Program Information
Over the course of six months, participants in the Vocational Discernment Program will partake in six monthly virtual sessions. Each session will be 2 – 2 1/2 hours to include a presentation and reflection.
The Vocational Discernment Program is for young adults ages 18-35 who are wrestling with many questions among which are:
- What exactly is “Vocation” and what does that mean for me?
- What is my purpose in life?
- Why did God put me on this earth?
- What is God calling me to do with the wonderful gifts he gave me?
The purpose of the Vocational Discernment Program is:
- To give young adults an opportunity to be in community with other young adults and explore deeper questions about their lives.
- To feel comfortable and safe enough to have those deeper conversations that might bring about clarity of purpose.
- To listen to the journeys of others who may be in the same boat and to learn from their experiences.
- To ask the questions that may come up in a judgement “free zone.”
- To explore our giftedness and be awakened to how those gifts might be used to serve others.
- To begin to think about being called and being chosen!
There will be a mixture of religious sisters, lay speakers, and young adult leaders who have experience in the work of Vocation.
The monthly session topics include:
- Session 1: What exactly is Vocational Discernment?
- Discovering who God made you to be, discovering your deepest identity.
- Where and how do our stories interact with God’s story and the world?
- Becoming aware of what’s in our hearts and minds.
- Listening to God and others.
- Gaining clarity.
- Session 2: Listening and Questioning
- Allowing us to see ourselves and one another.
- Paying attention to bodily sensation and gut feeling.
- Judgment-free zone.
- How do I hear God’s voice?
- Scripture and other readings.
- Sharing our personal stories.
- Calling on deeper ways of knowing.
- Prayer and meditation practices.
- Session 3: Integrating the Dominican charism/spiritual pillars into everyday life.
- Prayer is the heart of a spiritual life.
- Study helps us come to the understanding that truth is never complete and there is always more to know and understand.
- Community is an invitation to stay connected to God, our individual relationships, and the world around us.
- Ministry is about integrating a life of service with a life of faith, preaching through word and action.
- Session 4: Reflecting theologically together.
- Reflecting personally and communally.
- Moving from the “me” to the “we”.
- Looking at the deeper questions:
- System impact, power, and understanding of our relationship to the sacred, faithful work in the world.
- Readings from Scripture and other texts.
- How are we connected?
- God, ourselves, our communities, and all of creation.
- How do we align our work with God’s hope for all of humanity?
- Journaling – insights, questions, and ponderings.
- Session 5: Identifying issues of concern and uncovering opportunities for service and leadership; transforming the deep stirrings and insights into action
- Racism, inequality, poverty, immigration, climate change, and COVID.
- Understanding their interconnectedness.
- Accepting differences among us- what binds us, what divides us?
- How can I make a difference?
- Identifying local /regional/national groups affected by issues of concern.
- Cultivating collaborations, networking, and connecting locally/regionally/nationally with ministries, organizations and agencies addressing identified issues.
- Advocating in your communities and for causes you care about.
- Volunteering and/or new paths of employment.
- Inspiring self and others.
- Session 6: How to live my best life.
- Incorporating all that I have learned.
- What changes have I made; will I make?
- Paying it forward, sharing my journey with others.
Please share details about the Vocational Discernment Program with any young adults who may be interested. We appreciate your help in spreading the word!