholic faith, both past and present, has as its responsibility the provision of resources to plan a responsive blueprint for Christian Formation.

In other words, Christian formation becomes a school of faith and an ongoing apprenticeship in the Christian life.

Foundations of Adult Christian Formation
For Catholic Christians, a heterogeneous community of God’s people, spirituality is profoundly communal. Although each of us is an individual, our faith experience is collective. We worship, not in isolation, but in mutual dependence upon God and each other. Our lives are bound up in one another and dedicated to spreading the Good News of the Risen Christ. This translates to a need to enlighten ourselves as we minister to those in need.

This process of enlightenment, education, training, learning, and/or study is at the core of Christian Formation.

Formation, beginning at Baptism, is a continual process of maturation not unlike new growth maturing through a nutritional, healthy process.

The goal of Christian formation is for each person in a Christian community to appropriate a clear perception of his or her personal vocation as a laborer for the Lord. Although this goal may begin and be nurtured by a deeper knowledge of God and God’s wishes for us, the goal of formation is not achieved by simply knowing what God wants, but action on God’s will is essential. Formation should mean a cohesion of one’s life in the church and society, not as two independent or contrary realities, but as two dimensions incorporated into in a single life.

Formation can be categorized into several broad, overlapping areas: spiritual, doctrinal and human . In the spiritual category the emphasis in Christian Formation is movement toward a closer union with Christ. Doctrinally, we experience formation through catechesis, placing into tension orthodox teachings with current social conditions and cultural values. Lastly, the practices and skills we acquire as servant leaders, is what we bring into our everyday opportunities, challenges, and expectations.

The primary sources of Christian Formation are God, the church (specifically the parish in the context of this formation plan), the family, schools, the workplace, and other groups or associations.

Purpose of Christian Formation
The purpose of this plan for adult Christian Formation is to facilitate the knowledge and practice of the Catholic faith at all levels of development, interest and need. Christian Formation is not confined to any definitive period of time; it truly begins when we begin our lives in the faith and remains with us until our service on earth is through.

Formation is a communal, inclusive, systematic experience drawing upon all the resources of the church; formation contributes to the church’s life in community. Christian Formation is not a private, self-contained activity because the Christian life is communal. It has been said “Salvation in Jesus Christ is never a private affair.” We are all in this relationship to and with our Lord together. Consider even the normally thought of private exercises of contemplation, fasting, or sacramental penance. These practices follow established forms representing the experiences of countless generations of Christians and the accumulated benefits of their spiritual lives.

Lastly, Formation is understood in the context of vocation. Christian Formation is the active response to God’s call. And it is just as true for the laity as for the ordained. To know what God wants is a first step, and it is indeed the first objective in formation. The next step, and one which more often than not is taken in conjunction with discerning God’s will, is to do what God wants.

In order to meet the goals of adult Christian Formation this plan will offer to each person in the parish ways in which to acquire wisdom of God and to live out a commitment to Christ. So, the plan is for young and the not-so-young, the working person and the retired person, the homebound and the robust, the inquirer and the proficient, and the neighborhood and the suburbs. Those associated with St. Paul’s may elect to continue their accustomed practice of participating in regularly scheduled classes or activities, or may be encouraged to reach out beyond their present limits and take on new endeavors which challenge both our intellectual and vocational capacities.

Resources of Christian Formation
Adult Christian Formation at St. Paul’s begins with a corporate response to God’s love for each of us. Flowing from communal worship there are ample opportunities for each member and friend of the parish to enter personally into Christian Formation. It is the parish that provides the primary resources that equip its members in formation for ministry. In formation, resources most often take the shape of workshops, lectures, study groups, dialogues, and both large and small group training.

First and foremost in the life of a Catholic parish is worship, particularly the Eucharist. At every mass, as well as at morning and evening prayer, the word of God is read, proclaimed. At this parish church the Holy Eucharist is celebrated every day, and the Daily Offices are read in the morning and in the evening.

Beyond corporate worship, there are a number of classes or learning experiences for the adult who wishes to place himself/herself into formation.
 

>> View Adult Christian Formation opportunities: Groups & Classes
>> View Adult Retreats and Quiet Days
>> View Youth Christian Formation opportunities
>> View College Ministry
>> View Parish Library