Training in the Practice of Group Facilitation, Course in Rome
A longer weekend post, story and many photos - thanks for photos, Chung and Peter, for texts, Peter and Chris.
Our participants, Peter, Chung and Kimi - obviously an occasion of blessing
Peter Hendriks writes:
Training in the Practice of Group Facilitation is a 10-week course with eight weeks being online and two weeks being an intensive practicum with the participants gathering in Rome. We've just finished the intensive and have three more weeks of the online course remaining.
The intensive was a practicum to develop our skills in facilitating groups. There are many styles of facilitation, many methods, and modes. An important one for the MSC, which was given a fair deal of focus, was the communal discernment based on Brian Gallagher's book on Communal Wisdom.
Facilitators, Chris, Carol, Ireneo
There were 12 participants on the course, with two MSC Assistant Generals, three members of the FDNSC leadership team, including their Superior General, three from Brazil, including a laywoman, one from South Africa, and three from Australia/Vietnam.
A vital skill for a facilitator is to be aware of the movements within him or herself. This assists in preventing their own issues from interfering with their role, and it can also be an indicator of what is happening within the group.
The 3 Brazilians will assist Chris Chaplin with the Spanish-speaking version of the course, which will commence in the second half of the year.
MSC and OLSH work together in challenging situations
Chris Chaplin, Course facilitator writes on the aims of the course. Writes
The current batch Trainees participating in the English language, MSC Ongoing Formation, Training in the Practice of Group Facilitation, met in Rome recently (April 21-May 3) for their two-week face to face practicum. The practicum experiential learning Module is a central aspect of the fourteen-week training together with twelve weeks of online learning. Each of the 8 online Modules have 5 Units (or Lessons) of theoretical input (video clips, reading, research) with online exercises to be submitted. Trainees also join an Online Learning Community with peers for review of facilitation challenges, and have a weekly accompaniment session with their designated Trainer. Trainees include MSC, FDNSC, and lay members of the Chevalier Family.
The aim of the program is to train participants in the practice of group facilitation. It is especially for those in leadership and leadership teams who want to learn skills in facilitated accompaniment; for formators working to empower formandi in the journey of self-discovery and motivation for mission; for those interested in enabling others by connecting them to their own inner passion; for those wishing to gain skills in the facilitation of Communal Wisdom discernment; and for those working in the ministry of ongoing formation, workshops, retreats, etc.
It is expected that participants will complete a standard of training that enables them to competently commence practice as a facilitator. The training has been given professional recognition by the MSC General Conference. We hope to grow in those who participate in this training a sense of the importance of their own competence and capacity to facilitate process-oriented facilitation that is deeply rooted in Heart Spirituality, and to grasp the significance of discernment, accompaniment, and self-discovery, in group facilitation (enabling Formation of the Heart). Furthermore, we aim to develop networks of facilitators who are able to support each other as peers and are competent in coordinating and facilitating within their own organisations, at home and internationally.
So, in facilitation, height is not significant
The English language program finishes in early June. The Spanish/Portuguese language version of the Training begins in late June, with a practicum in Juiz de Fora, Brazil.
