How can we think about our message?

We will explore possible frameworks which might help

JP11: our teaching/sharing should be ‘a systematic teaching of doctrine’ and have ‘integrity of content’ Catechesae Tradendae 1979

What do you want to share with other people about your own life of faith?

5 mins

What is MY vision? What do I most want to pass on?

My ‘ecclesial’ role – who / what am I speaking for?

What difference (if any) will that make to what I say?

Eichstatt 1963/4 ish (Warren, 1983, pp23-39)

Groome: 1990s

Dunning: 1990s

A useful tag: the 4 Cs: Creed, Code, Celebration, Community

4 major elements:

Bible

Church Teaching / Tradition

Witness / Experience

Celebration / Liturgy

Both OT and NT

Commentaries – informing yourself

Breaking the Word – how?

Translations - which one ?

What form? Tatty bits of paper?

Written word or visual?

Helpful alternatives e.g. imaginative prayer

Older people not used to scripture reading

Bible stories

Keeping it fresh

Using the visual - Church windows

Teaching(s) / Tradition

Doctrine: a treasure house of riches An An ‘and / and’ ‘and / and’ church (not either /or) church (not either /or)

How to access this?How to access this?

Can be found in:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

EncyclicalsCouncils of the Church Writings of the Church FathersWork of theologians And the CCRS!

The original documents are easily accessed online

Simplified versions exist e.g. the Grail publications

Books such as Bill Huebsch (1997)

Look at the index.Find an interesting topicLook it upRead what is saidPay attention to the references

underneathTo translate the sources look at the

table in the beginning When were these sources written?

My Stories Our stories – the Christian community What we do (more important than what we say -

Warren)

How we are Church

What we did: our communities What they did: our saints

Stories are the basic building blocks of religious belief

God reveals Himself through human experience but this is limited for all of us

Revelation in personal experience may be helpful but it’s dangerous to allow it to be the only source of faith

Celebrating the work of God in our lives

Social - coffee after Mass etc

ReligiousEucharisticNon-eucharistic

storytelling questioninga living community of faith traditionconversioncelebrationmission

‘Praxis’ What is your present story-experience-

praxis? What are your present vision-assumptions

behind your praxis? What is the Christian story-tradition

vision? Dialogue (reflect/share/discuss) between

your own experience and the Christian tradition

What will your future story-experience-praxis be?

Why?

How would you feel about putting it into practice?

Any additions you would make?

Balance and emphasis

Choose elements thinking about the aims of the activity

Your aims will depend on your perception of the formational needs

Where are your ‘client group’ in terms of faith formation?

How would you know?Have a look at the chart ‘Educating

disciples’ on the website

Is it wrong to judge people in terms of their level of formation?

Instruction – by an expertFacilitated discussionReflection / sharingBuzz pairsStory tellingOne to oneGroup workSilence

JP11: our teaching/sharing should be ‘a systematic teaching of doctrine’

Not selective but addresses ‘integrity of content’

‘Hierarchy of Truths’ – some things are more important than others!

Catechechesae Tradendae 1979

Is selecting certain areas of Christian truth permissible?

How can we be ‘systematic’ in our catechesis?

Isn’t that something which belongs to a classroom rather than a parish?

What are the really fundamental truths?

Which truths are most important to YOU?

Do you feel that you speak for the Church?

Do other people see you like that?

Is it intimidating to feel that you are a representative of the Church?

Does the Church acknowledge lay people as credible witnesses to the Christian life?

Who should provide this?

To whom?

When and how?

What challenges might there be?

Take one of the topics you thought about at the beginning and consider how you would devise a session for this.

Which framework would you use?

Make plan!