NCCL is dedicated to promoting the ministries of evangelization and catechesis in the U.S. Catholic Church by fostering a community of leaders ​who proclaim ​and teach the Word of Jesus Christ ​through the witness of accompaniment, education, and formation in the Catholic faith.

Join the NCCL Community of Catechetical Leaders. It's Free to Join.

New - Insights & Practices Reports

This Fall NCCL will be publishing the Insights & Practices from Research and Theory Series - exploring the latest research and thinking on forming faith with families and age groups, and proposing practical strategies for forming faith that reflect the current research and thinking. Each report explores:

1. What does the research show are the most important contributors to effective faith transmission? 
2. What does the research show are the activities, tasks, and behaviors that bolster faith transmission? 
3. What are the implications for faith formation leaders, and the church as a whole? 
4. What strategies can parishes utilize to form faith that is informed by the research and current thinking?  

Now available in the "Insights and Practices" section of the NCCL Catholic website:

• ​Report #1. Practices for Forming Faith with Families & Parents
• Report #2. Practices  for Forming Faith Intergenerationally ​

Go to the "Insights & Practices" Reports on the NCCL Catholic Website

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​2023 Family & Intergenerational Faith Formation Survey Report

Download the Report in PDF and share it with your leaders and colleagues.

Family & Intergenerational Survey Report.pdf
File Size:	208 kb
File Type:	pdf

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​In the Spring of 2023, NCCL conducted a national survey to identify how  Catholic parishes are implementing family faith formation and intergenerational (all ages together) faith formation. A total of 303 Catholic parishes completed the survey. Here are several key findings:

#1. Family Faith Formation Practices
The survey asked parishes to rate eight practices in family faith formation. The top three responses include 1) providing families with resources, 2) whole family experiences at church, and 3) teaching and supporting parents.

The second question asked about the type of family programming their parish offers. The top three responses were 1) family sacramental preparation programs, 2) family programs at church, and 3) at-home family activities. 

#2. Intergenerational Faith Formation Practices
The survey asked parishes to rate nine practices in intergenerational faith formation. The top two responses (Sunday Mass) describe settings that are more multi-generational (multiple generations gathered together) than intergenerational. When we speak of intergenerational we mean an intentional approach or strategy to engage people with other generations: building relationships, learning together, sharing stories, praying with each other, serving together, and more. Sunday Mass has the potential for becoming much more intentionally intergenerational when the generations have the opportunity to interact in meaningful ways. The responses to the next top responses focused on building intergenerational relationships and doing activities together – practices that are more intentionally intergenerational. 
 
The second question asked about the type of intergenerational programming their parish offers. The top responses were seasonal or occasional intergenerational programs, followed by intergenerational service projects, and monthly intergenerational learning. 

#3. Challenges in Offering Family or Intergenerational Faith Formation
The final question asked about the challenges leaders faced in offering family or intergenerational faith formation. Nineteen responses surfaced repeatedly in the 486 individual responses to the question. Among the most mentioned challenges were the following: 

• family participation at Sunday Mass and parish life
• family participation in family or intergenerational programming
• family schedules, busy lives, lots of activities
• getting families to make this a priority, to commit the time, to see the benefits 
• availability of volunteers, and dedicated leaders committed to family and intergenerational faith formation 
• support of the pastor, and educating the pastor and church leadership about the importance and benefits of family and intergenerational faith formation
• changing the paradigm from child-centered to family-centered faith formation

 
This is the first report of the survey findings. The second phase of the research will include reports on the parishes that are offering family and/or intergenerational faith formation programming. These reports will be available through Fall 2023 on the NCCL Catholic website. 

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Join us for Journey to the Future of Catechesis - 2023 ​NCCL Convocations

Convocation Registration

NCCL's focus in 2023 - Journey toward the Future of Catechesis with All Ages and Generations - is designed to engage the catechetical community ​​in envisioning new directions and initiatives ​for proclaiming and teaching the Catholic faith in our world today.

Locations

​September 26-27:   Baltimore - Bon Secours Center, Marriottsville, MD
October 3-4:             Dallas - Hilton Garden Inn DFW Airport South
October 10-11:        Connecticut - Holy Family Retreat Center,  W. Hartford, CT
October 17-18:        Chicago - Hilton Garden Inn O’Hare Airport 
October 24-25:        Tampa - Franciscan Center
November 29-30:    San Diego - Hilton Garden Inn Mission Valley ​

​Convocation Program​

Session 1. A Storytelling Experience: We Are All Catechists – The Calling and Vocation of the Catechist

• Reflecting on how we are called to be a witness of faith and keeper of the memory of God, a teacher and mystagogue, and an accompanier and educator

Session 2. Vision of the Directory for Catechesis: Essential Features

• Exploring the Directory’s fundamental theological-pastoral principles and guidelines for the practice of catechesis; analyzing how the Directory informs current catechetical practice

Session 3. The New Context for Catechesis Today

• Analyzing challenges and opportunities for forming all ages and generations in faith and discipleship

Session 4. Catechesis for All Ages in the Contemporary Context  

• Imagining new catechetical models – for families, age groups, and the whole parish – that address the new context and are informed by the vision and practices of the Directory for Catechesis

Session 5. Formation of Catechists and Catechetical Leaders in Today’s Context 

• Developing new educational models and approaches for equipping and forming catechists of all ages as witnesses of faith and keepers of the memory of God, as teachers and mystagogues, and as accompaniers and educators