course 1 presentation #2 (march 2016)

+

A Faith Forming Congregational Culture

for the 21st CenturyVibrant Faith University - Course #1

+New Ways of Thinking

Systemic: A New Faith Forming Ecosystem

Holistic Lifelong Faith Growth Network Approach to Learning &

Faith Formation Online & Digitally Enabled

+A New Faith Forming Ecosystem

Intergenerational Faith Community

Age Group/Generatio

nal Faith Formation

Family Faith Formation

Missional Faith Formation

Online & Digitally-Enabled Faith Formation

+

GROWTH IN FAITH

Caring Relationships

Rituals & Milestones

Church Year Seasons

Learning the Tradition

PrayingSpiritual

FormationReading the

Bible

Serving Working for

Justice Caring for Creation

Worshipping

Holistic Faith Formation

+

Presentation #2: Faith Formation Networks

Presenter: John Roberto

+

Part 1Faith Formation in a Networked, Connected World

+

1. Internet Revolution2. Mobile Revolution3. Social Media Revolution

Information is now. . . Portable Personal Participatory

The Triple Revolution

+ Resources for Design

Websitewww.ReimageFaithFormation.com

BookChapter 3

A shift from education to learning anywhere, anytime.A shift from consumption of information to participatory learning.

A shift from institutions to networks.

+ A Network Approach to Learning

Bible

Course

Online course

Bible study group

Book

Video Program

Audio book/podcast

Mentor

Bible app

Organize a study group

+ Faith Formation NetworksWhat if we reimagined faith formation as a network of relationships, content, experiences, and resources?

. . . . Offering a wide variety of engaging and interactive content and experiences in online and physical settings.

. . . . Offering content and experiences to respond to the diverse religious and spiritual needs of adults today—from the spiritually committed and engaged to the spiritual but not religious and the unaffiliated.

. . . . Enabling congregations to become centers for learning and faith growth

+ Faith Formation Networks

Variety of content, methods, formats, and delivery systems to address the diverse life tasks and situations, needs and interests, and spiritual and faith journeys of adults in four seasons of adulthood.

Multiple environments to address people’s busy lives and provide more ways to participate: self-directed, mentored, at home, in small groups, in large groups, church-wide, in the community, and in the world

+ Faith Formation Networks

Digitally-Enabled Blending gathered community settings with online learning environments and utilizing the abundance of digital media and tools for learning and faith formation

+

GROWTH IN FAITH



Church Year Seasons


PrayingSpiritual

FormationReading the

Bible

Serving Working for

Justice Caring for Creation

Worshipping

Faith Forming Processes

+ Faith Formation Networks1. Caring Relationships2. Celebrating the Seasons3. Celebrating Rituals &

Milestones4. Learning the Christian

Tradition5. Praying & Spiritual

Formation6. Reading the Bible7. Serving, Working for

Justice, & Caring for Creation

8. Worshipping God9. Life Stage Issues10. Missional

Faith Communi

ty

Content

Area Content

Area

Content

AreaContent

Area

Content

Area

Content

Area

+

Adult Faith

Formation Network

Sunday Worship

Liturgical Seasons

Scripture Enrichment

Spiritual Enrichment

Faith Enrichment

Service & Mission

Life Issues & Milestones

Grand-parents

Discovering Faith

+Sample Themes –Adults

1. Dealing with retirement2. Making life plans, finances, health 3. Becoming a grandparent4. Making a difference in the community and world5. Incorporating family changes and transitions6. New ways of living and relating as a married couple7. Caring for aging parents8. Taking time to read the Bible and learn more about my faith 9. Growing spiritually and exploring spirituality for the 2nd half of life10. Connecting with people my age; talking about things that matter to

us11. Dealing with loss

+Adult Faith Formation Website

+

Content Area

Activity 1Resource

Resource

Activity 2Resource

Resource

Activity 3Resource

Resource

Programming on the NetworkFaith Formation Playlists

+ Faith Formation PlaylistsVariety of Environments: Self-directed, mentored, at home, in small groups, in large groups, church-wide, in the community, and in the world.

Variety of Ways to Learn

+ Faith Formation Playlists

Digitally-Enabled

+


Online Courses Resource

Apps & E-newsletters Resource

Online Prayer & Spirituality Resources

Small Group Bible Study Resources

Retreats Resource

Day at the Monastery Resource

Spiritual Book of the

MonthResource

Spiritual Practices

SeriesResource

Faith Formation Playlists

+ Adult Faith Formation Playlists

Playlists are thematic learning plans that integrate a variety of ways to learn, multiple learning environments, and online and physical spaces—from which people can create their own faith formation plan.

Example: Spiritual Enrichment for AdultsTheme: “Spiritual Practices”

1. Spiritual Practices Course (5 sessions at church)2. Spirituality Over 50 Book Group (variety of times & places)3. Online Daily Devotion Resources4. Online Prayer Practices Resources 5. Online Course or Retreat with a Spiritual Master 6. Online Retreat

Family Faith Formation Network

Sunday Worship @ Home Seasons

of the Year

Praying & Growing Spirituall

y

Reading the Bible

Learning the Faith

Celebrating Rituals &

Milestones

Serving

Growing as a

Family

For Parents

Children’s Programs

+ Family Faith Formation Website

+ Family Faith Formation Playlists

Playlists are thematic learning plans that integrate a variety of ways to learn, multiple learning environments, and online and physical spaces—from which people can create their own plan.

Example: Just for ParentsThe "Just for Parents" programming offers a variety of ways for you to enhance and enrich your knowledge and skills: 1. "First Wednesdays" Webinar Series - without leaving your

home!2. Learn More About Your Children 3. Book Groups: The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler4. Online Video: "Parenting for the Long Haul"

+ Three Seasons of Programming

Fall Season: Sept 1 – Jan 1

Winter/Spring Season: Jan 1 – May 1

Summer Season: May 1 – Sept 1

FallWinter-SpringSummer

+ Online & Digitally Enabled Strategies

+Gathered using Online Content

A gathered program using online content from websites, videos from YouTube or other video sites, and blogs and other social media. With an abundance of high quality digital content, this first option is the easiest way to bring the digital world into a gathered program.

+Gathered with Online Content

Connecting church programs or events with online content that extends and deepens the experience through learning, prayer, ritual, action, etc. Sunday worship & church year feasts and seasons Intergenerational & family programs Children, youth, and adult classes & programs Extended programs: mission trips, retreat

experiences, and vacation Bible school, summer camp

+

Church Event or Program

At Home & Daily Life

Gathered with Online Content

+Gathered with Online Content

Event or Progra

m

TALKConversation Activities

LEARNReadListenWatch

ACTPracticesServiceProjects

PRAYDevotions

Bible Reading

Daily Prayer

SHARE Blog

FacebookVideo

Projects

+Example: Sunday Worship

Church Life Daily & Home Life Online LifeExperience of Worship in the Congregation• Sunday worship

and lectionary• Church year

feasts and seasons

• Church rituals: baptism, communion, funerals, etc.

Experience of Sunday worship, rituals, and church year seasons in daily life • Reflecting on the

sermon and readings at home

• Practices: Lectio, etc.

• Application to daily living

Online worship, church year, and lectionary resources on the church’s faith formation website• Lectionary

commentaries online

• Video reflections and commentary

• Online activities and projects

+Sunday Worship

Tri-Saints Lutheran Church, NE

+Preschool Faith Formation @ Home

First ChurchSimsbury, CT

+Online and Gathered

“Flip the classroom or program” by creating a digital platform to provide the content that people would learn in the gathered setting in an online learning space using print, audio, video, and more. And then transform the gathered program using interactive activities, discussion, project-based learning, and practice and demonstration.

Flip children’s programming: At home learning with parents (print, video, online); in-class application with activities, project-centered learning

Flip confirmation programming Develop a online justice and service center

+Online and Gathered

+Mostly OnlineUtilizing the digital platform as the primary learning setting and providing opportunities for interaction in gathered settings. Parent webinar programs delivered to parents at home in

four-month semesters: three webinars + a parent gathering; three more webinars + a parent gathering.

Online learning resources for self-study or small group study, and gathering at the conclusion to share their insights.

Online Bible study where groups can meet regularly in a physical setting or virtually through Skype or a Google+ Hangout.

Selected online courses and activities from colleges, seminaries, and religious organization for individualized learning with the option for a mentor or small group gathering.

+Fully Online

The rise of high quality and easily accessible online religious content—courses, activities, print and e-books, audio and video programs, and content-rich websites—has made designing online faith formation feasible. Online Bible and theology courses, video programs,

webinars for individual study Online prayer and spirituality center where people can

access daily prayer reflections and devotions, offer prayer intentions, pray for others, learn about spiritual practices, download prayer activities for the home

Online parent resource center Online retreat experience

+Example: 40-Day Lent Curriculum

Church Life Daily & Home Life Online Life• Ash Wednesday• Lenten Sunday

liturgies• Stations of the

Cross• Lenten prayer • Lenten retreat• Lenten service• Lenten soup

suppers

• Fasting• Praying• Service/

Almsgiving• Lectionary

reflection• Family activities

• Lenten learning resources

• Lenten calendar

• Daily Lenten prayer

• Weekly table prayer

• Video resources

• Online retreat experience

+FacebookDevotion

St Mark LutheranNE

+Online CoursesN.T. Wright Online – Bible Courses

Church Next Online Adult Faith Formation

+

Part 2Designing Faith Formation Networks

+Resources for Design

Websitewww.ReimageFaithFormation.com

BookChapter 4

+Network Design Process(2016 Update)Task 1. Research the Target Audience(s) & Identify NeedsTask 2. Build the Faith Formation Network DesignTask 3. Generate Programming Ideas for the NetworkTask 4. Plan a Network Season of Programming

Add current programming and events Redesign current programming by using a digital strategy Design faith formation playlists Optional: Design a process for personalizing learning

Task 5. Build the Digital PlatformTask 6. Test the Seasonal Plan with the Target AudienceTask 7. Launch the Seasonal Faith Formation Network Task 8. Evaluate the Season of Programming Task 9. Design the New Season of Programming

+Step 1. Research (Using the “Research Guide”)

Tasks1. Gather demographic information about the congregation

and its surrounding community. 2. Observe the people in the wider community. 3. Interview selected church leaders.4. Conduct two or more focus groups of people in your

target audience(s).5. Produce a summary report of the 1) observations, 2)

interviews, and 3) focus groups.6. Identify the most important needs of the target

audience(s) to be addressed.

+Step 1. Research

Audiences • Children & Families• Teens & Families• Emerging Adults: 20s-30s• Young Adults: 30s-40s• Mid-Life Adults: 40s-mid 50s• Mature Adults: mid 50s-70s • Older Adults: 75+• Families• All Ages/Multigenerational

Research Topics1. Life Stage Issues2. Generational Issues3. Milestones & Life

Transitions4. Ethnic & Cultural

Needs5. Spiritual & Religious

Needs

+Step 1. Research

1. Compile the responses for each question from all of the interviews.

2. Review the responses for each question to identify related themes. Group these items together by giving identical or similar items the same number beginning with #1. The #1 item should have the most responses, the #2 item the second most responses, and so on.

3. Name in one phrase or sentence each of the most mentioned responses—themes. Develop a summary report for each question that includes only the top priority themes.

+Empathy Map

SAYWhat do you hear your target group

saying?

DOWhat actions and behaviors do you

notice in your target group?

THINKWhat might your target group be thinking? What

does this tell you about their

beliefs/convictions?

FEELWhat emotions

might your target group be feeling?

+Step 1. Research

Produce summary reports: Compile one report of the major insights from your

community observations. Compile one report of your interview findings—

identifying the major themes for each interview question.

Compile one report of your focus group findings—identifying the major themes for each focus group question.

+Compiling the Themes

Observation Interviews Focus Groups

+Sample Themes – Mature Adults

1. Dealing with retirement2. Making life plans, finances, health 3. Becoming a grandparent4. Making a difference in the community and world5. Incorporating family changes and transitions6. New ways of living and relating as a married couple7. Caring for aging parents8. Taking time to read the Bible and learn more about my faith 9. Growing spiritually and exploring spirituality for the 2nd half

of life10. Connecting with people my age; talking about things that

matter to us11. Dealing with loss

+Step 2. Design Network Themes1. Caring Relationships2. Celebrating the Seasons3. Celebrating Rituals &

Milestones4. Learning the Christian

Tradition5. Praying & Spiritual

Formation6. Reading the Bible7. Serving, Working for Justice,

& Caring for Creation8. Worshipping God9. Missional10. Life Stage Issues

Faith Communi

ty

Content

Area Content

Area

Content

AreaContent

Area

Content

Area

Content

Area

+

Adult Faith Formation Network

Sunday Worship

Liturgical Seasons

Scripture Enrichment


Faith Enrichment

Service & Mission

Life Issues &

Milestones

Grand-parents

Discovering Faith

+

Family Faith

Formation Network

Sunday Worship @ Home Seasons

of the Year

Praying & Growing Spirituall

y

Reading the Bible

Learning the Faith

Celebrating Rituals &

Milestones

Serving

Growing as a

Family

For Parents

Children’s Programs

+

Adolescent Faith

Formation Network

Youth Programs

Confirmation

Adolescent Life Issues

Bible Study & Religious

Learning

Prayer & Spiritual

FormationService & Mission

Trips

Youth Leadership

For Parents

Family Life

Missional Outreach

+Step 3. Generate Programming IdeasPart 1

1. Correlate the most important needs from the research into the appropriate content areas of the network. Some of the important needs will be included in multiple content areas.

2. Add the faith formation programs that will continue to be offered for the target audience into the appropriate content areas of the network. Some may be listed more than once.

3. Add events, ministries, and programs from the intergenerational faith community into the appropriate content areas of the network. Some may be listed more than once.

+

Content Areas Needs Current Programs

Intergenerational Events


Church Year Seasons


Prayer/Spiritual Form.

Reading the Bible


Service, Justice, Creation

Worship

Life Stage Issues

Missional

Additional Area

Profile Form - Part 1

+Generate Programming Ideas

Part 2 – New Programming

1. What new programming do we need to address the needs that surfaced in the research?

2. What would our target audience like to see the church offer them through faith formation?

3. How can we address the audience’s needs through age-specific programming?

4. How can we address the audience’s needs through intergenerational and/or family programming?

5. How can we develop missional outreach programming and strategies with this target audience?

+Generate Programming Ideas

6. How can we utilize multiple environments: self-directed, mentored, at home, in small groups, in large groups, church-wide, in the community, and in the world?

7. How can we utilize digitally-enabled strategies?

+Idea Generating

How Might We. . . . Brainstorm responses to the question: “How Might We Address this Need?” Go for quantity, not quality at this point. Post all of the ideas on sheets of easel paper. Cluster similar HMW statements. What If. . . . List as many “What If” statements as you can on Post-it notes – one idea per note. After several minutes, ask people to place their notes on a sheet of easel paper. Then cluster similar ideas together. A sense of priority is often revealed as one or more of the clusters claim the energy and interest of the group.

+

Content Areas Needs Current Programs

Inter-generational

New Ideas


Church Year Seasons


Prayer/Spiritual Form.

Reading the Bible


Service, Justice, Creation

Worship

Life Stage Issues

Missional

Additional Area

Profile Form – Part 2 Programming Possibilities

+Step 4. Plan a Network Season

Fall Season: September 1 – January 1

Winter/Spring Season: January 1 – May 1

Summer Season: May 1 – September 1

FallWinter-SpringSummer

+Design a Network Season

Using your Network Design (and content areas): 1. Add currently scheduled programming for this season (age

group, family, and/or intergenerational) in the appropriate Network content areas and month(s).

2. Use digitally-enabled strategies to redesign current programming (extending programs with online content, offering online-only programs, etc.)

3. Select new programming ideas for this season from the ideas generated in Step 3. Where appropriate, schedule the programming (e.g., a monthly focus).

4. Develop playlists of content, programs, and experiences. 5. Develop the final version of the seasonal plan and design

the seasonal faith formation website.

+Develop a Seasonal Plan & CalendarContent Area

(examples)Programming & Dates

Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4Scripture EnrichmentFaith EnrichmentSpiritual EnrichmentService & MissionLife Issues

+Design Playlists of Programming

Playlists are thematic learning plans that integrate a variety of ways to learn, multiple learning environments, and online and physical spaces—from which people can create their own faith formation plan.

Example: Spiritual Enrichment for AdultsTheme: “Spiritual Practices”

1. Spiritual Practices Course (5 sessions at church in one month)2. Spirituality Over 50 Book Group (variety of times & places)3. Online Daily Devotion Resources4. Online Prayer Practices Resources 5. Online Course or Retreat with a Spiritual Master 6. Online RetreatWebsite: http://holytrinityadults.weebly.com

+Faith Formation Playlists

1. Variety of Environments: Self-directed, mentored, at home, in small groups, in large groups, church-wide, in the community, and in the world.

2. Variety of Ways to Learn

+Faith Formation Playlists

3. Digitally-Enabled: Blending gathered community settings with online learning environments and utilizing the abundance of digital media and tools for learning and faith formation

+

Theme or Content

Area

Activity 1Resource

Resource

Activity 2Resource

Resource

Activity 3Resource

Resource

Developing a Playlist

+Personalized Faith Formation(Optional)

Discerning Learning Needs

Working with a Mentor/Guide

Finding Resources on the Network

Engaging in Formation in a

Variety of Learning Environments

Sharing Learning with Others

Reflecting on Growth &

Identifying New Needs

+Personalized Faith Formation(Optional)

Personalized pathways for discipleship & faith growth. . . . Guide people in discerning their religious and

spiritual needs. Equip people with the resources and tools to

learn and grow at their own pace. Provide mentoring and support for the journey.

+Assessment Tool

+Personalized Plan

+Step 5. Build a Digital Platform

Other Platformswww.wordpress.org www.wix.com www.squarespace.com

+Build a Digital Platform

1. Choose a domain name.2. Select a website template that is “mobile”

responsive.3. Create the primary navigation system (main

menu) from the network content areas.4. Build each webpage to incorporate all

programs, activities, and resources for each content area.

5. Design the webpage for your target audience—write the website content to your audience.

+Things to Remember…1. Don’t make the user think—make web pages self-

explanatory so the user hardly has any perceived effort to understand them, for example, clear choice of labels, clearly “clickable” items, simple search.

2. People generally don’t read web pages closely; they scan, so design for scanning rather than reading.

3. Create a clear visual hierarchy and menu system (main menu, submenus).

4. Make it very clear how to navigate the site, with clear “signposts” on all pages.

5. Omit needless words.6. The home page needs the greatest design care to

convey site identity and mission.7. Promote user goodwill by making the typical tasks easy

to do, make it easy to recover from errors, and avoid anything likely to irritate users.

+Step 7. Test the Plan & Website1. Let your user experience the network online. Show don’t tell. Let

them review the website and the programming. Just the minimum context so they understand what to do. (Have computers or tablets available for people to use or ask them to bring a device.)

2. Have them talk through their experience, e.g., “Tell me what you are thinking as you are doing this.”

3. Actively observe. Watch how they use (and misuse!) the website. Don’t immediately “correct” what your user is doing.

4. Follow up with questions, such as: “Show me why this would (or would not) work for you.” “Can you tell me more about how this made you feel?” “Why? “ “Do you find things that interest you and connect with your life?” “Are there things you would have liked to see?”

+Step 8. Launch the Network

Be sure to pay careful attention to the titles and descriptions so that they capture people’s interests. Develop descriptions that are positive in tone, indicate clearly the content or focus of an activity. 1. Describe how your offerings respond to something within the

lives of people. Highlight the relationship between the content and the particular spiritual or religious needs, interests, passions, concerns, or life issues of people.

2. Describe the 2-3 benefits of participating or engaging in faith formation.

3. Explain to people how to use the Network and how to access the activities and resources.

+Promotion Ideas

1. Connect to (or extend from) a gathered event.2. Use personalized invitations. 3. Establish a Facebook page for faith formation for

announcements, updates, stories and photos from people engaged in faith formation, etc.

4. Use Twitter to announce updates, events, and invite reflections from people on their experiences.

5. Send email or e-newsletters to targeted groups (use a service like Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, Flocknote).

6. Provide ways to share experiences using blogs, Twitter, Facebook: videos, reports, photos, etc.

+Connect to Social Networks

Our social network is made up of all the people we’re connected to, all the people they are connected to, all the people they are connected to, and so on.

You

Your Friends

Your Friends’ Friends


Your Friends’ Friend’s Friends



Your Friends



+Step 9. Evaluate Program

ming

+

Part 3Curating Faith Formation Content, Programming, & Experiences

+Resources for Curating

Websitewww.ReimageFaithFormation.com Chapter 5

+Emerging Roles

Developing religious content

Designing programming

Managing programming

Teaching/Facilitating programming

Designing learning environments—architecture

Curating religious content and experiences

Current Roles Emerging Roles

+What is Content Curation(Beth Kanter)Content curation is the process of sorting through the vast amounts of content on the web and presenting it in a meaningful and organized way around a specific theme. The work involves sifting, sorting, arranging, and publishing

information. A content curator picks the best content that is important and

relevant to share with their community. It isn’t unlike what a museum curator does to produce an

exhibition: They identify the theme, they provide the context, they decide which paintings to hang on the wall, how they should be annotated, and how they should be displayed for the public.

+Faith Formation Curators

A Faith Formation Curator is a trusted guide who continually finds, groups, organizes, evaluates, and connects the best and most relevant content and experiences on a specific topic to match the needs of a specific audience.

+Why Curation?

1. The increasing diversity of the religious and spiritual needs and practices of people today require personalized and customized content and experiences

2. An overwhelming abundance of high quality faith formation resources: print, audio, video, programs and activities, apps, e-books, websites, and more

3. The rise of online providers of religious content and experiences—“open repositories” of freely accessible faith formation and learning content hubs

+Why Curation?

4. There is a growing demand for trusted guidance in finding and selecting quality religious content and experiences. People are looking for trusted guides to help them select quality faith formation experiences and curated learning paths and resources to explore and learn more deeply on a specific topic.

5. The tools are now available for finding and accessing the content, storing it (websites), delivering it to people 24x7x365 (computers, iPhones, iPads, etc.), and communicating & connecting people to the content (Facebook, Twitter, email, text, etc.).

+Curating Religious Content

Research & Organize

Resources

Identify Potential

Resources for Programming

Evaluate Resources

Select & Connect

Resources to programming

+Build a Curation Support System1. Develop trusted expert curators to assist.

2. Develop a list of high quality online resource centers.

3. Subscribe to faith formation blogs and newsletters.

+

BlogsNewsletters Websites

Denominations Curated Websites Religious

Organizations

6-8 “Expert” Resource People

Developing Trusted Sources

+Curation Resource Centers

+Curation Blogs

+Curate with ReadKit - Mac & iOS

+Curate with G2Reader - PC & Android

+Curate with Feedly

+Curate with Social Bookmarking

+Research Checklist

1. People: teachers, mentors/guides, guest presenters2. Community programs: churches, agencies, organizations, 3. Educational institutions: colleges, seminaries4. Retreat and spiritual life centers, monasteries 5. Denominational programs, events, websites 6. Museums 7. Books (with study guides) & E-books8. Apps9. Audio podcasts & audio learning programs10. Videos & video learning programs11. Online courses & online activities 12. Television shows13. Organizational websites14. Resource center websites

+Evaluation Criteria

Biblical content and interpretation Theological content and emphasis Developmental appropriateness Ethnic-Cultural appropriateness Inclusive of diversity Respect for diverse ways of learning Appearance and visual appeal Ease-of-Use Quality of Experience Applicable: Able to be incorporated into daily and home life

+Curating Religious Content

Research & Organize

Resources

Identify Potential

Resources for Programming

Evaluate Resources

Select & Connect

Resources to programming