San Luis
First Saturday
at 10:00

Holy Cross
Saturdays and Sundays
before & after
Mass

Pastoral Institute
Echoes of Faith 3.0 is available for all Parish Catechetical Leaders and Catechists in the Diocese of Victoria, as part of their catechist formation. To register for a free one-year subscription go to www.victoriadiocese.org or call the Chancery Office for more information.

What is faith formation?

We define faith formation as every action, experience, or relationship that nurtures a transformative relationship of trust with God and shapes the way we see and interact with God’s world. Faith formation is the very mission of God’s church, to equip followers of Jesus Christ so that they may be sent out into the world to spread God’s kingdom. Basically, faith formation is the process by which our faith grows, and our lives are shaped by God’s love.
 

How do you make faith formation effective?

Faith formation is effective when the actions, experiences, and relationships encouraged by your congregation reaches the most people with the biggest impact. It’s not about numbers though. Faith formation is about lives transformed by the love of God. There is no precise formula or ten-step process that will make your faith formation efforts effective. There is no magic (or miraculous) curriculum or resource that will do it. The details change with the specific context; however, the general principles apply everywhere.

1. Teach disciples the story of God found throughout Scripture and help them see their stories as a part of that.
2. Fully engage disciples in worship and other faith practices.
3. Make the home the center of faith formation.
4. Create authentic relationships, especially across generational lines.
5. Send disciples out to serve others and spread God’s kingdom of love, justice, and peace.

What about at home?

Home is more than a place, it is where our primary relationships are, our family, no matter how our family came about or who is in it. Most faithful church attendees spend an hour or two a week at church events (worship, classes, small groups, etc.), which is not much when you consider that a week has 168 hours in it. Putting aside sleeping (50-60 hours per week), and work/school (30-40 hours per week), that gives us about 70-80 hours. Not all of that is spent at home, but especially for households with children, the biggest chunk of that time will be spent at home (or at least with their primary relationships). And, those primary relationships are the relationships that have the biggest impact on our lives (positively or negatively). Faith formation practiced in the home is one of the most important predictors of lifelong faith for children, youth, and teens.