1. Practical Tips for Formators
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

2. Tell us about yourself as a formator.
What are your gifts, and what would you like to learn today?
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
Fraternity
How long as LFD
Gifts
Needs/desire to learn

3. A Catholic formator is someone who…
Is a well-formed Catholic
Has a prayer life—both private and liturgical
Meditates on Sacred Scripture
Is familiar with the major documents of the Church (Vatican II and CCC)
Is committed to building up the Church using his/her God-given talents
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
All of this is important in that we form those entrusted to us through our example in addition to any information we give them.
Knowledge and personal witness are essential
Essential Catholic Christian attributes: (What is Formation-Anne Mulqueen)
􀁸 A fully initiated Catholic—having received all the sacraments
appropriate to his or her state of life
􀁸 A person of both private and liturgical prayer
􀁸 A person devoted to meditating on Sacred Scripture, especially
the gospels—going from gospel-to-life and life-to-gospel
􀁸 A person familiar with the major documents of the Church,
especially the Second Vatican Council documents and the
Catechism of the Catholic Church
􀁸 A person committed to building up the Church using one’s
God-given talents

4. A Secular Franciscan formator is someone who…
Has internalized the charism of St. Francis
Understands lay spirituality
Understands the Secular Franciscan charism–importance of fraternity
By his/her life proclaims the Franciscan way of life
(Crib and Cross-the Incarnation; Conversion [We are the order of Penance], Creation and Christ himself in Scripture and the Eucharist)
Essential Secular and Franciscan traits:
Desire to live the Gospel
o Following Francis
o Through conversion to the gospels
o In fraternity
o As a member of the Catholic Church
o Living a secular lifestyle
o In life-giving union with all members of the Franciscan family
􀁸 Familiar with
o Sacred Scripture; the Rule; the General Constitutions; International Statutes;
o National Statutes; the Ritual;
o the Franciscan charism
o books and resources on St. Francis, St. Clare, and other Franciscan saints
o official Church documents
The laity’s specific character is “secular.” They seek the Kingdom of God in the world by engaging in the affairs of the world and directing them according to God’s will (LG). They grow in intimate union with God, “in” and “by means” of the world. Their spirituality therefore is not a matter of departing from the world as the monks and the nuns do. It is precisely through the material world that they sanctify themselves and reach God.
This was precisely what PCP II meant when it described the elements of Lay Spirituality as follows:
A genuine love for and personal commitment to Jesus Christ
Love for the Church
Fidelity to her teachings and respect for their pastors
Dedication for their families and to the apostolate of the family
Love for neighbor, especially the poor and those in need
Dedication to the promotion of justice with involvement in the socio-political, economic problems of the society where they live
Regular reception of the sacraments
Practices of some devotion, especially in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary
There are many different Forms of Spirituality which have developed over the centuries and after Vatican II:
Spirituality traditions among Major Religious Orders and their Emphases:
Desert Spirituality – emphasis on prayer in solitude, asceticism, and a life of sacrifice
Benedictine Spirituality – emphasis on community life, order, and obedience to superiors
Franciscan Spirituality – emphasis on life of poverty, love of nature, and charity to those in need
Dominican spirituality – emphasis on poverty, love of preaching and devotion to truth
Ignatian Spirituality – emphasis on examination of one’s life, discerning the will of God
Carmelite Spirituality – emphasis on interior detachment, silence, solitude, spiritual progress
Others: Redemptorist Spirituality, French school of spirituality, etc.
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

5. Tell us a little about your formation groups.
Who are we forming?
Tell us a little about your formation groups.
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

6. Getting to know the newbies…
First: get to know your brothers and sisters
How much do they already know about the topic? (Ask them some questions)
What are their capabilities?
We must rely on their strengths and overcome weaknesses
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
Some listen and work well on their own
Some need concrete presentations—step-by-step directions and personal involvement
Some think in symbols and need to make mental pictures—they like well-organized presentations with substance
Some will enjoy discussions and unstructured sessions

7. How do you plan your formation sessions?
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
What materials are you using?
How do you prepare for a formation session Initial/Ongoing?

8. So Much Material! Start with the basics
F. U. N.
MANUAL
So Much Material!
Start with the basics
Read and pray the articles of the Rule/Constitutions which apply to that lesson
Read and pray over any scripture that goes along with the topic (see Initial formation syllabus)
Read any reference to the CCC
Read the chapter in the Franciscan Journey
Read the Chapter in the FUN Manual
Refer to other materials available as extra resources from the FUN Manual
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
It can be overwhelming
This does not mean that all of this material has to be presented to those being formed!
A lot of this is for your background, much of which you might be familiar with. However, going deeper into these topics makes you a better
Formator and a better Secular Franciscan. The newbies will have a lifetime to internalize what you already know.

9. So Much Material! As you read the material decide:
What portion you will present and how you will present it
Take into account the abilities and interests of those in formation/ongoing formation
Take into account what elements are absolutely essential for the participants to take away
Transformational aspect
Items to be re-enforced by questions/discussion
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

10. Remember: The goal is to help those being formed to..
Understand what a vocation is
Discern whether or not they have a vocation
Intensify and better understand their Catholicism
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

11. Remember: The goal is to help those being formed to..
Start becoming part of the family
Understand and internalize the culture of being a Franciscan
Begin to understand the Franciscan charism
Understand the importance of the Rule they will eventually profess
Realize that they are on the road to being transformed!
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

12. Diane F. Menditto, OFS
Reading; lecture; with a partner; thinking; in a small group; collaborating with others; in a large group
Some adults will come to formation sessions with a desire and ability to delve into material on their own
Some will come with little desire or ability to read on their own but with great desire to learn about our way of life
Everyone needs to feel involved in the process—dialogue, listening, speaking
Each person has something special that is God-given…build on this

13. How do you enjoy learning?
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

14. When you plan, keep in mind that…
Adults enjoy sharing their experiences
Adults want to be comfortable in the learning environment
Adults want clear goals
Adults respond to positive and respectful relationships
Adults expect their individual strengths and weaknesses to be taken into consideration
Adults have different learning and communicating styles
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

15. Passive
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
Participatory

16. Tips for putting it all together
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

17. Instructor/Facilitator’s Role
Provide core material
Guide learners to seek information
Set the tone for discussions
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
F. U. N.
MANUAL

18. Use EMPATHIC listening Be SENSITIVE PONDER EXAMINE CONFIDENTIALITY
RESPECTFUL COMMUNICATION GUIDELINES As presented by Fr. Eric Law at the 2007 Quinquennial
R = E = S = P = C = T =
RESPONSIBILITY
Use EMPATHIC listening 
Be SENSITIVE
PONDER
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
EXAMINE  
Speaking of good communication skills, candidates should learn from the beginning how to communicate well in fraternity. The first part of good communication is good listening skills:
Take RESPONSIBILITY for what you say and feel without blaming others
Empathetic listening (or Empathic) is paying attention to another person with empathy [emotional identification, compassion, feeling, insight]. One basic principle is to "seek to understand, before being understood”.
Empathetic Listening is a technique which can help you manage and avoid disruptive and assaultive behaviors. The foundation of the technique can be summarized in 5 simple steps.
Provide the speaker with your undivided attention. This is one time “multi-tasking” or “rapid refocus” will get you in trouble.
Be non-judgmental. Don’t minimize or trivialize the speakers issue.
Read the speaker. Observe the emotions behind the words. Is the speaker angry, afraid, frustrated or resentful. Respond to the emotion as well as the words.
Be Quiet. Don’t feel you must have an immediate reply. Often if you allow for some quiet after the speaker has vented, they themselves will break the silence and offer a solution.
Assure your understanding. Ask clarifying questions and restate what you perceive the speaker to be saying.
Following these procedural steps will place you in a better situation for addressing the key issue.
Be SENSITIVE to differences in communication styles 
PONDER what you hear and feel before you speak
EXAMINE your own assumptions and perceptions
Keep CONFIDENTIALITY 
TRUST ambiguity because we are NOT here to debate who is right or wrong. Also, trust each other, develop trust in the group
CONFIDENTIALITY 
TRUST

19. Learners’ Role Read ahead and pray over material
Be ready with questions
Prepare a presentation on a topic.
Be ready to share personal experiences that apply.
Keep a personal journal that relates to the subject.
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
Tell them what you expect from them
They must realize that they are discerning, learning, participating, collaborating, seeing if they fit in, transforming, strengthening their Catholic faith, learning more about the Church and Scripture, transforming into a Franciscan, walking along the road to being united with Christ more fully than before.
Second half of pyramid

20. COLLABORATION
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

21. Collaboration for Communication
Fraternities need good communication skills
Collaborative learning helps adults
Learn material
Learn communication skills
Learn conflict management skills
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

22. Think Pair Share
Entire group given time to think about answers to a question or questions.
Pair off
Share response or opinion
Some answers can be shared with large group
Facilitator can expand the share into a large group discussion
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

23. Pair Read Partners read a passage silently
Take turns describing the content to each other
They discuss the passage
Partners should be able to answer questions about the passage
This can be turned into a general discussion
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

24. Analyze a Video
Ask learners to jot down the four most important points that strike them as they watch the video
In groups of two or three:
Discuss each person’s four important points.
Choose the most representative three - six points to present to the whole group.
Facilitator needs to link both video and responses to the point of the lesson!
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

25. Wrap-up Questions
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

26. Example of Mutual Invitation
Remind learners of respectful communication
Choose a passage from scripture or from formation material.
Invite someone to read the passage.
Invite participants to capture a word, phrase or image when listening to the passage the first time.
A moment of silence
Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her word, phrase or image briefly.
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

27. Dialogue: Using Mutual Invitation As presented by Fr
Dialogue: Using Mutual Invitation As presented by Fr. Eric Law at the 2007 Quinquennial
The facilitator shares first.
After he/she has spoken, he or she then invites another to share. (Does not need to be the person next to you.)
After the next person has spoken, that person invites another to share.
If you have something to say but are not ready yet, say “pass for now” and then invite another to share. You will be invited again later.
If you don't want to say anything, simply say "pass" and proceed to invite another to share.
We do this until everyone has been invited.
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

28. Invite another person to read the passage again.
This time, depending on the passage, ask another question.
“What does God invite you to do, be or change through this passage?” (For a scripture passage or article of the Rule)
For a formation or continuing formation passage, you might ask: “How does this passage affect my commitment as a Secular Franciscan?”
Give a moment of silence to reflect on the question.
Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her reflection.
End the session with prayer
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

29. The Plan for Today (About three hours)
Diane F. Menditto, OFS

30. Planning together Journey- Chapter 1 Discernment Prologue to the Rule
Mark 2: 15-17
Vocation: God’s Call (FUN Manual)
Journey-Chapter 15 Gospel, Conversion and Reconciliation
Rule 7 and GC 8.1, 8.2, 13.1, 13.2
Penitence and Conversion (FUN Manual)
The Rule of the SFO pp (FUN Manual)
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
What do you notice about the two sessions we will work with today?
How will the lessons be different?
Early on, what should we concentrate on?
Later, how can you build on what has gone before?
Vocation God’s Call is located between Introduction to the Franciscan Family and Our Identity as Secular Franciscans
Penitence and Conversion located between Profession and Fraternity and Francis
SFO Rule pp located between Franciscan Movement and Justice, Peace and
Integrity of Creation
Half the group takes first section
Half the second section
Situations:
One person
2-5 people
Ongoing formation
Variety of educational backgrounds
Variety of language backgrounds

31. Overall summary (what are the important points and goals)
Starting Out
What kind of group?
Overall summary (what are the important points and goals)
What kind of presentation?
What type of discussion?
What end result (transformative aspect)?
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
The sample lessons should incorporate the best ideas your teams have to offer
About three hours

32. Take a bit of time to get to know each other Share the ideas/material
Starting Out
Take a bit of time to get to know each other
Share the ideas/material
Decide what form your sample lesson will take
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
The sample lessons should incorporate the best ideas your teams have to offer
About three hours

33. Each Lesson should contain
Opportunity for shared prayer
Fraternity among the learners—face time!
Background reading for the learners
Strong presentation and explanation of new more challenging material with time for questions and discussion
Something from the Rule and Constitutions
Insight into the Franciscan way of life
And?
Diane F. Menditto, OFS
A clear goal or theme

34. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
For reference and inspiration:
FUN Manual
Franciscan Journey
Formation Resource Manual Revised
Guidelines for Initial Formation in the Secular Franciscan Order
Diane F. Menditto, OFS