Facilitation spans a spectrum of complexity: formal and informal, small groups, large groups, teams, congregational chapters, and general assemblies.
This program offers training opportunities to address these diverse areas.
The Leadership Collaborative, Faith & Praxis, and evalb are pleased to announce the launch of Facilitation for Transformation, a three-phase facilitation training program, open to all who support the mission of the Church and Consecrated Life. This project, the result of collaboration between three organizations committed to serving Consecrated Life, aims to accompany participants in developing fundamental and advanced skills, while offering tools for consciously addressing the cultural and contextual aspects that characterize the practice of facilitation.
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“We have been blessed over the past decades with a rich resource in the many dedicated facilitators who provide this ministry for leadership teams, congregational initiatives, assemblies, and chapters,” said Linda Buck, CSJ, Executive Director of the Leadership Collaborative. “Yet, we are hearing from facilitators and elected leadership throughout the world that it is difficult to find an available facilitator, as many are retiring. Over the past few years, it has become clear that there is a need to develop a new generation of facilitators in consecrated life, particularly in regions outside the United States and Europe.”
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In response to this need, the Leadership Collaborative held virtual listening sessions in October 2024 with religious and lay partners from various regions of the world. The feedback received overwhelmingly highlighted the need for a comprehensive training program in facilitation, designed specifically for Consecrated Life. Faith & Praxis has also recognized this need and has provided in-person training sessions dedicated to facilitation for years.
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The collaboration between Emili Turú Rofes, FMS, from Faith & Praxis, Alberto Frassineti and Eva Gullo of evalb, together with the Leadership Collaborative, has led to the development of a program that offers participants not only the space to understand the vocation of facilitation, but also an experience that is accessible from a linguistic and economic point of view.
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The elements of that make up this new training course align with the core competencies defined by the International Association of Facilitators (IAF). At the end of the three phases of the program, participants will have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate the possibility of obtaining professional certification through IAF.
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Phase 1 is free of charge and consists of a series of on-demand videos, including materials for self-study and content integration, guiding participants in understanding the role of facilitator that each of us can play in our daily lives.
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Phase 2, available for $600 USD per person, focuses on core skills and competencies: process design, conflict management in groups, ethical considerations, and other essential topics. Phase 2 is offered through a series of on-demand videos and also includes 11 live virtual sessions.
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Phase 3 begins with a mandatory five-day in-person experience in Rome, scheduled for November/December 2026 and continues with nine months of on-demand videos and monthly virtual sessions focused on developing advanced skills for facilitators, with a focus on topics such as canon law, assemblies, and chapters. Participants will have access to mentoring and internships. The cost for this phase is $2000 USD per person, excluding travel and accommodations for the in-person session in Rome.
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All training courses are offered in English, Spanish, French, and Italian. Limited financial assistance is available. To receive a certificate for the entire program, all three phases must be completed in full.
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“With the changes occurring in religious life, the need for qualified facilitators will continue to grow. Our hope is to offer solid training in facilitation to prepare facilitators throughout the world, so congregations and organizations can choose whether to us a local facilitator or one from a different cultural or regional context,” said Emili Turú Rofes, FMS, of Faith & Praxis.
“The experience of the Church’s synodal journey has clearly and unequivocally highlighted the importance of the service of facilitation in helping the Church and its members to create the conditions necessary for listening to the Holy Spirit, for discernment, choices, and decisions. With this program, we wish to contribute to the development and strengthening of the ministry of facilitation,” said Eva Gullo and Alberto Frassineti of evalb.
Information on requirements, dates, and registration is available at www.facilitation4transformation.org.
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A collaboration among
The Leadership Collaborative’s mission is to foster transformational leadership for religious life and the gospel mission, now and into the future through programs like Facilitation for Transformation, the Collaborative Leadership Development Program (CLDP), and other virtual and in-person events.
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Faith & Praxis is an evolving intercultural and international faith-based organization of religious and lay persons facilitating transformative processes committed to offering ongoing professional leadership development with programs such as the International Leadership Development Programme for General Councils.
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evalb, founded by Alberto Frassineti and Eva Gullo, is dedicated to consulting and accompanying institutes of consecrated life in their renewal processes. It also offers moderation and facilitation services for general and provincial chapters as well as moderating/facilitating general and provincial chapters and assemblies.