Complete Transcription of Open-ended Comments
#116. What are the most important elements for spiritual formation for lay ecclesial ministers? Why?
Beginning Retreat. Unifying factor. Liturgy of Hours prayed before class, shared prayer brings community into being. General edification of one another through sharing of their gifts and ministry. Spiritual Formation gleaned from their careers through material and instructions.
While I think this questions has been answered in and among the other rankings I will add that critical to the formation of any person for ministry in the Church is an openness to how the Spirit is working in one's life and intense appreciation and love of the church in all its humanness as well as its graces. Ongoing spiritual formation is appropriate to anyone who wishes to grow in their relationship and love of God and to live the mission of Christ in the world. On the other hand, to be an ecclesial minister implies a relationship with the church and the church's h/History and t/Tradition that goes beyond that of the average person in the pew. I do not mean a naive or fundamentalistic appreciation of the Church. I do mean a relationship with the Church that is aware of our human failings and flaws, that can interpret history through its historical and theological contexts and which is able to find the ongoing revelation of God alive and present in this very large, very old, very clumsy institution and, in the midst of all the signs of contradiction and humanity know that this is God's work, this is God's love, incarnate in time and history, and that we, as ministers of this Church, are merely the conduits of God's love wherever we find ourselves in ministry. We need to be attentive to the movement of the Spirit in our lives. We must be attentive to where God is calling us to grow and bend and change. We must be able to articulate our faith and be capable of the tasks expected of us. We must understand what community is, to be able to discern where God is calling us and to help others discern God's presence in their lives. We must be able to see our ministry in many different and diverse contexts, and we must be able to integrate our theological study into our action and activity and to reflect on that activity through the lens of theology and faith. But we also must know we do this not for ourselves, and just for God, we do this as an official representative of the Church. If we disagree with too much of what the Church teaches or find ourselves compromising our personal relationship with God then we do not belong in ecclesial ministry. The Spiritual Formation of the lay person for ecclesial ministry should help the individual become aware of this unique and often difficult role and help them discern if this role is for them. The ongoing Spiritual Formation of the lay person in ecclesial ministry should help them ask the tough questions, wrestle with the answers and come to their ministry in as mature and integrated way as possible. I'm not sure if this answer is clear to you, but for me it is essential. When I hear a candidate no longer speak about the tasks they are doing and describe their ministry; when I hear them speak about how God is active in their ministerial context; when I see these candidates recognize when it's time to let go, move on, move over, and act on that recognition; when I hear them say , "it's not about me, it's about God through me." Then I know that this is someone who understands the ministry. And that ministry can be anywhere-at GM, at McDonalds, at the Laundromat, or in the parish catechetical program. But when I see them realize that they must do this in a formal way, in relationship (for, with and in the name of ) the Church, then I know they have become an ecclesial minister.
Personality testing. Prayer, spiritual direction, journaling and writing reflection papers, one visit with the director. To be rooted in scripture, yearly retreats. Because it roots and integrates our life, in and with God.
Personal encounter with the living Christ because it is the source of all life/ministry. Openness to diversity because we are Catholic-universal. Theological reflection because it makes us aware of God's action and helps us to live our faith.
Understanding of prayer as relationships, covenant, built upon a mature faith. Universal personal call. Spirituality of everyday life. Liturgical prayer. Faith sharing. Praying with scripture.
Knowledge of scripture and liturgy. Tradition of spirituality within the church. Contemporary spirituality includes other traditions. Ability to reflect on and communicate one's own spirituality. Reverence for all of creation. The entire cosmos is charged with the grandeur of God. This must be understood and lived in all aspects of life.
An environment of mentors and peers in which one can explore: one's faith, one's baptismal call, opportunities to think critically about theology and pastoral practice. Processes that are interactive and respectful, based on the principles of adult faith formation (as in RCIA) that assumes the goal of discipleship for the mission of God's reign through on-going transformation/conversion.
Discernment process, understands God's work in his/her life. Sense of personal call, integrates sense of mission with skills. Respect for differences/gifts of others. Essential quality for ministry in our multi-cultural, diverse diocese.
Clearly an intentionality and reflectiveness are important for spiritual formation. We ask students to develop a spiritual growth plan when they begin their degree work. This is received by the Formation Director and Spiritual Director and assessed/revised with the Program Director Annually. Money for spiritual direction is provided for each student and the school considers direction to be a very important element.
Reflection and sharing on scripture, we encourage them to look at their own lives in light of their faith and help others through that sharing.
Community, opportunities for sharing faith and life, prayer. Strengthens the individual and models Christian life. Personal spiritual growth through study, formation activities, spiritual direction. God invites...
Theological reflection, prayer, community building, faith sharing.
Community, shared faith, liturgical celebrations, some individual formation/direction (i.e., spiritual director.). Is a reflection of the church and its members.
Sense of self. Ability to give and receive feedback. Listening skills. Non-judgmental attitude.
See #117.
Sense of Baptismal call and responsibility. Healthy sense of self. Ability to reflect theologically.
Spiritual and psychological assessment. Small group faith sharing. Retreat days. Goal setting linked to on going growth personally and spiritually. All contribute to growth of whole person as minister.
Understanding of call. Awareness of a discernment process. Ability to enter into theological reflection. Commitment to prayer. Why: these are the tools for holy self-directing ministers, who hold themselves accountable.
Ongoing faith formation and study, as one grows in faith and continues study that is integrative, transformation can occur.
Appreciation of diverse spirituality types.
Theological reflection. Encounters with difference in safe and prayerful environments. Group faith sharing. Discernment of identity and call as LEM.
Awareness of personal call and call from church. Process of discernment. Spiritual direction process. Liturgical and spiritual rootedness.
Prayer, both private and communal. Theological reflection. Discernment retreats enable them to grow in internal and external spirituality.
Self awareness and self knowledge. That is how we are close to God only as close as to ourselves.
Dialogue its is the indispensable condition to be a true leader in the multi-cultural Church and according to the Gospel of Jesus.
Theological knowledge, sense of faith and church as living mystical body. Successful ministry experience. Healthy prayer life and commitment to service.
Commitment to spiritual growth. Openness to the Spirit. Discipline to the process. Faith reflection and sharing.
Personal prayer/communal prayer. Appreciation of scripture/liturgy/ecclesiology. Support system/ (others, spiritual directors, etc.)
Life-long formation skills. Theological direction.
Love for church. Desire and practice of on-going formation in themselves. Visibility at liturgy and parish functions.
The ability to link the theological traditions with their own experiences and the experiences of the people with whom they work. A relationship with God, Jesus, Spirit. Love for church in its diversity. Sense of call and mission.
Ability to articulate relationship. Ability to help others flowing from our own experiences.
John 17:3, "To know you, the one true God and Jesus Christ who you have sent." Both explicit and implicit through out all elements of the program.
Humility, being confident and whole enough to really be a "servant of servants." Having a degree is not having a tool for power.
Prayer and discernment-emphasized throughout program. Mentoring and spiritual direction-relationships are key in deepening the spirituality of minister. Theological reflection – connecting experience and the tradition.
Prayer, discernment, reflection with scriptures, spiritual direction. These bridge the human/divine experiences of life. They nurture and sustain a relationship with the spirit, the breath of life that gives meaning, direction and strength.
Developing a sense of self is the way of self-knowledge, discernment, prayer, theological reflection, relationships to the Triune God, love of neighbor, freedom of spirit, commitment.
To provide an atmosphere wherein a student can: grow in appreciation and sensitivity to diverse expressions of faith and spirituality, ability to engage in discernment and reflect theologically, sense of service.
Reflect theologically, articulate personal faith experiences, discernment.
Becoming familiar with various forms of prayer, both individual and communal. Important to then pray to re-charge the batteries. You can't give away what you don't have. An ecclesial lay minister's ministry and life must be grounded in prayer. Also become adept at process of theological reflection.
Sense of mission discipleship, community and prayer. These three elements keep us centered on the mission and purpose of Jesus. We live out the call of Christianity by living within a community, actually many communities in which we use out faith and interpersonal skills in diverse ways. The church community, communal and personal prayer give us "fuel" to live out lives as disciples of Christ.
Prayer, peer faith sharing.
Spiritual direction. Formation in prayer.
Commitment to Jesus come to believe in self as a disciple and follower who is called and gifted and sent out. Commitment to prayer able to deepen faith and relationship to God and therefore better able to discern and know self. Openness to ongoing conversion able to see self as always called further and invite to deepen their response to God.
One of the most important elements of spiritual formation is the conviction that formation is a life-long process and that a regular prayer life is sine qua non for a person in ministry. The prayer styles may be quite different for each person but whatever the style it must be incorporated into the rhythm of a minister's life. A sense of community is vital, no one ministers alone. Forming, then belonging to prayer and faith sharing groups prepares minister to gather people with them wherever they are to pray and share with. The ability to do theological reflection is also necessary to keep focused and to keep events and things in perspective; the perspective of the Gospel, of the person of Jesus Christ. The reason behind all three of these is that for a minister to persevere and be effective they must have a firm and solid support to enable maintaining their sense of self, their sense of mission. People crumble alone or become tyrants to preserve themselves.
In our program the spiritual formation is the foundation and is integrated into all aspects of the program. The participants remain together for two years. This builds Christian community where prayer and faith sharing are integral to their learning. This is a holistic approach that roots the participants.
Our program is designed for those in ministry, but not as their spiritual formation. It is theological preparation in the traditional sense of faith seeking understanding.
Daily Mass at the weekends and frequent confessions. Most concrete channels of grace and presents the classes from being an intellectual head trip.
Experience of diversity in the Catholic Christian spiritual tradition. Experience of the fullness of liturgy. Exposure to spiritual reading and lectio divina.
Ability to discern God's call. Healthy sense of self-in-relation. Mutuality in ministerial relationships. Life of prayer. Balancing commitments (family ministry). Experience with poor and marginalized.
The formation component is built into the process of sharing faith. No special program for formation except for the Deacon candidates. Then it is one evening a month.
Life of faith and prayer. Focus on the person of Christ. Love of the Catholic Church.
Communal prayer and faith sharing. Theological reflection – written and oral. Yearly two-day retreat. Classes on prayer and spirituality. Monthly meetings with sponsor.
Love of the church. Growing personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Capacity to detect the work of grace in everyday life.
Healthy sense of self and an openness to ongoing conversion. This constitutes the bedrock for transformation and growth as minister.
A strong and supportive community is the bedrock of ministerial fidelity. A healthy sense of self will be the minister's compass through life.
A formation that is not so rigid or static but allows the person to reflect and explore. Openness to share faith experiences with others. Honest self reflection and discernment – to quote St. Francis (or maybe paraphrase) "a long loving look at the real."
Radical trust in God's providence. Connection of faith with life experiences. (Theological reflective skills) Prayer. These speak of an intimate relationship with God and an ability to bring faith into action.
Development of personal relationships with Jesus Christ because otherwise all one does in ministry is a series of tasks-not an expression of one's love for the Lord and His people.
Regular private and communal liturgical prayer; spiritual direction; annual retreat and days of reflection; theological reflection. These are the most important elements because they lead to and nurture a deepening relationship with Christ within the faith community – essential for healthy and effective ministry.
Sharing personal faith experiences. Practice in a variety of prayer experiences. A support group. These have proven to be the most effective ways for developing their spiritual life.
Being formed by scripture and sacraments (especially the Eucharist) (and personally touched by these) is crucial for understanding ones own spiritual life and empowering others within the tradition. Healthy relationships that are reflected upon and integrate the Gospel, incarnate Gospel. And finally, a capacity to sustain spiritual exercises (Ignatian) and move into maturity inspired by these would be helpful.
Prayer experiences. Spirituality models. Faith sharing and reflection related to life journey.
A solid and healthy spiritual formation is absolutely essential for every form of ministry in the Church, and it is required by the core curriculum. To be authentic and suitable for ministry in the Church, personal and communal spirituality must be informed by the long, rich spiritual tradition of the Church as well as focused on and in tune with the pastoral needs of the present.
As I listed for items 46-48, students need to be committed to the person of Jesus Christ, as well as be open to the transforming power of grace so that they, like the first disciples, come to an awareness of their mission to serve in the church. These are the most important, I feel, because people who perceive a "call" outside the Christ/grace parameter are more into their own self defined head trips than they are to God's movement of their spirits.
Prayer, reflection.
Many of our best lay ministers are graduates of LIMEX and are a credit to the Loyola Institute for Ministry. Theological reflection. Good academic courses in theology, scripture, sacraments, and liturgy.
Personal prayer, different styles of prayer, etc. Understanding of diverse spiritualities. Ability to share.
Healthy sense of self. Knowledge of the difference between spiritual maturity as a human being and personal piety. The discipline of prayer as a way of life. Perhaps most important is learning to pray as the Catholic Church prays. i.e. Liturgical Cycle centered in the Easter event!
For persons to have a sense of mission and discipleship it is important for intellectual and spiritual growth to be integrated with theological reflection so that each person can see the revelatory quality of their own lives. Secondly, there must be a love for the church and its tradition which informs the preaching, teaching and ministry of the minister, along with a commitment to collaboration.
To begin by understanding that we are all personally called by our Baptism into discipleship and that as a community of disciples we pray and discern continually that our response may be in authentic service to the Church.
Course in dynamics of spirituality. 4 sessions. 7 sessions of "Experiences in Holistic Spirituality". Dealing with exploring, image of God, affective prayer, scripture and prayer, body prayer, centering prayer, meditative prayer, creative expressions; dance, clay. Mentoring experience (twice a month for 18 months). (Integration).
Spiritual direction. Personal prayer life. (Including sacramental participation).
Prayer usually added at the local level. Some adjunct facility to bring in prayer. Student asks to reflect on what they've learned as it relates to their ministry.
This program does not have prayer/spirituality options built in. Its is expected that local facilitators will add prayer opportunities at the beginning of each session. Much emphasis on theological reflection.
Ability to discern God's will. Ability to reflect theologically. Sense of personal call. Because these abilities are the cornerstone of a healthy ecclesial lay minister.
Emmaus Companions. Spirituality, prayer skills workshop. Prayer (opening/closing) guidelines, annual retreat. Spiritual formation integrated throughout program. (Academic courses).
Reflection papers/journaling to provide opportunities for ongoing self reflection and relationship with God to discern ones invitation/personal call. Faith sharing and prayer.
Integration of theological behavioral science perspective on what specific patients really need spiritually, and integration of self characteristics in providing care within one's limitations.
A life of prayer, the ability to share faith with others and the sense of mission or ministry.
Academic, spiritual, and pastoral elements. These elements integrate the whole person spiritually, physically, and mentally.
Commitment to Christ and church. Personal prayer. Healthy sense of self. Healthy and balanced sense of church. Ability to reflect theologically on ministry and life.
Study, reflection and action.
Opening and closing retreat. One each year. Communal prayer. Each session. Faith sharing around the Gospel – 45 minutes each session. Courses on spirituality. Opportunity for mentors.
Immersion in liturgical prayer life of the community. This is the source and expression of faith.
Prayer and reflection. Community.
Days of prayer. Group reflection. Scripture studies. Sacraments.
The required core courses. The opportunities for liturgical and spiritual exercises – since this forces them to personal reflection and discernment.
Prayer life: must be in conversation with God. Listening: must be open to other(s) voices. Commitment to goal: focused on ministry.
Theological reflection. Ability to process experience in light of their faith. Ability to use this process with others.
Openness to transforming grace of ministry and on-going conversion. Commitment to Christ. Ability to integrate ministry within one's life. Why: rooted in Baptismal call and commitment.
Personal prayer. Spiritual direction. Retreats, way of reflection. Small faith-sharing communities.
Sense of personal self with peer community support and education. Challenge and guidance. Focus.
We are just beginning to explore this issue.
Acceptance of an active ministry and development of a theology of that ministry.
A healthy sense of what "spiritual life" is (according to the life of the church) as distinct from being "pious" or devotional. LEM's need to pray as the church prays!
Openness to the Holy Spirit. Adaptability.
Their commitment to Christ and his Gospel because of their appreciation of their baptismal call to be united with Christ in His three fold mission: prophet-teacher, priest, servant-king.
Spiritual direction, lead with prayer, accountability, growth. Involvement in ministry and theological reflection on this involvement.
Openness to diverse approaches to the faith. They need to deal with liberals, conservatives, and multi-cultural audiences.
Foundation in ecclesiology and community. (Church).
Community prayer (regular basis), retreats (need to get away from busy schedules, work and family), ability to integrate what they learn in class. Ongoing structured spiritual exercises of some kind. Reflection or sharing groups.
The most important elements of spiritual formation for lay ecclesial ministers are these: a living, ever-deepening relationship with God, a deep faith life rooted in the truths and values of the Catholic faith. A personal prayer life enriched by refection on the Scriptures, witnessing to the Gospel and its power to transform lives.
Sense of call, discernment of gifts; person of prayer ability to do theological reflection on their faith life and to express it; openness to on-going conversion; willingness to serve all people.
Group processes for faith sharing, theological reflection. Prayerful sharing. Journaling/life review. Self-discovery with various personality inventories. Eg. MBTI. Supervised ministry experience. Spiritual direction (on-going). Mentoring.
A healthy sense of self. The ability to integrate ministry with in the multiple roles in one's life, because they do not know when to say no.
Though there is no formal spiritual formation component in this academic program, our candidates are self-motivated. Their sense of call, commitment to prayer, healthy sense of self, openness to the transforming graces of ministry spur them to respond to the needs of others. They operate from a deep spiritual center and minister because of this spirituality.
Sense of personal call, of mission, healthy sense of self, commitment to prayer, and openness to ongoing conversion. These elements speak to the heart of lay ecclesial ministers' spirituality, who they are, and who they are called to be. One responds in ministry from the heart, the spirit within.
Forms and models of spirituality. To provide the forms and models available. To experience these forms/models. To identify which form/model is best for him/her. Theological Reflection. To assist with the process of connecting God and life. Spiritual direction. To help the person in clarifying and discerning where God is calling him/her.
For life long learning in this area, content and experiences which enable them to know how and to value continue their own process of spiritual growth and development.
Retreats, mentoring, courses in spirituality.
Annual retreat and day of reflection.
Communal and personal prayer. Commitment of a relationship with God and others. Sense of discipleship, discernment.
Healthy sense of self and faith commitment. Because one cannot minister to others without knowing one's strengths and limitations and one's personal beliefs.
A sense of personal call to holiness. An understanding of the church as community. A willingness to give service to the church and to society.
Theological reflection, discernment, and commitment to on-going conversion because they serve a person throughout life and pave the way for spiritual development in all other areas.
The ability to find God's presence and action in their lives.
Prayer and theological reflection. Both nourish the minister's own spirituality and provide him/her with techniques which can be share with those ministered to.
To clarify and affirm their call. To discover Jesus as the center of their longing. To move from action to reflection to action.
Reconciliation with one's past. Healing/mental health with sobriety. Education/theological, psycho/social. Faith in God acting in us. Prayer and week-long retreat in summer. Community involvement.
The most important element is the skill of theological reflection – so folks can integrate their lay life styles with the Tradition, not add on any "religious" dimension – we use Connecting Faith and Life by Sr. Joye Gros, OP as text and teacher. (Loyola Press 1999).
Sense of mission/discipleship. Ability to invite others to a life of faith. Willingness to serve diverse population. Their professional positions will demand a sense of commitments and interaction with others.
Ability to engage in discernment. Openness to ongoing conversion and life-long faith formation. Openness to diverse faith expressions.
To encourage and help students/candidates to deepen their union with God and their openness to God's action, presence, and transformative love in and through them. A LEM must be grounded in her/his God in order to be a minister, disciple and co-journeyer with others. Familiarity and a good comfort level with scripture, especially the Gospels, where God continues to self-reveal God's self to us, are essential as much linkage with scripture and development of theological reflection skills, both personal and group – as possible needs to be woven into the spiritual formation of LEM's.
Candidates recruited are all mature adults with substantial life/faith experience, so it's important to build on that foundation rather than assume it's not there. Therefore sense of mission inside church context is more important than other elements, (e.g. commitment to prayer) already established.
A life of prayer and on-going formation that includes some spiritual direction, annual retreat and community/liturgical prayer. A sound theological underpinning is also important. Why: ministry flows from a relationship with God rooted in a spirituality that is founded on authentic Christian Tradition.
Nurturing their faith commitment with an awareness that faith requires outreach of service to others – particularly the poor.
How to deal with oneself and the people you work with. How we reach out to our God in all we do.
A sense of on-going conversion. In a life of ministry and service it's important that the minister keep in touch with his/her own needs and be open to others where they are on the journey.
Theological reflection in order to apply what they are learning. Prayer time through liturgical celebrations, days of reflection and retreats are necessary for developing and continuing spiritual growth. Faith sharing is needed as that is part of all ministry in informal way.
Healthy estimation of self. Willingness to serve – without them, there can be no ministry.
Spiritual direction. Participation in a community liturgy. Personal "rule of life'. Courses in spirituality.
Strong theological formation in one's own faith. Ministry brings my students into contact with persons of diverse faith traditions. The traumas of ministry can often shake one's image of God and expand it. Although we proselytize, they need to facilitate their clients in answering these ultimate questions from their own faith perspective. There are special skills needed for ministry that cannot be learned in an academic setting. These require supervised clinical experience.
Personal faith growth. On-going/deepening understanding of the Tradition. Global awareness of mission.
Openness to ongoing conversion. Ability to reflect theologically. Conversion is life long; we are never finished. If we cannot reflect theologically we risk distortion in our prayer life and in our message.
Vatican II theology and ecclesiology. Commitment to Jesus and prayer. Spiritual direction. Why? Lay ministers must be in tune with the theology and ecclesiology of the church and their diocese. They need to know Jesus and know about Jesus. Spiritual direction helps with focus and balance in ministry.
Healthy, strong self image! To feel valued and appreciated as ministers in a church that is very top heavy in its understanding of leadership. With that, and community support, spiritual formation can flourish.
Commitment to Jesus, an understanding and respect for the long tradition of the Catholic Church, an honoring of the community or the people of God. The ability to reflect theologically. The willingness to respect life's mysteries.
Healthy sense of self and personal call that helps to discern their personal mission. Ability to articulate personal faith experiences that enable them to integrate their whole lives. Because a healthy sense of self enable them to understand God's grace in their lives and can understand their mission as disciples.
Healthy sense of self. Sense of call and mission. Theological foundation and refection. Ecclesial ministers need to function as mature integrated persons called to serve.
The sense of call and discipleship. This is the initial and foundational element in the journey of faith. This has to be nourished by proper formation so the minister can recognize God's pressure in others and journey with others.
Theological reflection. Sense of call and mission.
Discerning their call within the community of church. Public participation in worship. Healthy sense of self. Ability to discern and integrate all areas of life – so they can invite others into life of faith.
Ability to discuss spiritual growth with a director or guide.
We have an academic MA program and do not include spiritual formation.
Mentoring sessions of small groups where techniques of theological reflection are practiced. Day of discernment/reflection. Over-night retreats. Personal choice of spiritual direction. These elements encourage/enable the individual to grow in his/her spiritual development.
Commitment to Christ. Prayer. Reflection/discernment.
See numbers. 89-91.
Openness to liturgical and scriptural sources of spirituality. Spiritual director. Development of realistic spiritual regimes.
Develop, strengthen, grow in their spirituality of their particular ministry: spirituality of a lector, of a minister of communion, etc. In order to be a better, more effective minister-not so much "doing" ministry but "being" ministry. . .being compassionate, to serve, to have a strong sense of their "priesthood" and collaboration with Christ and His church in building the kingdom here on earth.
Students must be willing and able to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They must know who is calling.
Reconstructing that self esteem to begin to understand the faith. Adopt a critical attitude with their faith.
Development of skills in prayer and reflection.
I believe that the most important element of spiritual formation is learning who I am, and the gifts I have to offer to ministry. This is important because if I have searched my heart and prayed and worked at becoming aware of my gifts, I will be better prepared to minister in a healthy and compassionate manner.
Active participation in spiritual direction and pastoral counseling. They will be on the other side soon and need to experience both dimensions.
Ability to discern's God's call. Health self of self-in-relation, mutuality in ministerial relationships, life of prayer, balancing commitments (family, ministry). Experience with poor and marginalized.
Helping candidates to develop the personal skills to develop spiritually personally and helping candidates to learn skills to help others grow spiritually.
Holiness. Lumen Gentium 39.
Call and mission. Commitment with prayer. Sense of grace for achievement and not personal talents. Courage and perseverance.
Personal and spiritual growth. This is basic for any lay minister. Ability to work within the ecclesial community and call others to the table of the Lord.
Shared prayer. Study of the tradition. Theological reflection on personal ministry. Experience of community. These are the elements of the LIMEX program that the graduates identify most often in transforming them.
Our program at present is more concerned with training lay Catholics for ministry in the market place and for social justice rather than ecclesial ministry. Their leadership role is within their daily work (livelihood) outside of the church.
Understanding of their own faith development and its impact on how they live out their beliefs.
Prayer. Faith growth and sharing. Discernment and theological reflection. Personal encounter and commitment to Jesus Christ. Sense of community and commitment to social justice. Understanding and commitment to our church and tradition. Openness to different expressions of faith. Because this is an expression of a mutual love between God, us and our neighbors.
Insofar as the Institute is not directly involved in spiritual formation, I could not answer this.
79, 69, 77, 74. Open to formative/transformative dimensions of life, ministry, service.
Opportunities for reflection, for articulation of faith and of one's story in a trustworthy environment, developing relationships with diverse but committed ministers. These allow for a candidate to explore, be challenged and to grow in their relationship and response to God.
That they be integrated into the transcendent/vertical spirituality/membership of the Church's structure. We are doing very poorly with them, only emphasizing a horizontal style of spirituality very akin to many Protestants.
Spiritual direction, personal prayer, communal prayer and participation especially Eucharist, theological reflection.
An opportunity to explore the many ways to develop spiritually – affirming what they feel and challenging them to deepen their faith in ways they've not experienced.
Personal holiness. Personal spiritual commitment. Acceptance of differences. Thorough education, intellectual understanding. Interpersonal relationship for support and sharing.
Beginning retreat-unifying factor. Liturgy of Hours prayed before class, shared prayer brings community into being. General edification of one another through sharing of their gifts and ministry. Spiritual formation gleaned from their courses through material and instruction.
The ability to be open to spiritual transformation/conversion through the study of theology and their expressions of field ministry. The self-reflection of how God is active in their own lives moves the minister into a deeper love relationship with God that will pour out into her/his ministry.
Prayer – learning the depths of a prayer life and how intimately God longs to have us communicate w/ Him. Surrendering to God and His will rather than pre-conceived agendas. Background in the truths of the faith – lot of confusion here. Dedication to Christ, His Church and all our brothers and sisters.