ull motion video from the Center for Ministry Development and over two and a half hours of videotape about adult formation in youth ministry and family life is available from the Center For Ministry Development. See contact information at the bottom of the page. The material on this page is paraphrased and direct quoted from "Family Works" by John Roberto and the Center for Ministry Development. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission. Copyright 1992.

Families are the Domestic Church or the Church of the Home. As Christian Families, we not only belong to the Church, we are a daily expression of the Church. This Domestic Church is not complete within itself. It is supported by and gives life to the Parish Church or Faith Community.

As a Parish develops its Family Life Ministries, it needs to keep the Domestic Church at the Center of the Vision. The Mission of the Family is to...

Families form a loving community
Families serve life by bearing & educating children
Families participate in building a caring & just society
Families share in the life and mission of the Church

The Goal for parish ministries is to promote family faith development by empowering families to share, celebrate, and live the Catholic Faith at home and in the world.

Our Goal is organized into these objectives:

Share the Catholic Faith Story
Celebrate Rituals
Pray Together
Enrich Family Relationships
Respond to Those in Need
Relate to the Wider Community

Focus on the Goal

Effective ministry with families involves building a partnership between the parish church and the home church, which focuses on the unique responsibilities that each have in promoting Faith Growth.

The First Step in building a partnership between home and parish is to create a Vision of Family Faith Development.

The Second Step is to determine how the Parish can empower families to realize their goals.

The key is to focus on Goals, rather than Programs or activities.

The Principles of a Family & Parish Partnership are:

Focus on the Family as a system
Build on family strengths
Respect the individual and cultural differences among families
Respond flexibility to family needs. Offer a variety of programs, strategies, and activities
Reach out to Families, rather than demand participation in parish programs
Offer programs, services, and resources for families at home or in home-like settings
Treat families as partners in ministry
Work collaboratively in the parish and in the community on behalf of families

For more information, contact the Center for Ministry Development at (203) 723-1622.