Forty Years, Countless Lives: Reflection on Teaching NFP
Our oldest daughter recently celebrated her 40th birthday—a milestone that prompted us to reflect on another anniversary: teaching NFP for 40 years. It’s hard to believe that the tiny two-week-old baby in our arms back then is now a grown woman, and that our journey as Natural Family Planning teachers began with that very first Couple to Couple League class.
Change
First, what stands out is all the change we’ve seen. We went from teaching our peers to those younger than us, to teaching those of our children’s age. Now it sometimes feels like we are teaching our grandchildren! Along with this were the technology shifts. We taught that first decade or so using 35 mm slides and a carousel projector. We then moved to DVD, and today we’re teaching online and using cycle tracking apps instead of paper charts.
The CCL curriculum also underwent a significant shift after JPII’s Theology of the Body was published. For us ‘dinosaur’ teachers that meant re-learning the entire course (and with more difficulty un-learning the approach we used previously). This new curriculum was important for us. It arrived just as the local diocese moved to require a full course of NFP as part of marriage prep. This shifted our class attendees from a small cadre of interested couples to a large mass of folks with varying degrees of “interest” in NFP.
This seismic shift in who we were teaching prompted us to initiate a simple post-class survey. It asked the “required” students it they felt they got anything out of our effort. The positive results were unexpected and formed the basis for the now universal post-class survey. The feedback from students has often surprised clergy. It also helped more than a few be convinced learning NFP is good for their engaged couples.
Doubt & Affirmation
The logistics of teaching NFP while raising 4 children were certainly complicated at times. When they were little, the Sunday evening NFP class packing list included toys, treats, and blankets. During class, one of us talked while the other kept the kids busy in the back of the room. Over time the kids were old enough for a babysitter. Then the issue became conflicting schedules from the kids, each involved in their activities.
Despite what sounds like a major hassle, we never really questioned whether we “had time” to teach. On those dark winter days when we would doubt the value of continuing to teach, inevitably one of our students would say something to remind us that what we were doing really was important. Looking back, we simply can’t imagine not having taken the journey.
Your Turn?
If you’re wondering whether teaching NFP is worth the effort, our 40 years of experience say yes. The impact on marriages, families, and our own spiritual journey has been profound. Whether you’re just beginning to use NFP or have years of experience, consider how you might share its beauty with others. The next generation needs mentors. Maybe it’s your turn to say “yes” and begin a journey that could bless countless lives – just as it has ours.
Written for Family Foundations magazine by Mike Manhart, PhD, CCL Board Chair. To learn more about becoming a CCL NFP teacher or promoter, click HERE.