The National Association for Lay Ministry
(NALM), the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership
(NCCL), and the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry
(NFCYM) formed a joint committee in 1999 to develop a common
set of competency-based certification standards for lay
ecclesial ministers represented by the organizations. The
standards and competencies focused on the following ministerial
roles:
Youth minister
Parish catechetical leader (director of religious education)
Pastoral associate
Parish life coordinator (pastoral administrator)
The final version of standards has been
completed and was approved by the USCCB Commission on Certification
and Accreditation in 2003.
The following is a listing of various
competencies and standards that can be address through a
corresponding STEP video lecture or online course.
Core Competencies
1.3
Reflect commitment to the Gospel through regular prayer,
ongoing study and theological reflection, action
on behalf of justice, and fulfillment of ministerial responsibility.
1.7 Engage in personal,
life-long faith formation and continuing education.
All of STEP’s
services can be an effective vehicle to meet the italicized
portions of the above competencies.
Specialized Competencies
1.8
PCL Identify the various Christian spiritualities informing
personal faith development.
"The
Integration of Faith and Everyday Life" (STEP video
lecture) provides several perspectives of living the way
of Christ. It can be an entry point into defining various
spiritualities that inform everyone’s faith development.
2a A lay ecclesial minister
identifies the call to formal and public ministry as a vocation
rooted in baptism.
The primary
educational objective of "Discipleship and Ministry
Empowered by Baptism" (STEP video lecture) is to illuminate
this reality for the student and to see it in light of the
Church’s primary mission of evangelization.
Core Competencies
2.3 Accept and articulate
one’s ministerial vocation as coming from God and
confirmed by the ecclesial community.
In addition
to "Discipleship and Ministry Empowered by Baptism",
"Discipleship for the Transformation of the World Today"
(STEP video lectures) bolsters the idea of discipleship
and ministry as a vocation.
2.4
Model ecclesial ministry, collaboration, and leadership
on the example of Jesus.
"Pastoral
Collaboration: How Do We Do All This Together?" (STEP
video lecture) provides good quality content about collaboration
and leadership.
2.5 Identify with the universal church
and its global mission so that all ministerial activity
flows from that mission.
As
mentioned above, both "Discipleship and Ministry Empowered
by Baptism" and "Discipleship for the Transformation
of the World Today" can aid the student in meeting
this competency.
Specialized Competencies
2.6 PCL
Engage in ongoing professional education and formation
2.8 PCL Respond to the
grace of leadership in catechetical ministry as a response
to baptism.
All of STEP’s
offerings can help a catechist accomplish competency 2.6
and the two video lectures mentioned immediately above can
directly address competency 2.8.
Core Competencies
3.1 Know and integrate
into ministerial practice a theology of revelation as embodied
in Scripture, tradition and creation by:
"Introduction
to the New Testament", "Introduction to the Old
Testament", "Introduction to the Letters of St.
Paul" and "Biblical Literary Forms" (STEP
online courses) can address this competency and all of its
component standards.
3.2
Know and Integrate into ministerial practice a theology
of God as one and triune, Jesus Christ and the human person
by:
With the
possible exception of 3.2.3 and 3.2.4, "The Creed:
We Believe" and "Jesus Christ: Yesterday and Today"
(STEP online courses) can address this competency. With
some additional resources these courses can also address
3.2.3 and 3.2.4.
3.3.4
Explaining the role of Mary and the communion of saints
in prayer and the church tradition.
"Mary:
Mother of God" (in development) provides
ample content and instruction for this competency.
3.3.5 Articulating the vision for the inculturation
of the Gospel and the new evangelization as expressed
in current church documents.
"The
New Evangelization" (STEP video lecture) can address
the italicized portion of the above competency.
3.4
Know and integrate into ministerial practice a theology
of liturgy/worship by:
"Introduction
to Sacraments", "Eucharist: Source and Summit
of the Christian Life", "Liturgy: a Guide for
the Perplexed" (STEP online courses) can provide the
theory aspect of this ultimately practiced competency.
3.5
Know and integrate into ministerial practice a theology
of sacraments by:
"Introduction
to Sacraments" and "Liturgy: A Guide for the Perplexed"
(STEP online courses) meet this competency.
3.7
Know and integrate into ministerial practice a theology
of the moral life, including Catholic social teaching for
the transformation of the church and society by:
"Christian
Conscience and Ethical Dilemmas" (STEP online course)
will correlate to this competency and its subordinate standards.
It addresses catholic social teaching through several documents,
though, it is not a course exclusively organized around
catholic social teaching.
3.8
Know and integrate a theology of Catholic spirituality into
prayer and ministerial practice by:
"On
Prayer" (STEP online course) provides a significant
amount of content which can address this competency and
its subordinate standards.
Specialized Competencies
3.10 PCL Convey a Catholic
understanding of conscience, conscience formation and the
process of moral decision-making.
The first
two units of "Christian Conscience and Ethical Dilemmas"
(STEP online course) will meet this competency.
3.13 PCL
Articulate an understanding of the relations of the persons
of the Trinity with the mission of Jesus.
"Jesus
Christ: Yesterday and Today" (STEP online course) provides
a patristic, scholastic, and modern response to trinitarian
inquiry.
3.18 PCL
Explore the meaning of inspiration, historical development,
literary criticism and biblical themes in an age appropriate
manner.
"A
Catholic Reading of Holy Scripture" (STEP video lecture)
and any of the STEP scripture online courses will address
this competency.
3.19 PCL
Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the various
rituals of the Catholic Church.
"An
Introduction to Sacraments" and "Liturgy: A Guide
for the Perplexed" will meet this competency.
3.21 PCL Explore the
impact of Mary and the saints on contemporary culture.
"Mary:
Mother of God"
(in development) will comply with this competency.
A synopsis
of the competencies with their correlating STEP courses
and lectures will open in the Adobe Acrobat Reader and can
be printed by clicking on the print icon on the Adobe toolbar.
If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader (which is necessary
to view .pdf files) installed on your computer, please click
here to download the free Reader.
