Signum Fidei
Overview
Youth ministers often enter tertiary education to become teachers or leaders in Catholic education. The partnership with the Australian Catholic University allows committed, formed, post-school young people to engage on a pathway into the ACU. Signum Fidei is a Catholic schools and youth ministry program for the faith formation of pre-service teachers and ministry leaders preparing them to teach or be a youth minister in a Catholic school.
Through the Youth Ministry Equipping School and ongoing Youth Ministry Network programs, ACU offers the Signum Fidei Program as formal accreditation for youth ministers and leaders in the broader Church. The face-to-face component of Signum Fidei is completed at the Equipping School. Youth ministers will be awarded a certificate upon successful completion of each module.
Benefits of Signum Fidei
Certificates of participation, formation and mission that are recognised by Catholic education systems.
A pathway for young people to actively participate in the life and mission of the Church, including establishing a direct relationship with Australian Catholic University.
Facilitates the growth of young people spiritually and a developing understanding of their vocation within the mission of the Church
Learning contemporary ministry skills to be equipped for teaching and leading youth ministry in schools and Church communities
Becoming a leader in the Church and Catholic education systems
Belonging to a community of young adults who are committed to developing and exploring their faith as they lead youth ministry and schools and Church communities.
What is involved?
The Signum Fidei Program is comprised of three modules:
Catholic Life and Practice (Certificate of Participation)
Faith Formation and Ministry in Catholic Schools (Certificate of Formation)
Youth Mission Experience (Certificate of Mission)
All modules have been incorporated into the youth ministry formation and mission pathway. Youth Ministers complete the Signum Fidei Modules and receive Certificates of Participation, Formation and Mission. Each module requires the completion of learning and assessment tasks.
Module 1
Catholic Life and Practice
(Certificate of Participation)
This Module consists of participation in a short intensive retreat experience, with follow up opportunities for participation in various Church based activities and ministries. The retreat includes opportunities for reflection, sharing and learning about the Catholic faith in a faith community context. Central to this are opportunities for prayer and worship as well as the celebration of the Sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation. The retreat experience has a focus on evangelisation including peer-to-peer ministry with credible leaders sharing their own experience of faith formation.
The Church participation component consists of various local, regional and national activities and ministries within parishes and movements. A retreat experience is conducted during the Core Sessions at the Youth Ministry Equipping School, with additional opportunities on ACU campuses and online. The retreat program is focused on entering the ‘door of faith’ (Porta Fidei) and includes peer-to-peer ministry and witness by teachers and leaders from both school and other Church contexts. The content includes teaching as receiving and sharing God’s Truth and Love, understanding the Kerygma and the journey of faith and vocation. Completion of the retreat experience and 10-15 indicative hours of Church participation are required for the award of the Certificate of Participation.
Module 2
Faith Formation and Ministry in Catholic Schools
(Certificate of Formation)
This Module begins with an exploration of Church documents and contemporary literature on the mission of Catholic schools as centres of evangelisation. Students critically analyse how schools are providing faith formation for their staff and students. Students research, observe, implement, and evaluate the impact of contemporary models or approaches in developing Catholic schools and other Church communities as centres of evangelisation. Students will complete the Forming Leaders Series Called program, designed as a small group experience that features presentations by influential Catholic leaders sharing thought-provoking insights and reflections on various aspects of contemporary discipleship. Finally, online tutorials will be conducted nationally to explore the topics The Life of the Church, The Mission of the Church and Evangelisation further, with particular application to the professional context.
Module 3
Youth Mission Experience
(Certificate of Mission)
This Module explores expressions and forms of the Church’s evangelising mission through participation in a short-term ministry experience (15 hours/ three days). Students prepare, conduct, and reflect upon a short-term ministry experience as part of a team within a school context. The ministry placement includes supporting and conducting formation initiatives with young people in schools. These ministry experiences are designed to allow participants to minister, informed by the Church’s teaching on new evangelisation, evangelisation that is new in its ardour, methods and means of expression. The design of the ministry placement is responsive to the diversity of students, including their capacity and confidence, as well as the needs and diversity of communities that enable these ministry placements.
The Module is divided into three components: preparing, conducting and reflecting. Students will have the opportunity to connect the experience within their professional learning and reflect upon current best practice in developing Catholic schools and Church communities as centres of evangelisation for children and young people.