Is “fast track” still the order of the day?
During one of our cluster meeting I’ve brought up this question in our sharing. Just barely a month after the CLP, in most cases, while still in the Orientation of New Household to CFC there is an urge to give the Covenant Orientation talks right away.
This put the new household head in a dilemma, why? Let's say they're already in their 5th meeting of their ONH2CFC then the CO talk is given. What then will the household head going to do now? Will he resume the 4 remaining meetings of the Orientation of New Household or will he go on with Covenant Orientation Follow-up instead?
Ah-huh... now the cat is out of the bag, so to speak. I've asked about 8 Tito's about this and all of them were honest enough to admit that they forget about the remaining meetings and proceed with the CO Follow-up and that's what seems to be the common practice.
I don’t know why everybody seems to be in hurry - really! Oh no, don't tell me it is because FS talk is next, duh?
This may be so in the beginning to fast track would-be-leaders but that’s almost 10 years ago. I think we’ve compromised a lot in terms of “too-much-to-soon” with our formation teaching that we’ve been at a “receiving mode” for so long that we forgot to switch to “absorbing mode” because the teachings are given in rapid fire succession that we do not have time to reflect and absorb the teachings anymore.
First, let us look at what the “CFC Household Heads Manual” says on page 12:
E. TOPICS FOR MEETINGS
1. For the first year (for new members right after the CLP), the household meetings are used to follow up on the topics in the teaching program. Thus the first year would look like this:
3 months ‑‑ CLP [2 months in this part of the globe]
3 months ‑‑ Follow up
1 day ‑‑ Covenant Orientation [or 2 weekends or 4 HH]
3 months ‑‑ Follow up
1 weekend ‑‑ MER
3 months ‑‑ Follow up
* Manuals are provided for each of the three "Follow up" phases.
And on page 1 of the “Orientation of New Households to CFC we can read in part:
CONTENT OF THE MEETINGS
Since there are 3 household meetings in a month, this 3‑month phase may encompass 9 household meetings in all. Following are the proposed contents for each of these meetings. The household head may opt to have topics or content other than these, as long as the basic objectives for this phase are met.
Let us look at the follow up to CLP, the “Orientation of New Household to CFC”, the manual shows that it consist of nine (9) meetings shown as follows:
On the 1st Month:
Meeting No. 1 - See the “CFC Household Head’s Manual”
Meeting No. 2 - See the “CFC Household Head’s Manual”
Meeting No. 3 - See the “CFC Household Head’s Manual”
Appropriate teaching may be given on the 4th week
On the 2nd Month:
Meeting No. 4
1. Full worship, a separate meeting, fellowship.
2. Topic: Share on personal prayer and Bible reading.
Meeting No. 5
1. Full worship, a separate meeting, fellowship.
2. Topic: Share on personal life‑‑interests, hobbies, work, schedule of activities, etc.
Meeting No. 6
1. Full worship, a separate meeting, fellowship.
2. Topic: Share on family life‑‑relationship with spouse, relationship with children, family schedule, family prayer, family recreation, etc.
Appropriate teaching may be given on the 4th week
On the 3rd Month:
Meeting No. 7
1. Full worship, a separate meeting, fellowship.
2. Topic: Share on how they are experiencing growth in and through CFC.
Meeting No. 8
1. Have full worship.
2. This meeting is a joint meeting.
3. Discuss the CFC logo.
* Do they understand what CFC stands for?
* Where are they at in relation to who they ought to be and what they ought to be for in CFC?
4. Have your time of fellowship.
Meeting No. 9
1. Full worship, a separate meeting, fellowship.
2. Topic for sharing:
* How are they experiencing personal conversion and developing their personal relationship with Jesus?
* How are they appreciating God's call to be in a particular body, which is CFC?
Appropriate teaching may be given on the 4th week
Note
1. Whenever there is a fifth week in the month, this can be devoted to a time of fellowship or a purely social activity. You may choose to do a variety of activities, either in a home or outside.
2. The next phase after this Orientation of New Households is a one‑day recollection referred to as the "Covenant Orientation". In case this is scheduled early, some of the topics of the abovementioned meetings will have to wait for another time. In case the recollection is late, then there will be added household meetings where the topics will have to be decided on by the household head. You have a variety of sources for topics: the CLP talks, the Ugnayan "Growing in the Lord" articles, Christian books, etc.
I distributed the
New Household Guide during our chapter meeting highlighting the 1st year formation course for new households wherein I compiled all year-long activities into one file. I mentioned the importance of this ONH2CFC because this is the get-to-know-you-better or the "bonding" between household head and members. Just look at the topics for discussion from meetings 4 to 9, during the CLP they are on the receiving end and now we get to hear more of them and less of us.
See what a loss if we cut corners by foregoing the remaining follow-up meetings just to give way to the CO talks.
Well I'm not saying that our chapter is the best right now because I'm raising this observation. We are still in the process of correcting this oversight too.
End of observation muna nose bleed na ako eh!
