CCL hosts Bay-area teacher training seminar

One of our favorite things to do is hold teacher training seminars (TTS). These weekend training sessions are a boost to everyone involved, not just the couples learning but also to the CCL staff who present and those involved in the planning and promotion. These seminars are HOPEFUL — we will soon have more certified teaching couples witnessing to the benefits of NFP in their local areas and providing NFP education to more engaged and married couples. And, best of all, we get to spend time with fantastic couples who are on fire with enthusiasm for what NFP has done for them and who can’t wait to share it with others!

Our most recent TTS was held in San Francisco the weekend of Nov 13-15, and directed by Executive Director Mike Manhart and his wife Karen. There was a fantastic turnout, with 13 couples in attendance eager to learn. Four couples hailed from San Francisco, while five traveled in from Sacramento, and two came from both the Oakland and Santa Rosa dioceses.

“This group was extremely enthusiastic, motivated and engaged with the training,” commented Mike.

While normally CCL’s teacher training is done online, a TTS is a great opportunity for candidate teaching couples for a variety of reasons. It allows dedicated time for couples to complete 50% of their training modules with face-to-face instruction from a CCL-certified teacher trainer. It also provides a setting for couples to get to know one another and bolster community within their chapter.

Dioceses also benefit greatly when CCL holds a TTS, as it means they will have multiple teaching couples ready to teach NFP!

A TTS is successful when the chapter and diocese work together to recruit new teachers and plan the logistics. Our chapter coordinators in San Francisco — Bill and Pat Turrentine — worked hard in the months leading up to the event to make it successful. “Pat and Bill have been praying for couples to come forward for months and proactively reached out to many potential candidate couples by phone leading up to the weekend. Pat also worked with parish and diocesan leaders who then got involved in inviting potential candidates,” Mike explained.

While these seminars require work, the payout is huge. In this case, the payout extends to couples preparing for marriage in dioceses near San Francisco Bay. Mike emphasized, “The camaraderie that developed over the weekend will help move NFP efforts in the Bay-area forward significantly.”

To explore the possibility of bringing a CCL Teacher Training Seminar to your diocese, contact CCL’s Director of Diocesan Outreach, Erick Carerro, at ecarrero@ccli.org or 513-471-2000 ext 1034.