The Process of Formation
Personal Discipline
In general, personal and spiritual growth requires personal discipline. Nathanael is no exception, and each candidate is asked to take the necessary steps in his/her formation as recommended by the team.
Sharing Life and Faith
Throughout the formation process and the discernment lived out in Nathanael, the candidate is invited to write personal reflections that they may then share with the formation team. These reflections may be recorded as a short written piece or through an audio-visual format.
In addition, the candidates will be provided, within the Nathanael community, with the means and opportunities to bear witness to their faith and of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Community Life
Nathanael is not an individualistic journey. The candidate will live an experience of communion within the Church. It is to the extent to which candidates accept to open themselves to others, in confidence, that community will become a reality.
Although each candidate is responsible for his own formation, Nathanael offers a number of ways that this may be achieved. Members of the formation team and occasional guests offer their competencies in different disciplines as well as during each formation weekend.
The Nathanael Program offers many paths of formation:
- teachings
- prayer
- liturgical celebrations
- annual retreats
- periods of silence and reflection
- participation in community or humanitarian service
- sharing in small and large groups
- breaks and relaxation
- sharing of responsibilities
- personal work between formation weekends formations
- a ministry of presence
- evaluation
Nathanael is an adult education approach:
-
takes into account that growth in adults is continuous;
-
each candidate, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is an agent of change in his own formation;
-
works at integrating the different elements of formation;
-
encourages interaction among candidates;
-
includes carrying out concrete individual and community projects;
-
creates an environment that fosters the spiritual and intellectual growth of each candidate.
