Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute The Pastoral Formation

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ The Pastoral Formation Institute was set up after the Diocesan Synod 19992003

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute Metodology (‘synodal’): a focus on collaboration and support; a professional methodology and content; a sense of prayer, of ecclesial identity and of prayer; an intent to create ‘communities of formation and evangelisation’.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ What does the PFI offer? The PFI is an institution where persons, and indirectly the communities of which they form part, will find the necessary assistance for meeting the following needs: 1. helping to attain maturity in wisdom, of heart, mind and soul; 2. building up their identity as members of the Maltese Catholic community; 3. improving their understanding of God’s calling, hence acquiring a better understanding of their responsibility in the face of opportunities provided in our times;

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ What does the PFI offer? 4. 5. 6. getting strength in the face of the challenge to live and put into practice the Commandment of Love; attaining a deeper understanding of the beauty inherent in the calling of faith; entering into dialogue with the challenges put forward by present-day culture and way of thinking;

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ What does the PFI offer? 7. 8. developing the necessary training, and understanding new methods of action by which, as Christians, they believe they can contribute through the ministerial role to which they feel called; understanding themselves as a people chosen and loved by the Creator, being sent as witnesses to the Risen Christ, who leads them on to a full personal, community and social life.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ 2015 – 2016 was the 11 th year of existence of the Pastoral Formation Institute

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute Up to the present, 1070 persons have completed a course At present, 197 persons are attending one of the 12 courses being offered by the PFI

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute The academic titles offered by the PFI are accredited by the NCFHE and the PFI is recognised as a Higher Education Institution.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute Courses offered by the Pastoral Formation Institute (1): Module on the Ministry of the Liturgical Cantors Module on Parish Life (new) Module on Franciscan Spirituality (new) The Human Experience of God in Prayer – An Experiential Course The Call to Public Life Ethics and Business Leadership Course on the Respect for Life (new) General Education Award in Evangelisation Higher Education Award in Evangelisation in a Digital Age Higher Education Award in the Liturgy Higher Education Award in Family Ministry Higher Education Award in Adolescent and Youth Ministry

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute Courses offered by the Pastoral Formation Institute (2): Higher Education Award in Spirituality Higher Education Award in Theology Higher Education Award in Parish Nursing Higher Education Award in Missiology Higher Education Award in Catholic Social Teaching Higher Education Award in Ecumenism (new) Higher Education Award in Christian Leadership Diploma in Spiritual Companionship

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute Other courses which are offered by other institutions in Malta and which are promoted by the Pastoral Formation Institute: Courses Courses offered offered by by the the Cana Movement Secretariat for Catechesis Malta Bible Society Carmelite Institute Augustinian Institute Faculty of Theology Żgħażagħ Azzjoni Kattolika

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute Opportunities we are offering to all participants: Pauline Pilgrimage Course in Methodology Day Retreat

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute Other Initiatives: Universe of Faith Project Youth Ministry Project

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Practical Recommendations ü To help you in the planning and delivery ü General educational principles rooted in a Catholic educational & anthropological framework

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ General Considerations The person is central to our endeavour. As collaborators in the Christian formation of adults you are requested to: ü Be sensitive to the needs and requirements of participants ü Value and promote the holistic developments of participants ü Lecture with a catholic worldview in mind

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ General Considerations ü ü Value learning as a communitarian endeavour Value and give importance to participant’s personal disciple journey

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Course co-ordinators & lecturers should: ü Meet students at the beginning of the course & at least once every three weeks ü Foster & nurture a sense of community among participants, make good use of break time ü Encourage students to participate in the educational, spiritual and cultural activities organized by the PFI.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Planning ü Identify the objectives of each session. ü Your learning outcomes should be focused and measurable. ü We suggest you use the verbs identified by Bloom and his colleagues.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ ü Inform your participants of the learning outcomes, each session during the introduction. ü Research suggests that this helps participants to have a better structure, be more organized and learn new knowledge.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ ü Take into consideration that students are adult learners. • Hence they have different learning needs; • lecturing methods are not always the best method to facilitate learning. ü Adults appreciate participatory methods as well as being allowed enough time to process the information understudy.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ In practical terms when planning sessions you need to: 1) Divide the time in sectors of approximately 10 minutes each 2) Provide some time for peer/group/class discussion 3) Use different strategies, provide guiding questions for peer and group discussions and be strict in time management 4) Value adult participants’ own experiences 5) Connect the content with their personal needs. Adult participants must be able to see the personal benefit of what they are learning.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ We believe that education should be a holistic endeavour. Consequently it is very important that knowledge is not limited to an accumulation and understanding of facts. Conative Affective Cognitive

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Hence you are urged 1) 2) to engage student through higher order thinking skills; to encourage participants to apply and evaluate the information in their own personal and community contexts & be creative in ways of connecting knowledge, faith and context; 3) to be aware of emotional issues that may arise from certain topics; 4) to give due importance to the development of attitudes;

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ 5) to keep in mind that the universe of Catholic faith is vast and connects with various dimensions of life, including the social, the political, the aesthetic; 6) to be creative and demonstrate how Catholicism through its rich and diverse traditions has constructed western society and contributed to global development; 7) to expose participants to diversity of traditions primarily within Catholic worldviews, but also among other Christian denominations.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Remember ü We want to promote the formation of rich & mature disciples who are able to connect with their past in order to have a strong catholic identity and contribute to a better future.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Delivery ü Start & Finish on Time ∟ or else it might be easily interpreted that the content under study is not important. ü Arrive at the lecture room at least 15 minutes before ∟ This will give you enough time to (i) settle and connect your computer with the data projector (ii) be available for questions & concerns that students might have

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Delivery Lectures may be structured in the following manner For 3 -hour sessions For 2 -hour sessions ü 10 min prayer & reflection ü 1 hr 20 min lecture ü 50 min lecture ü 15 min break ü 60 min lecture ü 30 min lecture ü 15 min conclusion

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ ü You are required to start your sessions with a prayer moment ü It is highly recommended that you provide different short experiences A reflection/ sharing on theme that emerges from the scripture's reading of the day A worship song together with a prayer or reflection A reflection related to a liturgical feast due to be celebrated during the week A prayer related to national, international, and ecclesial issues/events A reading of a spiritual text Quiet music and sharing

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Sharing ü Virtual Learning Environment (Moodle) to upload notes, Power. Points or papers for further reading. ü Encourage students to collaborate among themselves, to share materials and initiate discussion groups. ü We encourage you to establish a friendly rapport with your students please define clear boundaries ü Do provide your email address ü Refrain from give your personal contact numbers, Facebook or similar social networking sites.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Assessment ü Conduct a pretest on the course material. ∟ So that you will know the level of the participants & provide you with information on how & what to adapt in your course ü Provide short formative assessment tasks ∟ Provides better feedback to students & allows you to correct misunderstandings

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Planning your Assessment Assignment With only one correct answer Multiple Choice Test Questions Requiring Short Answers Reflective Journal Could be used with other forms of assessment

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Assessment Criteria Ø Intellectual assimilation of process and content; Ø Emotional and volitional (attitudinal) development and growth Ø Growth in the capacity to develop a pastoral vision and strategy Ø Development of the capacity to evaluate pastoral action Ø Growth in self-awareness and self-knowledge with respect to Christian life and ministry

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute __________________ Assessment Criteria Ø Gained maturity in Christian attitudes Ø Ability to work with others in ministry Ø Growth in the attitude of ministry and evangelization Ø Gained maturity in the capacity for Christian discernment Ø Ability to read and research further Ø Gained capacity to recognize the nature and the need for supervision.

Istitut Formazzjoni Pastoral Formation Institute