PARISH DISCIPLESHIP FORMATION

Date: 8^th to 27^th January 2016

Venue: The Annex, Montfort Training Centre Kinarut & Sacred Heart Parish Centre

When we give time to God, He is always generous to reveal Himself. Five participants dedicated 20 days of their time in the Parish Discipleship Formation (PDF) organised by LiFE Community. The objective of the PDF is to respond to the call of forming young people to be equipped in making decisions for their future. It is our desire to see young Catholics enter into adulthood with a comprehensive knowledge of who God is, who they are, what the church is all about and what God is calling them towards. The theme for the PDF is taken from the Jubilee Year of Mercy – Be Merciful Like the Father.

The first part of the PDF took place at The Annex, Montfort Youth Training Centre in Kinarut. The 8 day live in phase was a safe haven for the participants to explore in knowledge and experience of who God is and to come to a deeper understanding of their issues as they discover their identity in God as his beloved sons and daughters.

Bonding time at Seaside Traveller's Inn, Kinarut

Times of prayer, worship and ministry

Little Bunny rabbit - led by Jessica

The end of Part 1: Honouring Night

The second part of the PDF, the outreach preparation phase, was run at Sacred Heart Parish Centre. This had equipped the participants in sharing their faith stories through creative ways such as a skit, dance and song in schools, parishes and youth groups as well as a migrant learning centre. The third part of the PDF was the closure which included a retreat and a day of planning for their future. Follow up meetings are offered to them on a monthly basis starting 15th February 2016.

Making cardboard testimonies

The discipleship formation has its focus on community living with a wholistic approach as it includes not only times of prayer and teachings but also times of meal preparation, sports and fun evenings. Most of the sessions were run in the form of a workshop where everyone is actively involved in responding to questions that are practical to their lives.

Creative games by Rachel

Interactive Sessions

The Work of Transformation
It was our privilege to see the participants returning to the heart of God the Father through a deep experience of His love. Their decisions were expressed day after day in times of worship and communal prayer. A place of trust and acceptance had helped them in taking the step to repentance and forgiveness.

The element of community living was essential in living out the truth of what was shared in the teachings and prayer times. A roster for meal preparation, table set up, wash up and preparation of the little altar as the focus of the day helped everyone in serving one another. The expression of gratitude and encouragement was always present among the community.

Living out their identity

Each participant is encouraged to tell their story of transformation in their lives through the PDF. They are being guided in their presentation so that it is relevant to those they meet. All the participants share that they are awakened to their true identity and are working through relationships or situations they struggle with.

We are encouraged and are in awe of the wonder of what God has done in the lives of the participants as well as facilitators as we took this journey together in discovering God and our true identity.

The participants share...

Allister at SM La Salle, leading a small group discussion

“For with God nothing is impossible”

I have just completed my studies in medicine. When I was in University, I struggled a lot with my studies and failed in every exam that I sat for. I saw myself as a failure. I resorted to playing computer games and watching TV series. Even though I finally graduated, deep inside me, that negative self-image had continued to affect my thoughts and beliefs. I feared that I will fail to work effectively when I start working in the hospital.

I experienced community living in the PDF which valued, honoured and affirmed every person. We prayed, learned, shared, cooked, ate and played sports together. I learned in the session of God the Father that he is a Good Father who loves me unconditionally and nothing in the past, present and future can make Him stop loving me.

As I am convicted of God’s truth, I am determined to live my life for God. I had uninstalled all games from my computer and stopped watching TV series because I think that it is a waste of time. If I fall again to this addiction, I want to remind myself of God’s promise that He has a plan that is greater than my addiction.

Allister, 25 years old; Sacred Heart Young Adults Prayer Group

Marisa at SM Konven St Francis, performing and sharingher testimony

Does the world truly define who we are?

Before PDF, I was feeling lost and confused about life because people filled my head with lies by saying I'm not good enough, I'm stupid, ugly and crazy. Soon, I believed those lies and lived by it. I was depressed with the relationships I had with people because they had more mean things to say. That affected my studies and health where I was diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder. I became so afraid of the world and was paranoid to the point that I didn't even want to come out of the house. I dwelled in the past and stayed in fear of the future.

During PDF, God challenged me to come out of the pain when I was in the comfort zone of being broken. I learned that I need to be true to myself and show my true emotions, not hide from people and dare to talk to them and talk to God about it. I learned to go through the darkness to experience the light. This community also guided me in building my self confidence and faith in God.

The PDF had taught me to accept myself so that I can accept others too. When I see myself as a gift, I can be a gift to others too. Yes, I'm still on a journey with Him and He is constantly renewing and reshaping me to be the person I'm meant to be. My past has no power over me anymore. I trust in God to be my guide in this journey of life.

Marissa, 19 years old; Assumption Church, PJ

Rex leading a song at a migrant centre in Inanam Laut

The outreach phase of the PDF had taught me that God our Father can use us as we are to reach his people. I encountered Him more and more while I sang for his people. I was astonished by His beauty of art, a gift in me that I can share. It makes me desire more to serve him in my life. I learned that it is so important for me to keep this relationship with Him – strong and solid, so that I may be able to experience Him as a faithful, merciful and compassionate father.

Rex, 23 years old; Sacred Heart Young Adults Prayer Group

Photos from the Outreach

First Outreach at St Simon Church, Likas

Outreach at SM Konven St Francis

Evangelistic Night at F7 SHPC

Outreach at a migrant centre in Inanam Laut

Parish Discipleship Formation 23rd – 31st January 2015

One of our goals as MAT is to provide training through a programme or a school. The idea of Parish Discipleship Formation (PDF) came about while planning for programmes for 2015. We felt that it was important to provide a place for school leavers to be formed and have opportunities of mission where they are able to share their lives and experience of God. This will in turn equip them for their next steps in life, be it study or work.

We hoped that they will be able to witness to their faith in their daily lives as well as in proclaiming their beliefs through sharing of life and understanding of some basic Catholic teachings.

THE TEAM
Derek, Beatrice and Jeanny are members of MAT. Datina, Joannes and Yvonne are leaders of Sacred Heart Young Adults Prayer Group. Derek, Beatrice, Jeanny and Datina took time off their various ministries to be involved in the programme. Yvonne who teaches at a secondary school in Putatan had taken leave from work. Joannes joined in the weekends and evening after work.

We came together to prepare the programme and bonded with one another through a 2 day facilitators preparation programme before the PDF. We believe that the bonding and preparation had helped us to express community life in a more effective way as we were clear of each others’ expectations, values and passion. As the team came together to pray for the programme, we felt that the scripture in Psalm 1:3 would be the theme. Our desire is to see the participants to be “planted by streams of water that yields its fruits in its season”.

The facilitators took roles as teachers, sharing partners (one to one meetings with participants after every session), small group leaders, leading prayers of the liturgy of the hours, cooking, sports and games. All were involved in the outreach programmes including presentations such as a mime and a sign language dance.
  

THE PROGRAMME
The PDF would like to answer to the call of forming young people to be more equipped as they make decisions about their future. We want to see young Catholics enter into adulthood with a fuller knowledge of who God is, who they are, what the church is all about and what God is calling them to. The programme is designed in two phases where the first part consists of intense teaching and character formation while the second part prepared the participants to share their knowledge and experience in an outreach setting.

As it is a discipleship programme, the focus on community living was emphasised in the programme. The timetable is prepared in a wholistic approach as it includes not only times of prayer and teachings but also times of meal preparation, sports and fun evenings.

The final part of the programme was the outreach phase where we planned to visit two schools and organise an Evangelistic Outreach during Lifeline’s Lifenight on Friday evening.

A day before the programme, we planned to meet the parents of the participants, mainly to introduce to them the facilitators of the programme and to prepare them to receive their children back after the programme. We felt that it was important to prepare the parents so that the participants will not be lost in their experience of the programme but will be able to share and bring it home, with positive response from their parents.

THE PARTICIPANTS' FEEDBACK 

The four participants, Dazie, Eleanor, Luke and Stephen, expressed that they were amazed at how the 9 days have changed their lives. All shared that the element of community living was important in living out the truth of what was shared in the teachings and prayer times. They also mentioned that the sharing partner times were essential in making concrete steps in responding to God.

The positive atmosphere of encouragement and no teasing policy in the programme was a very important element for them to be open to God and to one another. Every person was involved in serving one another and the expression of gratitude and encouragement was always present. Some areas that were put on roster were meal preparation, table set up, wash up and preparation of the little altar as the focus of the day.

Some of the elements of the programme were very important for the participants as they shared that they will practice them when at home. They are the Morning Prayer, Daily Scripture Reflection, encouragement, recipes and sports. The Honouring Night on the last day at the Annex in Montfort Kinarut had been the highlight for all as they were overwhelmed by the encouragement received on what we have seen in each person.

The participants kept the notes given of all that had been shared about them and treasured the realisation of their goodness and blessing to others. The outreaches at La Salle and SM St Francis Convent were good platforms for them to share their testimonies and bring the joy of being Catholics to the students.

The Evangelistic Night which was attended by various youth groups of Sacred Heart Parish. The participants will be connected to one of the youth groups to support them in their spiritual journey.

On the final day, we had mass and lunch as a closure for the event. The participants’ parents came for the event and were thrilled with the transformation in their children. One parent shared that she expected a small “mustard seed” in her daughter through the programme but has witnessed a whole jar instead.