Envisioning the Future of Faith Formation

Focus

What could faith formation in Christian churches look like in 2020?

Specifically, how can Christian congregations provide vibrant faith formation to address the spiritual and religious needs of all ages and generations over the next 10 years?

Driving Forces

Driving Forces: Outside-In Thinking

Driving Forces

1. Declining number of Christians and growing number of people with no religious affiliation.

2. Increasing number of people becoming more “spiritual” and less “religious”

3. Declining participation in Christian churches

4. Increasing diversity and pluralism in U.S. society

8 Key Driving Forces

Driving Forces

5. Increasing influence of individualism on Christian identity and community life

6. Changing patterns of marriage and family life

7. Declining family religious socialization

8. Increasing use of digital age & web technologies

8 Key Driving Forces

Four Scenarios

4 Scenarios

1. Will trends in U.S. culture lead people to become more receptive to organized religion, and in particular Christianity or will trends lead people to become more resistant to organized religion and Christianity?

2. Will people’s hunger for and openness to God and the spiritual life increase over the next decade or will people’s hunger for and openness to God and the spiritual life decrease.

Two Critical Uncertainties

Faith Formation 2020 Matrix

Dominant Cultural Attitude toward Organized Religion

Receptive

Low High People’s Hunger for God and the Spiritual Life

Resistant

4 Scenarios for the Future

Scenario 4 Uncommitt

ed & Participati

ng

Scenario 1 Vibrant Faith & Active

Engagement

Scenario 3 Unaffiliate

d & Uninterest

ed

Scenario 2 Spiritual but Not

Religious

4 Scenarios

Receptive to Scenario #4Uncommitted but Participating

Organized Religion Scenario #1 Vibrant Faith and Active Engagement

Low Hunger

Scenario #3Unaffiliated and Uninterested

Resistant to

for God High

Scenario #2 Spiritual but Not Religious

Organized Religion

Strategies Scenario 1

Targeting generations iGeneration Millennials Gen X Baby Boomers

Targeting young families Empowering the community to

share their faith Online & digital faith formation

Family Socialization: Begin faith formation early in life – at Baptism and focusing on early childhood. family faith formation at

home – family faith practices

parent formation parent support system /

mentoring resources for the first 5-6

years of life milestone faith formation

Family Faith Formation

Empowering the Community to Share

their Faith

Strategies Scenario 4

Family faith formation, especially families with children

Milestones faith formation Pathways to vibrant faith and

active engagement Faith formation in Christian

practices Online & digital faith formation

Birth / Baptism & Anniversaries of Baptism

Welcoming Young Children to Worship Starting Faith Formation at Church Starting School Kids and Money Blessing of Backpacks First Communion Receiving a first Bible Confirmation Graduation (HS, College) A New Home / Apartment Career / First Job Engagement Wedding Retirement or AARP Card Adult Transitions Death / Funeral

Milestones Faith Formation

Our Lady of Soledad Catholic Parish

Mini-Retreat 101: “Catholics Alive!” “What does it mean to be a follower of Christ?”

Mini-Retreat 201: “Alive and Growing Spiritually!” maturing in the Catholic faith

Mini-Retreat 301: “Alive and Gifted!” discerning how to serve God in ministry

Mini-Retreat 401: “Alive in the World!” living as witnesses for Christ, as contagious

Catholic Christians Mini-Retreat 501: “Alive to Praise God!”

Catholic worship and the sacraments

Pathways to Vibrant Faith & Active Engagement

Strategies Scenario 2

Targeting the Millennial Generation Milestones faith formation Faith formation in Third Place

settings Targeting spiritual seekers Apprenticeships in discipleship Spiritual formation Faith formation in Christian

practices Online & digital faith formation

Apprenticeship Processes

Apprenticeships in Discipleship

Strategies Scenario 3

Faith formation in Third Place settings

Community-based ministry sponsored by congregation(s):

Family center / early childhood center

Service & mission projects Drama and Art Music

Online & digital faith formation

The Wesley Playhouse

Lifelong Faith Formation Network

Lifelong Faith Formation Network

Shifting from. . .

“One Size Fits All” Curriculum & Programming

to Personalized & Customized Faith

Formation focusing on addressing people’s spiritual and religious growth by offering a wide

variety of religious content and experiences

“Differentiated Faith Formation”

Lifelong Faith Formation Network

ConceptA Lifelong Faith Formation Network that addresses the diverse life tasks and situations, spiritual and religious needs, and interests of all ages and generations in the four scenarios by offering a variety of content, programs, activities, and resources.

Lifelong Faith Formation Network

Move from a curriculum approach to a network approach

Provide 24 x 7 x 365 faith formation for all ages and generations—anytime & anywhere

Integrate faith formation in physical settings—church, home, community—with virtual (online) faith formation—websites, learning programs, resource centers

Incorporate communities of practice to connect individuals and groups throughout the congregation.

Lifelong Faith Formation Network

PHYSICAL SETTINGSInteractive

Transformative Experiences

Lifelong Faith Formation Network

Activity

Activity

Activity

• Face-to-Face• Virtual

1. On Your Own2. At Home3. In Small Group4. In Large Group5. In Church6. In Community

& World

Spiritual & Religious

Needs

Topics or Themes

Faith Formation Curator

Faith Formation Curator

Shifting from providing religious content and programming to curating religious content and experiences for all ages

A content curator is someone who continually finds, groups, organizes, and shares the best and most relevant content on a specific subject to match the needs of a specific audience.

The Process of Curation

Research

Aggregate & Evaluate

Deliver

Communicate &

Connect

Lifelong Faith Resources

www.faithformation2020.net

www.FaithFormationLearningExchange.net

www.LifelongFaith.com

Envisioning the Future of Faith Formation