Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ - John 17:3

Catholic faith formation is a form of evangelization. Evangelization is the fundamental mission of the Church. It describes all the ways the Church—including clergy, religious, and all the baptized faithful—teaches, celebrates, and witnesses to the gospel message with the aim of conforming hearts and minds to Jesus Christ. Evangelization includes an introduction to the gospel message through word and deed with a focus on receiving the gift of faith. Faith formation primarily focuses on deepening initial conversion to faith. It incorporates the catechetical, liturgical, and pastoral ministries. Because it is a form of evangelization, faith formation is a lifelong process.
 

Goals of Faith Formation
 

Promote Ongoing Conversion to Jesus

Conversion is the primary goal of faith formation. Conversion describes a commitment to Christ, reflected in a person’s decisions, actions, and relationships. Receiving the gift of faith begins the conversion process. Conversion has a beginning, often referred to as “initial conversion.” We are never done conforming our lives to Christ. It is an ongoing process or “journey.” The role of faith formation is to both inspire initial conversion and, subsequently, deepen it.

Promote/Support Active Membership Within the Believing Community

Faith includes both a set of beliefs and a set of actions that correspond to those beliefs. But faith is not lived in isolation. The life of faith is lived in community with other believers. We are called, by God, to community. The Word of God, the Sacraments, Ordained Ministers, and the witness of the faithful, together, inspire and nurture faith. To be formed in the faith, in part, is to be prepared for life in a community—a life marked by service, humility, and charity.

Call and Prepare Members to Act as Disciples in Worldly Mission

Catholic faith formation nurtures conversion that is directed not only toward service of the believing community, but also to society at large. Jesus called his disciples to go out to all the world to spread the good news of salvation. Catholics do this when they use their gifts and talents in the service of others. Evangelization—proclaiming the Good News of Christ—is not just a matter of preaching but showing charity to others. Faith formation nurtures the mind and the heart so that the gospel message may be evidenced by words and deeds.



Tasks of Faith Formation
 

Learn the faith

Knowledge of the faith is key to conversion and ongoing discipleship. Understanding and reason inform our experience of faith. Being a disciple is a way of life that includes both the heart and the mind. Sacred Scripture and Catholic Tradition inform our understanding of faith. They give us a language for speaking about our faith and celebrating it (liturgy).

Celebrate the faith

Faith is a relationship. It is how we relate to God. Our relationship with God is something we not only think about, but also celebrate. Liturgy, with the Mass as its culmination, is how we celebrate our faith together. When we celebrate, we pray, hear God’s Word, and receive his grace sacramentally. The sacraments are not only milestones in the disciple’s life, they begin, nourish, and renew it.

Choose the faith

We choose our faith when we follow the Ten Commandments and, in a particular way, the Beatitudes of Jesus. Life as a disciple necessarily includes a moral component. God has a will for us to discover and live. To follow God’s will, we have to make daily choices for or against God. When we choose to follow God the Father, we most resemble his Son, Jesus. The grace of the Sacraments helps us to follow God. The Word of God and the Teachings of the Church also inform our choices.

Pray the faith

Prayer is our lifeline. When we pray, we connect with God, the Communion of the Saints, and each other. Like Scripture and Church Tradition, prayer is a language of faith. It gives expression to our heart’s desires and hopes, as well as our fears and anxieties. The Psalmsis a book of prayers put to music. They cover the entire human emotional experience. Learning to pray includes understanding the different forms and methods of prayer the Church provides.

Share the faith

All who are baptized are called to be disciples. To be a disciple means to be a person of mission. Christ sent his disciples out to share the good news. We share in that same mission. We share the gospel message when we offer a witness of faith and life that is consonant with Jesus as he is presented in the Gospels. We also witness with words. The mission fields in our lives are our homes, parishes, and communities.

Live the faith

We are baptized into a faith community. Our faith is nurtured by the corporate witness of faith the community provides. To be a disciple, then, is to be a person who lives in community with others. Community is the structure of the Church and the context in which believers receive God’s grace, grow in faith, and share their gifts with others. Life in a faith community is the context in which we carry out the tasks of catechesis.


Faith Formation through Catechesis and Religous Education 
 

One could say that faith is the great gift of evangelization; and the appreciation of faith is the great gift of catechesis. The word catechesis comes from the Greek word meaning “to echo.” Catechesis is the process of forming people as witnesses of Jesus Christ. Catechesis builds on the faith received through systematic instruction. It is a deepening of the mysteries of the faith. Catechesis is a life-long process of initial conversion, formation, education, and on-going conversion. Catechesis takes many forms, including the catechesis of children, families, and adults.

Encounter with Christ

Encounter is a meeting. In a religious sense, it is the beginning of a relationship with God and the Church. However, encounter is not reserved for sacramental preparation and initiation. Hopefully, we encounter God, anew, throughout our lives. To further mobilize Catholics to be a “people of encounter,” Pope Francis offers a few other actions that are critical to appropriating the dynamism of Christ in the Gospels within the work of catechesis: Invitation, Welcome, Listening, and Service.

Accompaniment

Encountering Christ is actually a first phase in a larger process known as “Accompaniment.” Accompaniment is focused on nurturing interpersonal relationships, connecting faith and life experience, love of God, and love of neighbor. Accompaniment has three phases: Encounter, Sharing Faith Experiences, and Systematic Instruction. Recognizing that meaningful relationships are key to religious conversion, accompaniment is a process that has applications beyond catechesis: It is a way of being church today.

Missionary Discipleship

Our Church is a community of missionary disciples who experience Christ and witness to Christ. We can be missionary disciples within the contexts of our daily lives, a moment-to-moment commitment to being Christ-bearers to all those we meet. Missionary disciples are characterized by the joy of faith and their work entails evangelizing, peacemaking, compassion, and accompaniment.


 

*Taken from Sadlier Religion*