Adult Formation Tips

- Catholic Formation
Contact Us
- Peggy Schoenfuss
  
  Superintendent of Catholic Schools
  
  715-234-5044 ext. 4405
  pschoenfusscatholicdos.org

Factors Impacting Adult Formation
1. Move from one-size-fits-all to personalized and customized
2. Need to have a vision for adult faith formation and share it
3. See the “big picture” of TOTAL formation
4. Transform thinking that learning only happens one way but rather happens everywhere
5. All efforts must be intentional
6. Need to have right leaders in place
7. People need to feel connected
8. Need good liturgy experiences to boost adults
9. Intergenerational experiences are necessary
10. Formation of young couples and singles needs to be intentional and diverse
11. Need to include the home/family
Characteristics of Adult Learners
1. More focused on informal and incidental learning (learn through experience)
2. Interested in feelings, values, ethics and cultural awareness rather than just “knowing”
3. They have specific needs
4. Expectations differ across generations
5. Growing use of technology (almost 70% of those under age 65 use technology)
6. Onus of obtaining knowledge is on the learner not the teacher
7. More focused on the context of the learning
8. Either engaged, not engaged or actively disengaged
9. Need to be spiritually fed and need to feel and see results
How does a Parish organize Adult Formation?
1. form a task force (staff and adults over generations)
2. prepare goals, mission, vision of adult formation
3. inventory current adult offerings
4. research life issues and learning needs of adults in the parish (surveys, focus groups)
5. research resources available to address life issues and needs
6. develop a plan (timeframe, activities, leadership, assess, marketing)
(Worksheets available in Lifelong Faith: Adult Faith Formation Journal by lifelongfaith.com

Network Model of Adult Formation
- Offer a variety of content topics and learning activities
  
  vary content, expectations, depth, involvement and timing
  
  offer “personalized” journeys of faith, don’t concentrate on reaching a mass audience ask the adults what their needs are in the areas of: Life Issues; Life Tasks; Milestones and Transitions; Religious Needs; Spiritual Needs; Ethnic/Cultural Needs
- Adults are motivated to learn as they experience needs and interests. Motivating factors occur: when facing life transitions (raising kids, aging parents, financial matters, divorce, job changes, etc.); when there is a gap between current understanding, skill etc. and the desired understanding, skill, etc.; when there is personal benefit; when they identify a need to learn; when the experiences are enjoyable and enriching; when they have opportunity to do something they could not do before; when the setting is natural, interactive and communal (treated & seated as adults); when offerings are sensitive to their time constraints (short and choices)
- Adults process with formal and informal, intentional and unexpected learning. (Informal learning accounts for over 70% of adult learning)
- There are a variety of learning models – including physical and virtual (example: use face-to-face learning activity then virtual spaces to extend, deepen and support the learner or get people involved in virtual programs which then lead them to participation in face-to-face activities)
  
  Learning on own - readings, online courses, audio/video programs, movies, television
  
  Small groups - bible and
  
  theology study groups, social issues study groups, faith sharing groups, lectionary-based groups, service/mission action groups, support groups, special interest groups
  
  Large groups - courses, speaker series, workshops, film festivals, retreats, conferences, intergenerational programs in the Parish
  
  Liturgy, church year events, service/mission activities, ministry and leadership in the church
  
  in the community and world - programs/courses/ workshops at universities, retreat centers and libraries, engagement I community action, local and global service/justice organizations and projects.