Designing
​Faith Formation

Designing a Faith Formation Network

To learn about designing a faith formation network read the following chapters in the Lifelong Faith book: 

Chapter Six. "Networks for Forming Faith with All Ages"

​Chapter Nine. ​"Integrating the Elements into a Lifelong Plan" ​
Faith formation can be designed as a network of relationships, content, experiences, and resources—in physical places and online spaces—for children, adolescents, young adults, midlife adults, mature adults, older adults, and the whole family. In a network model, faith formation shifts from “one size fits all” curriculum and programming to religious content and experiences that connect with people’s spiritual and religious needs.

The nine features of a faith formation network include: 
  1. Designing around the vision and goals of lifelong maturing in Christian faith
  2. Being person- or learner-centered, placing the individual or family at the center of faith formation
  3. Embracing learning and faith growth as a process of active inquiry with the initiative residing within the individual
  4. Providing faith forming experiences to personalize learning and faith formation around the lives of people
  5. Providing a variety of content, programs, activities, and resources to address the diverse life tasks and situations, needs and interests, and spiritual and faith journeys of people of all ages
  6. Providing a variety of methods for learning, ways to learn, and styles of learning. 
  7. Incorporating a variety of formats for learning - on your own, with a mentor, at home, in small groups, in large groups, in the church, and in the community and world - delivered in physical gathered settings and online set- tings. 
  8. Being built on a digital platform to engage people anytime and anywhere
  9. Nurturing communities of learning and practice around shared interests, needs, life stages, and activities​

A network approach is designed in three modes: gathered programming in physical places, online programming, and hybrid programming that integrates both. Synchronous (real time) and asynchronous (on your own time) offerings expanding the opportunities for people to engage in faith-forming experiences that are responsive to their time, commitments, and availability.

Designing a faith formation network involves the following eight steps. 
  1. Identify your audience
  2. Develop a profile of current activities with your audience
  3. Listen to the needs of your audience
  4. Generate ideas for the faith formation network
  5. Create a network plan for faith formation
  6. Create a pathways guide for the life stage or program audience
  7. Design playlists of faith formation for the pathways
  8. Implement and evaluate 

To learn more about network programming read the two articles below and review the two example websites: Seasons of Adult Faith and Family Faith Practice. 
Networks of Lifelong Learning - Part 1.pdf
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Networks of Lifelong Learning - Part 2.pdf
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Designing Hybrid Programming

Hybrid faith formation is the integration of in-person faith forming with online faith forming into one holistic integrated experience. A program design can begin online and then move to in-person and back to online or it can begin in-person and continue online.
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Hybrid programming can be synchronous (real time) and asynchronous (on your own time)—thereby expanding the opportunities for people to engage in faith-forming experiences that are responsive to their time, commitments, and availability. We can deliver synchronous faith formation using physical gatherings, livestreaming, video conferencing, online courses, and online small groups. We can deliver asynchronous faith formation using online playlists, video and audio programs, online discussion groups, online learning platforms, websites, and more.

Hybrid Approaches

One way to develop hybrid programming is by beginning with in-person faith formation and then deepening it with online faith formation. We can extend the theme of an in-person event or program by curating a variety of faith-forming experiences that provide more depth and application of the theme through images, video, audio, and readings. We can deliver the content using a multimedia newsletter, social media posts, and/or a playlist on a website

A second way to develop a hybrid model is to begin with online faith formation, leading to in-person experiences. This approach is known as flipped learning in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space online, and the group space is transformed into a dynamic interactive learning environment where the leader/teacher guides participants as they creatively discuss, practice, and apply the content.

​To learn more about how to design hybrid faith formation programming:
  1. Read Chapter Six. "Networks for Forming Faith with All Ages" and ​Chapter Nine. ​"Integrating the Elements into a Lifelong Plan" ​in the Lifelong Faith book. 
  2. Read the article below.
  3. Watch the video below. 
Article
Hybrid Faith Formation.pdf
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Video