Sybil+Steuart+Article+Page

Sybil Stuart Capstone Article Page ** Help! My Bible Study Group Has Shrunk ** Sybil J. Steuart What do you do when you have a seasonal population and more than half of your Bible Study attendees are not present for three months of the year? This is a yearly problem for me as Director of Faith Formation in a parish in Naples, Florida. I decided to use my new found skill in digital catechesis to create a wiki for my Bible Study group. A wiki is a web site built by several people, so its pages can be revised each year with the latest topics. Wikis have the advantage that all members can participate, no matter where they are. Because of the temperate climate and beautiful beaches, my parish, St. Ann, has a large seasonal and retired population from the Northeast and Canada. Therefore, my Bible Study group has a small attendance in the early fall and late spring. The in-between months double and at times triple the number of those who attend. Over the years, the members have bonded and look forward to seeing each other again. But as they grow older and have more health problems, some members come for a shorter time or may not make it at all due to insurance or medical issues. I have been trying to see how we could all stay connected and participate in the study topic together. Previously, my only solution was emails. Thankfully I attended the technology training course for Catholic ministers, Digital Discipleship Boot Camp ( [] ) and the possibility of using wikis for my dilemma took hold. Now, my participants can log in to the wiki page and see what the reading assignment is and what discussion questions are posted. After doing the reading, they can post their own answers, comments or queries relevant to the assignment or to the group. With this page, all those who are absent because of seasonal residency, work schedule or critical appointments can stay connected with the Bible Study the whole time and not feel left out or out of the loop. I began by creating an account with Wikispaces ( www.wikispaces.com ). Then I created my own individual wiki, learning to insert a picture, and add content as I went along. Then I invited my usual attendees to join so that we can all participate in the conversation. I have made my site private so others from the general public cannot edit it. I added a picture from my pictures file and then typed the assignment and the questions I wanted them to reflect upon. This is an easy way to have everyone join in the conversation. You could also use free clip art or a picture of the participants. So there you have it, began by going to Wikispaces.com. Once you have an account, you can create your own wiki page. Be creative with your design when editing and do not be afraid to try. If I can do it, anyone can. There are tutorials about creating a wiki that you can find online to help you. You Tube ( [|www.youtube.com] ) has several which are helpful; one is entitled “Wikis in Plain English” and another is simply “Wiki Tutorial”. Just go to YouTube, type wikis in the search box and pick the one that best suits your need. I have already started planning ways to use a wiki for catechist meetings and training, as well as for collaborative study groups between parishes that may not have the resources for materials or personnel with those that do or for parishes that cover a large territory which makes attendance for adult enrichment offerings difficult. Connecting adults, whether young or old, this way will be the future for the Church in our ever-increasing busy world. The possibilities are endless as we discover new ways of ministering to our parishioners using digital catechesis. The bottom line is to have fun and think of all the possibilities you have in parish ministry with this tool.