This blog will be used
to initiate conversation between members of your cohort group (CAFFE
participants with similar sized parish). We will use the blog to post
discussion questions about our readings and the content of our
sessions. Each cohort has an individual site for discussion.
Please post at least once between sessions.
You may post as often as you like! We will monitor the discussion to
ensure everyone is participating. We will also use content of
discussion to help direct future sessions.
For this month's session, please respond to the following before February 25:
1) What led you to sign up for the CAFFE program?
2) What is your role in your parish's Faith Formation or Youth Ministry program? How long have you been involved?
3) What do you hope to gain from CAFFE? What do you hope will be covered in our sessions?
Thank you!
Welcome to the comment section. It's is our hope that you will be able to dialog with your peers about the CAFFE content in between meetings. To help you do that, we have created this blog. Please take about 30 minutes per week to read other posts and add your own thoughts on the questions we post.
ReplyDeleteWhat led me to the CAFFE program? Good question. I think it has to do with the idea that we are better together than we are alone. I love the idea of getting together and wrestling with the issues that affect our ministry. So, we created CAFFE as a way to facilitate those conversations.
I have been in diocesan ministry for 8 years now, and spent 7 years before that in parish ministry doing Youth Ministry, Religious Education, and Young Adult Ministry.
I am hoping that our sessions will be honest, genuine discussions. I hope that we all grow to our professional potential and eventually turn that professionalism and renewed energy into helping young people grow closer to Jesus and His Church.
Hi Kevin! 1) I signed up for CAFFE because I'm the staff member who is going to be able to ensure that it is fully integrated into our parish after the sessions. 2) I'm the DRE as well as running any Adult Ed stuff. We have two part time youth ministers. I've been at St. Joseph Bellevue since July 2011. 3) I'm hoping that I am able to bring more concrete standards and structure to our RE and YM programs to our parishes. We are hoping to raise the common denominator at our parishes as far as catechesis and practicing the faith goes.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless, Andrew Lang, Pastoral Associate, St. Joe's Bellevue linked parishes
Greetings All. What led me to CAFFE was the same thing that led me to ministry, invitation. I was invited to apply for the role of Confirmation Coordinator in my parish of St. Joseph, Marion five years ago. Then, three years ago I was invited to become Sacrament Prep/ HIgh School RE Coordinator. Granted that wasn't much of a switch because at that point High School RE after Confirmation didn't exist. :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I began CAFFE, our staff collaboration efforts were very energizing and I wanted to throw high school formation into that energy. Since then we have successfully increased our program to minister to post Confirmation high-schoolers and the work and discussions from CAFFE have set us in motion for even greater opportunities for ministry next year. I look forward to working with more parishes of similar size to discuss how we successfully manage the roller coaster ride called Faith Formation.
Hi everyone! I was led to Caffe the first time by my pastor and other staff members at All Saints in C.R. I've recently transitioned to St. Pius X in C.R. and am working as the DRE and sacramental prep. person.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to go through the program again with my new parish in mind. I also am part of a group working on a new vision for high school programs in the Archdiocese. I'm sure Kevin will talk about that a bit in our Caffe sessions.
I'm hoping to have a better vision of where we can improve and expand our high school program as most of the kids aren't engaged in the parish after Confirmation.
I signed up for CAFFE because I love adolescent catechesis and youth ministry and I am curious about the new curriculum coming from the USCCB. I am the Director of Faith Formation at St. Edward in Waterloo and have been in the position for 8 months. I have worked in faith formation and youth ministry for 4 years. I work with the other FFL's in the Waterloo parishes to direct our high school faith formation program. I also volunteer with the youth ministry program. Through CAFFE, I hope to learn the differences between the current and the new curriculums, how to implement the new curriculum effectively in faith formation programs, and how to use this new curriculum to strengthen the faith of our youth. I hope to see an emphasis on integrating faith formation and youth ministry into one program based on the eight components of comprehensive youth ministry from Renewing the Vision.
ReplyDeleteHi! My name is Barb Duggan and I minister at the Community of Blessed Sacrament in Waterloo as Director of Faith Formation. The four Waterloo parishes have had a long history of collaborative ministry, which began with our high school faith formation program—CORE (Cooperative Opportunities in Religious Education) over 30 years ago. Since that time, we have implemented many collaborative programs. The Waterloo parishes are deeply committed to collaborative ministry in all areas of formation and ministry.
ReplyDeleteThirty years ago, each parish was struggling to have a vibrant adolescent catechetical program with only a few kids attending at each site and a variety of other issues. We knew we could offer more and better use resources of time, talent and treasure if we worked together. We studied the documents and birthed CORE, better meeting the needs of adolescents, their parents and our faith communities. CORE continued to evolve, tweaking various elements for more effective formation. The four Waterloo FFL’s and YM’s continue to work together to provide the current CORE experience.
I am eager to learn how the USCCB is now guiding us to better serve adolescents. I truly believe the Spirit is alive and will empower us to minister to the young church in meaningful and helpful ways.
Hi. My name is Marybeth Wagner and I am in my 7th year as DRE at St. John the Baptist Parish in Peosta, which is clustering with the 4 parishes of St. Elizabeth Pastorate to our west. I am interested in learning more about the USCCB’s program for high school youth as we are always looking for ways to improve our program to help our youth to grow in their faith and stay connected to, and practicing, their faith.
ReplyDeletePrior to my current position I served as CRE and Youth Minister for 10 years in a parish in central Iowa, which had a vibrant, established total youth ministry program, serving youth through 12th grade. Attempts to get a youth ministry program going in this area have been unsuccessful, so we are hoping to learn from those who have one that is successful, including what works and what doesn’t with today’s youth in this area of Iowa.
I look forward to meeting all involved with CAFFE this spring and sharing ideas with you.
Hi My name is Nancy and I'm the cathecist for 10th & 11th gr students at Sacred Heart in Walker, Ia. My DRE told me about CAFFE and I was interested to hear some new ideas to make our RE program even better and to enrich the lives of our youth. I hope to come away with some new ideas!
ReplyDeleteThis is Mike Mettenburg from St. Matthew in CR. I think CAFFE is a great opportunity to learn more about youth ministry through new resources and collaboration with other more experienced professionals. I am the Religious Education Coordinator and Youth and Young Adult Minister at St. Matthew and I started in August of 2012. I hope to get some new ideas that I can bring back to St. Matthew.
ReplyDeleteHello! My name is Annie Zeets and I am the middle school youth minister for the Waterloo parishes. I am also the coordinator of the high school religious education program. All the faith formation leaders in Waterloo decided collectively that the CAFFE program would be a good opportunity for us to learn more about the plans the USCCB has for faith formation. I am looking forward to meeting new people who share a passion for working with young people!
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Lisa Bejarno I work at St. Pius X parish in Cedar Rapids.
ReplyDeleteI am in charge of the Youth Ministry and also oversee the Confirmation process.
I am excited about the CAFFE process and the new programs that will come from this class.
I was introduced to this program last year from Angie and Deanna .
Lisa