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Connecting Practically

    By Sam Rahberg

    This spring, Bridge Builders for a Thriving Mission has gathered aspiring lay pastoral caregivers for our first iteration of the Community of Hope International training. About halfway through the 14 modules, we are discovering two dynamics that reflect the heart and commitment of these caregivers—they are hungry for connection and they are eager to practice what they are learning. These insights may not come as a surprise to other COHI circles, especially because the curriculum is designed to serve and sustain these very purposes. However, we as trainers are paying close attention to these dynamics as signs of our times and instructions for our facilitation.

     

    First, we detect a pervasive hunger to be more truly seen and heard. Given the slightest opening into a meaty question, our participants—nearly to a person!—become generous with their stories and transparent with their questions. That comes as testimony to the broader need for listeners and safe spaces in which people can share. It also means we as facilitators need to be focused and intentional so that this kind of connection has room to breathe.

     

    Second, we recognize people’s desire to “translate into action these holy teachings” (to borrow a phrase from Benedict’s Rule). We observe whole-hearted participation in the sharing exercises and significant stories of impact about how this training is already making a difference in their ordinary lives. That just seems good for the world and underscores how facilitators need to preserve room for this kind of guided practice in our gatherings. The next time we meet, we’ll be debriefing their first practice visits. We’re learning that it is essential for the facilitators to cultivate a spirit of genuine connection and grounded practice—with strong attention to the rhythms of our short times together. That sounds not unlike the ways we are connecting practically in a pastoral visit, too!

     


    This article originally appeared in the April 2024 Community of Hope International newsletter. For more information about COHI, visit their website at https://www.cohinternational.org. For more information about lay pastoral caregiver training through Bridge Builders for a Thriving Mission, please contact Sam Rahberg at srahberg001@csbsju.edu.

    A Gift That Needs to Be Opened

      By Rose Suchy

      Have you ever gotten a gift from someone and not opened it? Most of us are very excited and anxious to open any gift that we receive. We are all given special gifts from God at our baptism that are called charisms. Many people go through their lives not using their God-given gifts. I discovered my charisms through the Called & Gifted program from the Catherine of Siena Institute. The program describes the charisms and explains how they are revealed in our lives. After that, time is needed to experiment with the possible charisms to determine which ones may be feasible for you.

       

      Having completed the program online during COVID, it was very difficult to experiment and discern which charisms I was gifted with while social distancing was required. Only after completing the Team Training, which equips one to help others to discern their gifts, was I able to discern my gifts. How did I discover my gifts? By paying attention to everyday occurrences and discovering patterns, as well as noticing my feelings during encounters with other people. Charisms are used for others, never for yourself and never for evil. While exercising a charism, you feel energized, time flies by, and it can feel like prayer because the Holy Spirit is working through you. Effectiveness is another indicator of a charism. Also, feedback from others, either directly or indirectly, helps you discern if you have a certain charism. Negative feedback is very helpful as well, because it helps to discern if a charism is not one of yours.

       

      Two of my gifts are listening and encouragement; teaching could be another. One of my tasks at the parish is to call the parishioners who seldom leave their home and set up a date for the pastor to visit. One of these phone calls lasted over an hour! I simply listened to the person, who was crying when I called, but after she shared some of her concerns, she had stopped crying and shared some more. At one point she said, “We’ve been on the phone for an hour!” and proceeded to talk some more. She said she felt much better after our visit.

       

      Grieving with Great Hope from FORMED.org is a program I use to help people who are dealing with grief because a loved one has died. We watch the videos, and people share their experiences with each other. During this program, I listen and encourage people to contribute to the conversation. The participants help each other by creating a safe place for sharing tears and feelings. The feedback participants have given me is amazing! They discover that grief is unique to each individual and that’s okay.

       

      All of us were created by God to accomplish a certain mission on this earth. Discovering our charisms helps us to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ on earth, in addition to becoming who God created us to be!



      If you are interested in participating in Called & Gifted, please contact Barbara Sutton at bsutton@csbsju.edu.

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