Tips for Engaging Online in Faith Formation

Faith / Spirituality

By Fr Soroj Mullick SDB –

The Catholic Church recently issued guidelines for Parishes to be “missionary communities of evangelization” with renewed vitality “to go out of themselves, offering instruments for reform, even structural, in a spirit of communion and collaboration” (www.press.vatican.va). In this context of invitation towards an “outgoing dynamism”, the faith formation in the parishes lag behind the rest of the public/private educational space when it comes to taking advantage of technology.

Now, it’s all changed with the pandemic. Today, if we want to reach our faithful, we are forced to enter the online world. And this online world has turned to be a contentious place, and this year 2020 seems furious and destructive thanks to the internet, social media, twenty-four-hour news channels that constantly confuse with information – both true and fake. In the midst of the devouring pandemic the physical dialogue is strained, persons are more reacting than responding.

As Elizabeth Scalia holds (cf. Engaging Online Word on Fire Blog, July 14, 2020) it’s easy to sit behind screens that block us off and we blast off pushing the post button, forgetting that there is a living person across with whom we share commonalities, someone who has been bullied, abandoned or neglected; has been victim of physical, sexual, or psychological abuse; endured loss, suffered privation, loneliness, self-doubt, depression, grief, failures, lack of encouragement, support, or nurturing love. Yet, we all have been loved by God who created us with a purpose and potentiality. Sometimes the social blocks thwarted the potential growth. Wars and restlessness may be going on within. This conscious realization should influence our online engagements going beyond our own concerns, passions and obsessive beliefs, and objectively be aware of the global human realities.

Here are few guidelines mostly taken from Elizabeth Scalia’s blog as mentioned above, on how to engage with others online for creating and living within a healthy society. How do we facilitate a faith group online that focus on enabling the participants to live their faith than just learning about their faith. In place of meeting in person, how do we move into meeting online?  What skills does an online facilitator need? Here are few tips.

A. Listen

  1. To listen with an intentional ear and pick up something beyond the noise, silence, frigidity, or a still voice that still speaks of wisdom.
  2. To listen and not hear with subjective interpretation, prejudice, hasty judgement that mostly resound echo of our own thoughts.
  3. To “Listen with the ear of the heart” (St. Benedict), so that what you listen to, helps you “to inform your understanding”
  4. To avoid talking too much.
  5. To avoid responding always with “churchy” answers to all the questions they ask
  6. To know when to encourage someone to speak more
  7. To know when to keep someone from hogging the conversation by “gatekeeping.”
  8. To summarize what participants are saying and use that as a springboard to move onto something new.
  9. To charge your thinking, change it, change your words for better understanding.

B. Accept ALL as they are, as Christ accepts

  1. To trust in the wisdom of the group and the presence of Christ in each of the members of the group.
  2. To engage the otherwith respect, honor and dignity.
  3. To acknowledge the God-values and Creative-Spirit within each one.
  4. To recognize that ALL are equal-in-God, – a foundational human commonality.
  5. To consider all those who share Christian faith (Gal. 6:10) as well as ‘others’ as pilgrims journeying together, thus embodying the life-in-Christ to others.
  6. To invite everyone to come with their gifts and allow a feast to come out of it

C. Be a bit Humble and Simple

  1. To avoid being a know-it-all facilitator.
  2. To be frank, honest and willing to confess own weakness and ignorance.
  3. To admit mistakes done, or misunderstood, and apologize, for the consequences fell on others.
  4. To believe we are not the best, that we need less of praise, notice, or try to project the self as know-all-stuff.
  5. To speak up, gently, succinctly, without raising our voices, thus getting past an initial reaction to a more thoughtful response, if it is necessary at all.

D. Joy, Youthfulness and Laughter

  1. To laugh, but guard against using false humour at the expense of another, to debase, or to dismiss.
  2. To avoid sarcasm and jokes that are dishonest and unclean.
  3. To shower mercy and joy through shared laughter on what is beautiful, good, and true,
  4. To offer all of the participants a sense of unconditional positive regard.
  5. To celebrates the other, by being a great ‘joiner of souls and healer of rifts’.

 E. Run the Way of the Lord.

  1. To ‘run on the path of God’s commandments’ (Ps 119:32), making our hearts overflow “with the inexpressible delight of love.”
  2. To think on how Jesus would facilitate a group.
    • When he argued with Pharisees and showed pity on those who were sheep without a shepherd, he wasn’t known for saying, “I’m sorry, Peter and John, but you’re just wrong; let me [teach you] something’ about God and truth.” Instead Jesus asked questions of those who were with him. Think of his first encounter with Bartimaeus when he asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
    • Jesus invited others to be with him and have dinner with him (e.g. Last Supper.), and he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
  3. To invite them like Jesus, into a process of discovery in finding “the way.”
  4. To take breaks through occasional internet “fasts”from FB, Youtube, Whatsapp etc.
  5. To replace them with reading of Scripture, lives of the saints, instructive treatises and novels, to increase one’s point of view and refresh the mind and soul
  6. To re-enter the fray energized with a healthier frame of mind and body.
  7. To restore the health of our society by reason, religion and loving kindness

F. Use a “language of mystery” with poetry and beauty in hearts:

  1. To act not as teachers of a subject but facilitators of an encounter to deliver the content.
  2. To create a climate of prayer by a conducive background in the room.
  3. To employ a language of mystery through colour, background display, quotation, etc.
  4. To utilize: music/singing, silence, storytelling, sign and symbol, charts, ppt presentation, board, movement and gesture, sacred space, ritual, and works of mercy.
  5. To trust that participants have as much faith in God as you have and allow them to share it..

G. Technique to lead the group in productive ways.

  1. To invite others to share their own answers to the question presented
  2. To admit if I don’t know something and promise to get back to the person later with a response.
  3. To know that they are not always interested in answers;
  4. To invite them to their vulnerability and that they aren’t the only one who struggles
  5. To fulfill their desire to connect and feel connected to others in their faith.
  6. To make it a journey into the process of coming closer to God and not a class, nor a lecture, nor a chore.

H. Demonstration: e.g. Having an online book discussion group

 This can be part of an adult faith formation programs in the parish over a video conferencing through Zoom call.

  1. Not needed to invent new content or new approaches; just begin doing what you do during a personal call on the Internet.
  2. Participants with their computers/ smartphone/ tab participate for one and a half hours.
  3. Doing a pattern of six-week modules each for Lent, Easter, Advent, and same between Sept-Oct, New Year to Lent, and six weeks after Easter

I. Format for an Online Session

 Everyone checks in with each other. (cf. Joe Paprocki, Facilitating a Small Group Online, loyolapress.com/2020/07)

  1. One person is selected to give an update on the week and invites everyone to do the same through a group discussion.
  2. Person who speaks chooses the next speaker until everyone shares. (“popcorning,” with effects on power structures in multicultural groups as well as equalizing gender differences. (Cf. Mutual Empowerment Method in Eric Law, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb)
  3. Then pray on anything that was noted in the check-in: a birthday, an anniversary, a parent who is ill. Thus exploring group’s energy and experience
  4. Begin to discuss the book reading for the week and identify any strengths that we saw.
  5. Use the same technique as used in the check-in, allowing everyone to speak.
  6. Provide a 10-minute prepared observation about the reading in order to go in depth on one or more of the subjects.
  7. Everyone discusses what they think of that prepared observation.
  8. Close with a “check-out” just like the check-in, along with the basic question: What are you taking away from this evening? It might be something from the book, it might be something that the presenter said, something that a fellow member of the group said. It builds a real sense of affirming the goodness and faith in one another that takes hold of the group when done in a trusting and supportive environment.

J. How to interact and follow protocol ?

  1. A video conference has to have clear rules.
  2. Poorly run video conferences lead to a draining of energy and time.
  3. Have a clear and empowering way to hold a meeting, especially on Zoom.
  4. Remind when someone finishes speaking to pick the next speaker …
  5. Always have a prayer moment at the beginning but we wait until everyone has checked in.

K. What challenges are faced doing an online group?

  1. Empowering participants to stay engaged.
  2. The above methodology forces people to stay engaged.
  3. Participants don’t know if they will be picked next.
  4. All form part of the conversation, waiting for their unexpected turns, while developing a trust.
  5. Participants feel quite close to one another and supportive, and wait eagerly for the next meet.

Fr. Soroj Mullick, SDB is a Salesian priest from the Kolkata Province. He has a Licentiate in Catechetics and a Doctorate (Christian Education) from UPS, Italy. He has number of years of teaching experience in college and in the formation of future priests. Besides, he has written number of research papers and articles, and has 25 years of Ministry in India and abroad as Educator, Formator, Retreat Preacher, Editor and engaged in School, Parish Catechetical & Youth Ministry. He is now an assistant priest in Bandel Basilica, rendering pastoral and catechetical ministry to the parishioners and to the pilgrims. He can be contacted at [email protected].