As a fruit of IFFAsia’s Vocational Encounter efforts in 2018 in South Luzon, the Diocese of Legazpi invited us to facilitate the pilot modular course for the young ministers of their diocese. The formation called Youth Formators’ Initiation on Renewed Evangelization (or YouFire 1.0) with the theme “Building Effective Youth Minister: An Evangelizer to Fellow Youth” was held last March 8-10, 2019 at Harong Kan Ama (House of the Father), Mater Salutis College Seminary Compound, Sipi, Daraga, Albay. YouFire aims to provide the youth with a comprehensive integral faith formation and train them to be dynamic servant leaders. This formation was attended by 27 Youth Leaders coming from the different parishes of the Diocese of Legazpi plus four of their diocesan youth formators.
We used a variety of methods including inputs, team building activities, group work and reflection followed by sharing. Following the basic pedagogy of Fondacio, this training was designed to help the young people to discover more of their gifts as a person, to relate better with their fellow youth ministers, to deepen their relationship with God and finally to get involved better in society and in the world.
De Bono’s Six Hats as a teamwork strategy was the first input to enrich the participant’s critical thinking. IFFA team also shared Fondacio’s best practice in preparing activities or program emphasizing on the friendship with Christ and the World.
The highlight of the training, which was the Module Making, is composed of three main segments; sharing of Fondacio’s module creation process, module making Workshop and input on Presentation and Facilitation Skills. To deepen the learning, the participants grouped into four teams were asked to design a program/ activity outline.
By the end of the 3-day training, the participants were able to come out with the outline of a program/ activity. Each group presented their programs and activity outline and received feedback from their fellow youth ministers which served as their practice of the facilitation and presentation skills they have learned.
Aside from our team, sessions were also given by the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen of the Philippines (BCBP) Legazpi and the counterpart from Diocesan Youth Formation Team. Bishop Baylon concluded the formation by encouraging the youth minister to continue their journey and services to the youth. He also thanked them for their willingness and readiness to serve, to be formed, and to be witnesses to the world.
By Imelda Soidi