More On Forming Formators

One of the things that I have had the opportunity to do over the past several years is work closely with pastoral and finance councils as parish communities seek to transform from places focused on maintaining the community to Houses of Lay Formation with a focus on the Church's mission to the world.

If, indeed, much of pastoral leadership is about calling forth, nurturing, and "unleashing" the gifts of the community for the sake of Christ's mission, then it stands to reason that pastoral leadership requires formation in and around the notion of mission, discernment, charisms, and, well, formation.

I'm currently working closely with one such council to help provide comprehensive formation for the sake of their role in the pastor's office, and I've identified the following as areas important for their formation:

If council has as its mission (as this one does) helping members of the parish respond to Christ's call of service to the world, then formation for the council should include:

1. A deeper examination of the mission of Christ and the Church in Scripture and Tradition

2. An exploration of the role of the laity and the ordained in the mission of Christ in the world

3. Opportunities for continuing personal encounter with Christ through prayer, reflection, scripture study, and devotions.

4. Continued faith sharing through small and large group discussions and activities.

5. Exploration of the way God gifts men and women for their work in the world, with particular attention to the ways in which He has gifted the individual members of the PLAC

6. Examination of what discernment is, along with opportunities to engage in discerning one's gifts and vocation in the world.

7. Continued discussion and study on the role of the parish in the formation of lay men and women.

8. Further support in the pastoral planning process, particularly when it comes to evaluating and putting together a comprehensive plan for adult formation in the parish.

Are there any other areas of formation that you think it might be important for a council to have?