As we emerge into the post-pandemic world, we can begin planning for the future of faith formation in our local churches.
“Faith Formation in a Post-Pandemic World” is a webinar series for designing ministries for 2021 and beyond.
The pandemic disrupted all of life, including the ways that we have done faith formation. In the midst of the pandemic pastors and leaders have done amazingly creative work in faith formation, reaching and engaging people of all ages at home, in small groups, and online—using digital tools and methods, such as websites, digital playlists, video conferencing, streaming, online classrooms, and social media platforms. Their work was nothing short of a transformation in the how and when and where of faith formation.
Now, as we emerge into the post-pandemic world, we can begin planning for the future of faith formation in Christian churches. Leaders are asking. . . .
- How have our people been changed by the pandemic? What new needs and hungers have emerged? How can we respond to their lives in the post-pandemic world?
- How do we build on the effective approaches and tools we used during the pandemic? How do we sustain our innovations into the future?
- Where are the new opportunities for forming faith? What’s possible now?
- How do we build more resilient, responsive, and adaptive faith formation for the future?
This webinar program and accompanying resources from Lifelong Faith Associates seek to answer the question: What will faith formation look like as we emerge from the pandemic in Fall 2021 and beyond?
Features
Each webinar is 90 minutes in length with presentation, group interaction, and application activities; and conducted on Zoom.
The program includes resources created to accompany each webinar and assist churches in designing faith formation—all provided on the LifelongFaith.com website. Videos from each presentation will also be available after the presentation to share with your leaders and teams in the church.
More about webinar descriptions, dates, and presenters
Designing Hybrid Faith Formation for the Post-Pandemic World (recording available)
Monday, June 14, 2021 7:00 to 8:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Presenter: John Roberto
For decades the church and faith formation have relied on in-person, fixed-time gatherings, events, and programming offered in physical spaces. The pandemic disrupted this “default” model, and pushed us to experiment with new models. Hybrid models of church and faith formation integrate in-person gatherings at church or in family groups or small group meetings with online content with a rich menu of faith- forming experiences. Hybrid models hold together two important values: the importance of in-person relationships and faith-forming experiences, and the importance of being responsive to the complexity of people’s lives and their religious-spiritual needs. Hybrid models expand faith formation opportunities for everyone, allowing leaders to become much more strategic about when, where, how, and for what we gather people because we can now integrate online with in-person faith forming. This webinar presents a variety of models for developing a hybrid future for lifelong Christian formation in 2021 and beyond.
John Roberto is president of Lifelong Faith Associates and has spent a lifetime working in faith formation—teaching, writing, researching, and consulting. He founded Lifelong Faith Associates in 2006 to continue his work. His latest publications include Faith Formation with a New Generation, Families at the Center of Faith Formation, Seasons of Adult Faith Formation, Reimagining Faith Formation for the 21st Century, and Generations Together. His website is www.LifelongFaith.com.
Building Community and Relationships in the Post-Pandemic World
Tuesday, June 29, 2021 7:00 to 8:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Presenter: Jane Angha
The Building Community and Relationships webinar inspires and equips leaders in engaging children, youth, adults, and families as they return from a time of hybrid or at-home learning. So many things have happened since the pandemic began and each of us and our ministries are forever changed. We will address those changes, discover what was successful and help create a path forward to welcome, offer
hospitality, build relationships and create community. We will identify the scriptural and communal foundations of hospitality, assess current efforts and look for new opportunities as we reimagine our ministries and serve our congregations. The webinar will offer tools and resources to assess, innovate and design simple, effective, and practical ways to create a community of welcome, hospitality,
and engagement that brings together everyone in the community. If we get this right, all our ministry efforts will be more successful and impactful from the start!
Jane Angha MTS is the founder of Ministry Blueprints, a company dedicated to hospitality, welcome, and engagement training for faith communities. Jane served as Director of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry in Catholic parishes for over 20 years, worked as Project Coordinator for Young Neighbors in Action with the Center for Ministry Development and as a Diocesan Coordinator for Young Adult ministry in the Diocese of Green Bay. She is a national speaker, consultant, coach, teacher, and trainer as well as a national conference speaker. Her website is www.ministryblueprints.com.
Formation for Christian Living in a New World
Wednesday, July 7, 2021 7:00 to 8:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Presenter: John Roberto
People of all ages today are asking the question “How shall we live now?” The pandemic has disrupted our lives in ways that we have only begun to name. We are searching anew for meaning and purpose – now in a post-pandemic world. What are the approaches, resources, people, and wisdom we need to address the “How shall we live now?” question? One approach is to focus on formation in Christian practices. We form people in the practices of the Christian way of life by drawing upon the wisdom of the Bible and Christian tradition, and connecting the practices to the “signs of the times” – the struggles, joys, needs, and hungers of people and communities today, and equipping people with the skills and ways to live the practice in their daily life. The webinar will present the vision and tools for designs for designing Christian practices formation programs. There will be examples of curriculum approaches, program designs, and learning activities that churches can use.
Designing Children and Family Faith Formation for the Post-Pandemic World
Thursday, July 15, 2021 7:00 to 8:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Presenter: Rev. Dr. Tanya Eustace Campen
The Children’s Faith Formation webinar engages leaders in designing faith formation with children (0-10 years old) and parents that puts the primary emphasis on their lives and needs today, and how to best nurture their grow in discipleship. The webinar presents a holistic approach to faith formation with children by incorporating intergenerational, family, and age group experiences; and presents
practices and strategies for designing faith formation that reinvents current programming and develops new and innovative approaches to children’s faith-forming.
Rev. Dr. Tanya Marie Eustace Campen is an ordained deacon in the Rio Texas Conference and currently serves as Director of Intergenerational Discipleship for the Rio Texas Conference Office. She has a Masters of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and a Doctorate in Christian education and congregational studies from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. Her research focus is children’s spirituality. She has more than 20 years of experience as a Christian educator, youth director, and minister to children and families in the local church. She regularly teaches courses, webinars, and workshops for ministry leaders.
Designing Adolescent & Emerging Adult Faith Formation for the Post-Pandemic World
Tuesday, July 20, 2021 7:00 to 8:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Presenter: Rev. Michael Droege
The Adolescent & Emerging Adult Faith Formation webinar engages leaders in designing Christian formation with youth and emerging adults (high school through the 20s) that puts the primary emphasis on their lives and needs today, and how to best nurture their growth. This webinar explores the unique life tasks, needs, interests, and spiritual journeys of youth and emerging adults today; and presents practices and strategies for reinventing current programming and develops new and innovative approaches to discipleship.
Rev. Michael Droege has been in youth and family ministry for 30 years. Along with his coaching work with Vibrant Faith, Michael currently serves as Associate Pastor of Wilson Memorial Church in Watchung, NJ, as an adjunct professor at Drew Theological School (Drew University), and is a frequent workshop and conference speaker with two decades of experience training and coaching leaders.
Designing Adult Faith Formation for the Post-Pandemic World
Tuesday, July 27, 2021 7:00 to 8:30 pm (Eastern Time)
Presenter: Sister Janet Schaeffler
The Adult Faith Formation webinar presents effective practices and approaches for faith formation with each season of adulthood – young adults, midlife adults, mature adults, and older adults – and the skills to design ministries to address their unique life stages. The webinar presents strategies, programs, and activities for faith formation using online, hybrid, and gathered models of programming.
Sister Janet Schaeffler is an Adrian Dominican Sister who has worked in parish and archdiocesan ministry. She is currently ministering as an adult faith formation consultant and presenter. The author of hundreds of articles and several publications including Deepening Faith: Adult Faith Formation in the Parish (Liturgical Press, 2016). She teaches online courses through Boston College and the University of Dayton. She publishes GEMS – a monthly newsletter flowing from an ongoing international adult faith formation best practices study. Her website is www.janetschaeffler.com.
Last Updated on October 31, 2023