By Joanne Sanders

(reprinted from Today's Parish, January, 2003, with permission of the publisher and author.)

          You've formed an Adult Faith Formation Committee, researched the needs of the parish community, studied the Bishops' Pastoral Plan, Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, and begun to plan the many offerings you hope to present in your parish community during the upcoming calendar year. Wow! How can anything go wrong?
          Stop for a moment and consider the many different audiences who are there to receive your message. There are some topics that will appeal to certain age groups and others that different age groups could be encouraged to attend. For example, a workshop on end-of-life issues is not necessarily appealing to twenty or thirty-something's (unless their parents/friends are facing terminal illness). A series on Christian parenting may not draw a response from the fifty plus generation (unless they are parenting grandchildren).
          When I was growing up, I couldn't wait to be an "adult." I thought that once I reached the magic age of twenty-one I would have "arrived" and would live a fruitful life until old age and death. Now that I am in my senior years, I realize how naïve I was in my way of thinking. My faith development needs at age twenty-one, or forty-one or even sixty-one have changed greatly over the years. Life experience has challenged me to search deeper into the meaning of my relationship with God and others, my understanding of prayer, the changing approaches to Catholic social teachings, and the moral and ethical teachings that guide me in everyday life. I had very little understanding of these things in my early years of life. As I grow older, my appreciation for the richness of our Catholic tradition is affirmed as well as challenged. That would not have been possible in my life if I hadn't been invited to risk and take that step into study, dialogue, reflection, prayer and learning. The same is true for all of us.
          It is imperative that the leaders of the parish become knowledgeable of the various needs and faith expressions of each generation. The senior adult, the baby boomer, Generation X, and the millennium generations have all had unique experiences of Church and society that have shaped their relationship with God and neighbor based on their unique experiences. This, coupled with the particular expectations within each generation, their personal moral and faith development, and their gender, can make the presentation of various faith formation opportunities daunting.
          So where do we start? Consider, for example, the following formation opportunities during the liturgical seasons of Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter.
          Young families are attracted to one-time events that are family focused like a family retreat, learning experiences such as making an advent wreath or Jesse tree, or sharing holiday faith traditions with other families. During Lent, these learning experiences might focus around how forgiveness and reconciliation in families can be approached or how families can help the poor of the community.
          Young adults may be invited to a candlelight vigil with a visit to a local hospital or nursing home afterwards. This can be followed by a sharing experience back at the parish with refreshments. Other ways to bring these persons deeper into the journey of faith might include a weekend mission experience, a trip to the local food bank, or several evenings reflecting on a book on Christian spirituality, with time for prayer and sharing. Or encourage them to seek out opportunities in church or community groups to give hands-on assistance teaching computer skills to young people so that they might secure better jobs.
          Senior adults may prefer a morning memory experience exploring how they once celebrated the holiday as a child and how they celebrate it now. This discussion, coupled with a speaker presentation, may help them focus on the incarnation of Jesus. They could also be encouraged to share their wisdom with their grandchildren.
During the Lenten season, the entire parish can be invited to a soup and bread supper, followed by a prayer experience like Stations of the Cross or evening prayer, and a weekly guest speaker presentation on a particular Lenten theme to deepen their relationship with God. But generally, focusing on specific sub-groups of the parish may be more successful in the long run.
          We can also reach out to groups within the parish that have similar needs and interests. Helping them to share resources with each other can bring about a collaborative spirit of adult faith formation.
          Faith development in the adult life cycle obviously takes time. Layer by layer we mature in faith from earliest adulthood to old age. We must be patient. In every life, the pathway toward maturity in faith takes time and constant formation.

Joanne Sanders, former Director of the Office of Continuing Christian Education, Diocese of Galveston-Houston, currently an Adult Faith Formation Consultant and volunteer coordinator of parish Adult Faith Formation at St. Theresa Catholic Church, Austin, TX.