Virtual Learning Community

I will be blogging both days from the convocation (Feb. 4 and 5). Follow me on our VLCFF Facebook Fan Page!

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Consider the following quote from Fr. Richard Rohr's new book The Naked Now: "Most of Jesus' contemporaries missed the 'Real Presence' that was right in their midst and most of them were religiously observant people, as we might say today, 'practicing Catholics.'"

When you study your faith do so in a manner that grows relationships with God, self, and others. The 'middle C' of VLCFF calls our learners to community.

Keep looking for God's blessings on your faith journey.

Well its now official. We hit 800 registrations for Cycle 1.

It is an amazing ministry in which I am proud to be a part.

All of you share in this accomplishment in one way or another.

From those behind the scenes, to the wonderful facilitators, to the designers, to the people who work on appearance and function of the site.

And of course all our wonderful VLCFF students who help spread the word.

I am wondering who all out there has used or visited My Catholic Voice

Please post your feedback to this blog post.

The Institute of Pastoral Initiatives is pleased to announce an exciting new initiative by our Institute: courses which can be taken for undergraduate credit!  These courses, with their content, requirements, and facilitators, offer a level of study enabling students who cannot devote the time or resources to a traditional undergraduate-level course of study to earn college credits in theology.  These courses:

Are approved by the University of Dayton as credit yielding courses. Can be used toward completion of an undergraduate degree at another school, provided the student was admitted into the program and the host school accepts the credits. Last five weeks per course for one credit hour.  If students finish at least three courses, they will have earned three credits or the equivalent of completing a traditional semester-long class.

Each one credit class costs $200.  Even after calculating the total for a full-track of classes, this is a great value considering the content and personal attention a student would receive from our course facilitators when compared with traditional classes.

The first classes are available to register in right now and will begin on January 10th.  They are: Rel. 210: Introduction to Scripture, Rel. 211: Introduction to Old Testament, Rel. 212: Introduction to New Testament, and Rel. 264: Poverty in the U.S. and the World.  More classes have already been approved, or are in process of being approved, for undergraduate credit and will be introduced later in 2010.

If you have any questions, please contact Richard Drabik

Registration for the 7th Cycle of 2009 has reached 675. This is an all time high and reflects just how popular our new Certificate in Catechesis is. Thank you all for promoting the program and sharing the journey. If you need fliers for the Certificate in Catechesis or the Certificate in Adult Faith Leadership just let us know. Registration for the certificate program is just over 330. Just to keep things in perspective, Cycle 1 is usually our biggest enrollment of the year. Back in Cycle 1 we had 447 registered.

We have two new facilitators this Cycle. Please join me in welcoming: Kathleen Logan: Diocese of Rockville Center (NY), facilitating: Sacrament of Marriage: A Holy Calling Jonathan Sullivan: Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, facilitating: New Testament

I received this from a facilitator. The ideas and emotions that this student expresses are a wonderful statement of what I hear people tell me all the time when I am out on the road:

Thank you for all of the beautiful insights. I read and re-read the discussion boards...I want to let you know that the postings, to me, are a form of God's blessings and grace. To be able to communicate online, exchange, share and spread the goodness of God is a huge blessing. The grace to be able to receive them with an open heart, mind and soul is truly humbling. Prayer helps a lot.  It shows how much the Holy Spirit wants us to be active in our lives, thank you to our facilitator, most especially... she is like a shepherd of the flock. No we're not lost sheep or else we won't be here, and that's what I want to share. I realized that just within this class, we have so much to thank for. We've gained so much from everybody, and from [the facilitator]. The class recharged us to, as we learned, continue God's work of love and salvation, through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Ours is just one class, there are more VLC classes out there, so them, too, are blessed and receive the grace. No it's not the same grace for everyone, only the perfect love of one another, our neighbor, that God dearly wants us to have, "so that all may be one." This is our faith, this is what we do! So let's pray that the blessings continue and more graces pour on us so that we may be able to receive Jesus, and bring people to Jesus and Jesus to the people."

What else can I say but Amen

Greetings All! Just wanted to pop in and leave a message about a couple up and coming things we have been working on.

The Adult Formation Leadership certificate program in nearly ready for prime time. We are on track to start the first offering in January 2010.

By popular request, the team that is working on the Prayer and Liturgy track is going to put together a set of course aimed at helping RCIA teams.

A team has been formed here at UD to push forward with enhanced virtual conferencing. It is highly likely that this project will have impact on how closed groups for parishes function.

I would like to encourage all you VLCFF podcast fans to submit your ideas here about what you would like to see in the future of the VLCFF. Many of our best ideas for improvement and innovation have come from our students. Each of you are a very important part of this initiative for the Church.

Together we make Good News happen.

We am very happy to announce that the sixth Cycle of the VLCFF for 2009 has a record enrollment!

As of this announcement we have 565 students in nearly 50 course sections.

This is due in-part to our new Certificate in Catechesis. However, in looking over all our first time students more than half are talking courses simply for personal enrichment in faith. This is a wonderful thing to see as it shows just how much the laity is looking for and needing solid, authentic teaching. We at the VLCFF shall always strive to meet the high standards that our students demand.

As we enter into these last months of 2009 we wish for you not only a rich harvest of fruit and grains, but an even richer harvest of spiritual and actual graces.

In Christ, through all and for all.