Family Topic 3. Developing A Family Catechesis Plan

This lesson guides you in designing a family faith formation. Each step of the process is included in Part 3 of the Guide to Designing Catechesis with Families.

Reading

• Guide to Designing Catechesis (Part 3)
• Chapter 3. "Catechesis with Families" in Guided by the Directory for Catechesis

1. Developing Ideas for Family & Parent Faith Formation

1. Use the Framework for Developing a Family Faith Formation worksheet to create your parish plan for family faith formation. (One-page worksheet attached as a download)
2. Begin by adding existing programs and activities that the parish is offering into the appropriate category on the Framework.
3. Plan for all styles of parent and family faith and practice by developing ideas that address Active Believers (who have a vibrant faith and are engaged in the parish); Believers (who participate occasionally in a parish community); Inactive Believers (who are not involved in a parish, but may value and live a spiritual life); and Inactive Nonbelievers.
4. Begin with one stage of life and generate new ideas (age-appropriate faith forming programs, activities, strategies, and resources) for parent and family faith formation in the first two decades of life – young children, grade school children, young adolescents, and older adolescents. Some ideas may apply to multiple life stages. Generate as many ideas and strategies as possible. Assume you have the resources you need for any idea (money, staff, facility, etc.). Don’t place limits on your creativity.
5. Use one newsprint sheet for each of the four life stages. Use the six categories of the “Framework for Developing a Family Faith Formation Plan.” 
6. Use the same process for the next three life stages.
7. After you have finished generating ideas for the four life stages, review the ideas for each stage and connect similar ideas. Then create a final list of all the ideas you have generated for each stage of life.

Step 2. Select Ideas to Create a Family Faith Formation Plan

Make choices about how you want to design and implement in the Framework. For example, you can use one or more of these strategies to begin design work:

• Select the life stage of greatest need. Recall Activity #4 from Course 1 where you developed a profile of lifelong faith formation and identified areas for growth.
• Focus on one life stage with multiple activities and programs across all six categories.
• Combine two life stages (children or adolescents) and identify ideas that apply to all families with children or all families with adolescents.
• Select one or two of the six elements of the Framework (e.g., forming faith at home or parent education and formation) and develop ideas for all four life stages.
• Identify a major program, such as implementing a family catechesis program, as a focus for your plan. Integrate other elements, such as parent formation and forming faith at home, into the family catechesis plan.

Develop your plan in a three-year timeframe by designing and implementing new ideas based on your readiness and capacity.

• Short-Term Planning: ideas that can be integrated into existing plans and programs or can be designed and implemented quickly in the first year. This would be especially true for initiatives that are enhancements or an expansion of a current program or activity.
• Mid-Term Planning: ideas that need more design time and that can be implemented within one or two years. These initiatives need to be sequenced for implementation and might involve piloting the new program or activity first before expanding to a wider audience.
• Long-Term Planning: ideas that need design time, piloting and testing, and then implementation over the several years. These initiatives are long term projects that require more time for planning and building capacity, and need to be introduced in stages over multiple years.

Step 3. Design Programs, Activities, Strategies, and Resources

Identify the Target Audience. Who are you designing for? What are their needs, interests, concerns, life issues, etc.?

Define the Goals (or Outcomes). What will parents or the entire family understand and be able to do by participating or experiencing this program or activity? Try to connect your goals to the faith maturing goals you developed in Course #2.

Develop the Content or Theme. What will be the content of the program, activity, strategy, and/or resource? Will you be able to curate existing resources in print, audio, video, and online/digital formats? Will you need to create the program, activity, strategy, or resource?

Choose the Format(s). Use one or more formats to offer the program/activity/strategy/resource. You can offer one experience in multiple formats, expanding opportunities to engage people. Here are 9 formats that can be used alone or in combination with each other: 1) on your own learning, 2) mentoring, 3) at home learning, 4) small group learning, 5) large group learning, 6) community-based learning, 7) online-only learning, 8) hybrid learning (in-person and online), and 9) one program designed in multiple formats. 

Schedule the Programs and Activities. What is the timeline for implementing the program/activity/ strategy/resource? When will the program (or activity) be offered - dates, times? When will the activity or strategy be implemented - dates, times?

Find Leaders. How many leaders will you need and what will they do? How will you find and invite leaders? How will you prepare leaders for their work?  

Identify the Need for Additional Resources and Costs. What additional resources are needed to implement the program/activity/strategy/resource? What is the cost to design and implement the program/activity/strategy/resource?

Promote the Program/Activity/Strategy/Resource. How will you promote and launch the program/activity/strategy/resource? How will you promote this on the parish website and social media. How will use existing communication channels, such as the bulletin, email, and texting? Will you create printed or digital material (brochure, poster, flyer, etc.)? Will you need a registration or sign-up system?

Evaluate the Program/Activity/Strategy/Resource. Determine how and when you will receive feedback from people on the program/activity/ strategy/resource?