Family Foundations Plus - June 2011

Salt & Light

Reflecting God in Our Lives and Marriages Requires Prayer

by Fr. Erik Pohlmeier, member of the CCL Board of Directors

One of the risks of someone well educated in the faith is to know a great deal of what the Church teaches about Jesus and not know Jesus. This is the problem we associate with the Pharisees in the gospel. They were scholars of the law but somewhere along the way lost touch with the Giver of the law. They could not imagine God working in ways outside their expectations, and when Jesus defied all expectations they couldn’t follow.

As people called to be disciples and follow the Master we can learn a great deal from our beloved Blessed John Paul II. In the days around his beatification in May there were many reflections on the qualities that make him a saint. The priest postulator of his cause commented on the source of the late pope’s strength. He said that the study of John Paul II’s life confirmed what many people sensed: The origin of his energy and the depth of his thought were found in his relationship with Christ. “He was a man in constant dialogue with the Lord and built his life around the question asked of Peter, ‘Do you love me?’”

John Paul II was a visionary because he saw the world with the imagination of Christ himself. That was only possible because of constant contact with Jesus in prayer. This is what it means to know Christ and not only know about him.

In our work of building up marriages we stand as witness to the place of Christ in our lives. An authentic witness can happen only when the Lord is the origin of our own efforts. We should continue to be well versed in the teaching of our Church, but we are called to be disciples who can recognize and follow the Lord, even beyond our expectations.

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Spotlight on CCL

League Re-introduces Some Live Teacher Training Events

by Ann Gundlach

In recent months CCL has piloted and re-introduced limited live sessions into its teacher training program. Several years ago the training program was taken completely online to allow the CCL staff to dedicate their time and resources on developing a revised curriculum. Now, after successfully piloting a limited live training program in Arkansas this Spring, more live training events are being planned in select areas.

For example, a training weekend to be held July 8-10 in the Sioux City, Iowa will enable the couples attending to complete 50 percent of the required course work at that time. The couples will complete the other half of the course work online in the comfort of their homes. We also held a Spanish teacher training event in Fresno, Calif. earlier in June.

“We are excited about being able to bring back some limited live training events,” said Mike Manhart, executive director. “Besides dramatically speeding up the time it takes a couple to complete their training, we always knew the live events were important in other ways. For instance, it is such an advantage for a couple in training to actually meet, get to know, and bond with other couples who are likewise getting into this ministry. That’s a powerful intangible that you just can’t get in a completely online program.”

Because hosting live training weekends is a more expensive option, “we will be selective” in how many training events are scheduled and where they are held. Typically there will need to be at least five candidate couples able to attend, and a financial commitment from the local area to help defray some of the cost to CCL.

Next training event ― Los Angeles

The next scheduled weekend training is September 17-18 in Los Angeles, Calif. There will be a nominal fee per couple for provided childcare, and attendees are responsible for their own transportation and lodging costs. All training seminars are open to any candidate couple currently in the program. Those who are interested but not already in the program can get more information on the CCL website at www.ccli.org, click on “Learn/Teach.” You must apply by submitting the online Teaching Couple Application Form. Once approved, there are five online courses that must be completed prior to attending the seminar. If you have any questions, please contact Rich Braun at CCL at 800-745-8252, ext. 3105.