ELM: Leadership Formation
- Those who are entering a new ministry
- Those who have ministerial experience, but need theological or pastoral development
- Those who wish to participate in ongoing formation in ministry
Program Requirements
Certificate of Completion
Costs
How to Apply
Whom to Contact
Ministerial Mentor
Each participant selects a volunteer ministerial mentor. A volunteer mentor is procured through one’s own research, or the OEEC coordinates the pairing based on ministerial interests, stage of life, and other such parameters.
A mentor should be someone who is currently ministering in, or has in the past ministered in, the participant’s own area of ministry; a mentor should also be prepared to engage consistently with the participant as adviser, guide, and conversation partner to assist in reflection and growth throughout the program.
Meetings with mentors are required throughout the 1.5 year process, as coordinated between the participant and mentor.
Courses
Six (6) core courses are required. Five (5) of those are offered online, through the Notre Dame STEP program. They are:
- Core Course: Introduction to the Catholic Faith
- Ecclesiology
- Liturgy: A Guide for the Perplexed
- Catholic Social Teaching
- The Intercultural Church: Theological Foundations and Pastoral Practices
One (1) core course will be a live (in-person) class in the Archdiocese of Hartford:
- Making Sense of the Bible in the Catholic Tradition
Two (2) elective courses will be required, of the participant’s choice. Notre Dame STEP courses, as well as those offered through the OEEC, will be eligible, provided they comply with the expectations of the participant’s ministerial track.
Formation: In-Person Gatherings
Formation Days are day-long gatherings of the cohort to provide in-person community-building, as well as formation on ministry-specific topics.
The themes for each occasion are:
- Formation Day I: Discernment: Is This Where God is Calling Me?
- Formation Day II: Workers, Not Master Builders: Starting and Sustaining A Ministry
- Formation Day III: The Spirituality of Leadership
Written Reflections
Reflections are written in collaboration with one’s ministerial mentor and pastor/supervisor. They are prepared with coursework, parish ministry experience, mentor conversations, and formation days in mind, and demonstrate the formation of the participant taking place.
They are submitted at three points throughout the program:
- Post-Pentecost
- Advent
- Post-Easter
Certificate of Completion
A key component of leadership is a commitment to ongoing formation, after formal formation has ended. The OEEC offers a variety of opportunities for ongoing formation in parish ministry.
Costs
The breakdown of cost includes but is not limited to:
- Cost of courses
- Cost of formation days
- Cost of materials
Distribution of funds can be determined between the pastor and participant, although investment on the part of the parish is expected.
How to Apply
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A completed application form
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A pastor recommendation, which includes the commitment of the pastor as supervisor (or a suitable replacement)
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A selection of a ministerial mentor
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A declaration of a ministerial focus
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An in-person interview with the Archdiocesan Director of Faith Formation or her delegate
Point of Contact
Kelly Henderschedt
Archdiocesan Director of Faith Formation
Kelly.Henderschedt@aohct.org