Ongoing Ministerial Development & Resources

Annual Report Form

Annual Report Form for Catechetical/Youth Ministry Leader Ongoing Formation and Development  editable Word document  /  downloadable PDF

The National Directory for Catechesis (USCCB, 2005) emphasizes that " The single most critical factor in an effective parish catechetical program is the leadership of a professionally trained parish catechetical leader" (p224). Each person delegated responsibility for forming adults, teen, and children finds both information and inspiration for quality, effective service by participating in ongoing development.  One can accomplish this through regular reading, participation in live trainings and webinars in addition to participating in a ministerial organization like Maine's Lifelong Faith Formation Association (LFFA), National Community of Catechetical Leaders (NCCL), or the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM).

Resources by Topic

The OLFF staff regularly reviews and curates examples of webinars, articles, and books that may be helpful to those serving as catechetical or youth ministry leaders in parishes. Suggested resources are organized by topic. Click on a topic to access the page of related resources.

General Ministry or Administration

3 Ways to Get Christmas Crowds Coming to Church

Webinar from USCCB

Marilyn Santos and Paul Jarzembowski offer insights about the lives of those who are marginally connected to Church and how to develop relationships that continue beyond a holiday https://bit.ly/2GWCN0D

Asking "Catholic Questions"

Article from USCCB

Describes the importance of asking good questions as one matures in faith or being open to the questions of others, especially "nones' Download

Best Practices in Faith Formation

Lifelong Faith Journal articles

Offers grounding and strategies for 7 different modes of faith formation: intergerational, family, children, adolescent, young adult, adult, parent. https://www.lifelongfaith.com/uploads/5/1/6/4/5164069/lifelong_faith_jou..

Catechetical Leaders as Healing Figures of Christ

USCCB Podcast

Four-part series in English on catechetical leaders as healing figures of Christ (developed for Catechetical Sunday 2019) One podcast in Spanish also available. https://soundcloud.com/user-931113513/part-1-catechetical-leaders-as

A Challenging Participant

Association for Talent Development handout

Strategies for dealing with 7 types of challenging participants during a meeting or training https://bit.ly/2wMtNmG

Companions in Conflict

Ave Maria Press webinar recording

Ann Garrido looks at our Church’s history to reveal that conflict is a part of every Christian’s life, identifying five saint companions on the journey and models of handling tension and conflict. https://www.avemariapress.com/webinars/redeemingconflict

Competency Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministry

Alliance for Certification of Lay Ecclesial Ministry PDF

Description of the core competencies for ministry in the Church, (pages 3-7) plus specializations (PCLs pages13-15; YM pages15-18) Link.

Copyright violation is a big deal...Here's why

LPi Vibrant Parish Newsletter

Dispels some misconceptions about what is copyrighted, the penalties improper use, and how to avoid infringing on copyright.https://go.4lpi.com/2021-VPN-September.html#subStory1 

The Effective Catechetical Leader

Books From NCCL & Loyola Press

Made up of six books written by various authors the Effective Catechetical Leader Series address a variety of topics from the call of the Catechetical leader to ways to recruit and train new catechetical leaders.https://bit.ly/2AEgRTV

Showing Movies at Church: Do I need a license?

Virginia Theological Seminary

Describes the implications of copyright and fair use laws on how and when churches may show videos originally purchased or rented for personal use. https://buildfaith.org/movies-at-church/

Through the Year with the DRE

Blog post from Joe Parocki, Catechist's Journey

Chart listing typical responsibilities parish catechetical leaders do each month of the year. https://bit.ly/2udjxq5

Trauma-Informed Pastoral Care

NFCYM Webinar

Fr. Jeff Putthoff helps us to understand trauma better, identify some adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that can contribute to risky behaviors and physical/mental health problems. https://bit.ly/2EVUnQt

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Website

Information and resources on prayer and worship, beliefs and teachings, issues and actions, Catholic news, and much more. http://www.usccb.org/

USCCB Leadership Institute

Webinar Archive from USCCB, NCCL, and NCEA

A series of webinars focused on important topics for church leaders, especially those serving in evangelization and catechesis. 

Your Peak Life Now: How to Face Career Decline with Faith and Grace

Christianity Today article

Essay suggests the best way to prepare for our inevitable demise is a healthy focus on death, discipleship, and worship, https://bit.ly/2JPVnqy