EMBRACE FAITH
NCCL 2012
Faith Formation in the
st
21
Century
AMERICA’S
RELIGIOUS
LANDSCAPE
GENERATIONAL CHANGE
GENERATIONAL CHANGE
1. Increasing number of “Nones” – no religious
affiliation
2. Increasing number of “Spiritual but not
Religious”
3. Embracing diversity – cultural, ethnic, sexual
4. Changing families: growing diversity in family
structures; marrying later and having children
later; not marrying and having children
5. Declining participation in Sunday worship
and sacraments (marriage, baptism)
6. Declining levels of family faith practice &
socialization
GENERATIONAL CHANGE
 Significant Generational Change
began in the early 1990s among the
younger generations and is influencing
society and the older generations.
 These trends are having a significant
impact on a Life Cycle approach to
faith formation and church life, in
general.
DIVERSITY IN THE
CHURCH COMMUNITY
Generational
Developmental
Ethnic & Cultural
Family Structures
Faith Practice &
Community
Engagement
 Religious & Spiritual Needs





DEVELOPMENTAL & GENERATIONAL
DIVERSITY
Developmental
 Children
 Adolescents
 Emerging Adults
 Young Adults
 Mid-Life Adults
 Mature Adults
 Older Adults
Generational
1. iGeneration
2. Millennials
3. Generation X
4. Baby Boomers
5. Builders
DIVERSITY IN FAITH PRACTICE &
RELIGIOSITY
Not
Religiously
Affiliated
Spiritual but
Not Religious
Minimal
Engagement
with Faith
and
Community
Vibrant Faith
& Active
Engagement
WHILE AT THE SAME TIME. . . .
NEW TECHNOLOGIES EMERGE
WHILE AT THE SAME TIME. . . .
NEW TECHNOLOGIES EMERGE
WHILE AT THE SAME TIME. . . .
ADOPTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES
INCREASE IN HOME BROADBAND
Home broadband
80%
66%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
June
2000
April March March April March March March April
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
April
2009
May
2010
May August Jan
2011 2011 2012
INCREASE IN INTERNET USERS – 80%
INCREASE IN SOCIAL NETWORKING – 52% OF ADULTS
100%
% of internet users
85%
86%
80%
83%
70%71%
76%
67%
61%
60%
52%
48%
49%
47%
35%
40%
33%
25%
20%
51%
9%
7%
6%
0%
2005
8%
2006
4%
1%
2007
18-29
13%
11%
7%
2008
30-49
26%
25%
2009
50-64
2010
65+
2011
2012
INCREASE IN SMARTPHONES – 46%
INCREASE IN TABLETS
67 million
iPads sold
since 2010
when it was
introduced.
Prediction: 665 million tablets by 2016
2012: 120 million tablets – a 100%
increase over 2011.
WHILE AT THE SAME TIME. . . .
NEW DIGITAL RESOURCES
FASCINATING CONVERGENCE
New
Technologies
Growing
Diversity
New
Resources
21st
Century
Faith
Formation
It’s not a message problem!
It’s not a people problem!
It’s not a technology problem!
It’s not a resource problem!
It’s a delivery system problem –
the models we are using were
created in a different era!
st
21
How do we provide
century faith formation?
Faith Formation in the Age of Networks
We are moving from the limitations of
faith formation in a schooling, linear,
textbook model with children and teens. . .
Grades 1-5
Grade 6-8
High School
Confirmation
???
TO A NETWORK MODEL
LIFELONG & LIFEWIDE
Instead of being the center of faith
formation experiences, programs,
classes, and books now become nodes
on a much broader faith formation
network that is lifelong and lifewide.
The shift to networks will be
transformative in how we imagine and
organize faith formation for
all ages and generations.
BIBLE STUDY @
CHURCH
BOOKS
ONLINE
COURSE
AUDIO
VIDEO
Learn
the
Bible
EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAM
- course
- conference
ONLINE
RESOURCE
CENTER
ONLINE
COMMUNITY
- experts
- learners
A NETWORK MODEL OF
FAITH FORMATION
We are moving from. . .
One Size Fits All Curriculum & Programming
to
A Network of Personalized & Customized
Faith Formation Activities & Resources
focusing on addressing people’s spiritual and
religious diversity by offering a wide variety of
religious content and experiences
Providing Differentiated Faith Formation
A NETWORK MODEL OF
FAITH FORMATION
We now have the models, resources, and
technologies to. . .
 Expand faith formation to address the
diversity of people today – life tasks and
issues, religious and spiritual needs
 Deliver religious content and experiences
to people wherever they are, 24 x 7 x 365
 Engage people in a wide variety of
experiences tailored to their needs,
interests, spiritual journey, and busy lives
 Connect people to each other – in
physical places and virtual spaces
A NETWORK MODEL
A Lifelong
Faith
Formation
Network
provides
faith
formation
for everyone,
anytime,
anywhere,
24 x 7 x 365.
UserGenerated
Content
Church
Programs
Small
Groups &
Support
Groups
Social
Media
Mentors
Faith
Formation
Network
Community
Programs
Blogs
Apps
Online
Resources
Print,
Audio
Video
Online
Courses &
Activities
A NETWORK MODEL
On Your
Own
Community
& World
Mentored
Physical &
Virtual
Settings
Church
Community
Large
Group
@ Home
Small
Group
Imagine the
Possibilities for
Lifelong & Lifewide
Faith Formation
in a Network Model
MENTORS
MARRIAGE
PREP
- Online
- Gathered
SOCIAL
NETWORK
Newly
Married
Couples
MARRIAGE
ENRICHMENT
- Workshops
- Online
-Retreats
SMALL
GROUPS
& Support
Groups
FAITH
GROWTH
- Programs
- Online
Courses &
Resources
Families in
the First
Decade of
Life
MENTORS
FAITH PRACTICES
@ HOME
Prayer, Rituals,
Bible, Family
Conversation,
Service
PARENT
FORMATION &
PARENTING SKILLS
Workshops
Courses
Online Resources
Support Groups
MILESTONES
Baptism
Anniversary, First
Prayers, Start of
School
FAMILY LEARNING
PROGRAMS
Church Gatherings
Small Groups
Workshops
BAPTISM
ONLINE RESOURCE
CENTER
SUNDAY
WORSHIP
REFLECTIO
DISCOVERING
FAITH
PROGRAMS
THEOLOGY
PROGRAMS
N
SOCIAL
LIFE TASKS &
TRANSITIONS
PROGRAMS
NETWORKS
& BLOGS
ADULT
FAITH
EXTENDED
PROGRAMS
& TRIPS
FORMATION
NETWORK
SMALL
GROUP
STUDIES
ONLINE
COURSES &
RESOURCES
BOOK OR
VIDEO
GROUPS
JUSTICE,
SERVICE,
MISSION
TRIPS
PRAYER,
SPIRITUAL
PRACTICES,
RETREATS
Differentiated Faith Formation
Content & Activities
for those of Vibrant
Faith & Engagement
Core Content
&
Experiences
for Everyone
Content & Activities
for Spiritual but Not
Religious
Content & Activities
for Occasionals
NETWORKS AROUND GATHERINGS
Small
Groups
UserGenerated
Content
Online
Courses &
Activities
GATHERED
EVENT
Online
Resources
Blogs &
Social
Media
Print, Audio
Video
@ Home
Activities
NEW ROLE FOR LEADERS:
THE FAITH FORMATION CURATOR
Curating religious content &
experiences for all ages
A faith formation curator is someone
who continually finds, groups,
organizes, and shares the best and most
relevant content and experiences on a
specific subject to match the needs of a
specific audience.
FAITH FORMATION CURATOR
What would we curate?








Church Programs & Activities
Community Programs & Activities
People Resources
Print Resources
Audio & Video Resources
Art, Drama, and Music Resources
Online Content: Websites, Courses, Blogs
Apps & Digital Resources
THE PROCESS OF CURATION
Research
Communicate
& Connect
Aggregate &
Evaluate
Deliver
We Can Now
Provide Faith
Formation for
All Ages &
Generations!
1000s of Faith Formation Networks
70 Million Catholics
Embracing Faith in the 21st Century
The Dawn of a New
Era in Faith Formation