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Specific suggestions for using Growing Faith with middle aged and senior adults and for families living within military settings... In today’s church, many of the folks in this group have not had formal religious formation for many, many years.

Invitation

• This is often a time of life when the following apply:

• Folks have a little more time to study and read because the busy years of child raising or professional work are winding down or ended.

• There is a greater curiosity about religion and faith.

• There is more disposable income to afford study materials.

• There is a desire to gather with others, especially as folks enter situations of divorce, widowhood, or less contact with professional colleagues.

• It is excellent to invite them personally and especially to either join with others or work alone to grow in their faith.

• This group is often overlooked precisely because they no longer have children in parish programs.

• Many of these folks are single again, or have always remained single.

• For families living in military settings, Growing Faith provides the perfect tool. Even if they move every few years from place to place, Growing Faith goes with them because it is based only in the central document which summarizes our faith, the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Gathering

• These folks may gather in any of the format discussed in these notes:

• small Christian communities

• within households of faith with family members, friends, or neighbors

• in the intergenerational assemblies being held within the parish if they are open to all parish members

• alone in their own homes

• as volunteers in parish leadership groups or ministry teams

• Or you may wish to offer a variety of Growing Faith Forums following the session plan for each booklet provided in the Facilitator's Guide, along with the appropriate PowerPoint presentation which comes along with the Guide.

Welcome

• This group is a rich resource for the life of the parish community. Welcome them warmly to study and grow in their faith.

• Welcome their non-Catholic spouses with them. Many of them have been sharing home life for decades. Why not invite them to share their faith life as well?

The Process

• Use the session plans for each Growing Faith booklet presented in Part Three of the Facilitator's Guide to gather and study.

• The best course of study would be to begin with Growing Faith booklet number one and proceed to the end. But in some settings, it may work better to follow one of the ten suggested courses outlined on this web site.

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