Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2009 / Nation's catechists urged to seek, build strengths
Nation's catechists urged to seek, build strengths
by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published May 1, 2009
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Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic
Greg "Dobie" Moser calls for a show of hands from the audience during his Monday night talk to the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership conference in Dearborn. |
DEARBORN Whether for self-improvement or helping others to grow, the key is to build on strengths, Greg "Dobie" Moser told nearly 600 catechists and catechetical leaders from around the country Monday night.
Individuals all have their God-given strengths and weaknesses and it is impossible to make people into something they are not, despite popular notions about anyone being able to achieve whatever he or she strives for, he said.
"You can't be whatever you want to be, but you can be more of what you already are," Moser told the annual conference of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn.
Moser, who is executive director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry and of the Catholic Youth Organization for the Diocese of Cleveland, contended that a strengths-based approach is a powerful way for people to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ and invite others to do the same.
He promoted the psychological approach to human development developed by the late Donald O. Clifton, recognized as the father of strengths psychology by the American Psychological Association.
Clifton developed a test the "Clifton Strengths Finder" that assess a person against 34 personality types having to do with factors such as how outgoing or withdrawn, impetuous or thoughtful, empathetic, self-assured, organized or achievement-oriented the person is.
But rather than using the test to identify weaknesses that need to be worked on, the Clifton approach is to focus on the strongest of a person's 34 factors, and to pretty much forget about the ones way down the list.
Conference attendees all received copies of "Living Your Strengths Discover Your God-Given Talents and Inspire Your Community," when they pre-registered for the conference. The book, co-authored by Clifton with Albert L. Winseman and Curt Liesveld, includes a password to the publisher's Internet site, allowing readers a chance to take an on-line survey to learn their strengths and weaknesses.
Moser acknowledged that some weaknesses do have to be managed, but said constantly working on weaknesses can be physically draining. "You can be liberated by not having to be all things to all people," he said.
To illustrate his point about the futility of trying to make people into something they are not, Moser asked for a show of hands in response to the question, "How many of you have tried to make one child be more like another child?" And he indicated it had not worked when he tried it either.
He told the gathering, "You are a child of God, who is special and beloved, and look around at the other people at your table so is everyone else. Every person is made in God's image and likeness."
After the talk, Moser's recommendations drew hearty endorsements from attendees who wee interviewed. "I think it's a gift of God. God says, 'Please look at the gifts I've given you and let's work together,'" said Maureen O'Reilly, director of the archdiocesan Office for Faith Formation/Catechetics.
Loretta Domagalski of Holy Family Parish in Memphis, Mich., said she loved Moser's "positive perspective."
Laura Rector, director of religious education at St. Joseph Parish, South Lyon, also praised the concept, saying, "I want to implement it for our con.rmation candidates."
Dennis Beeman, coordinator for adult faith formation at Sacred Heart Parish in Petersburgh, Va., said he believes Moser's recommendations are based on "sound theology and sound psychology."
"He just made it come alive for everyone. I can certainly see it helping in ministry; it's such a positive approach to life," Beeman added.
Genevieve Jordan, a Notre Dame University graduate student currently serving an apprenticeship at Holy Family Parish in Newark, Del., said she was most interested by how few people raised their hands when Moser asked how many attendees had "Achievement" and "Analytical" among their top .ve strengths.
"I think we could use more people in parish catechetical leadership who scored high in areas involving structure, efficiency and coordinating abilities," she said.
The conference was to continue through Thursday, with other speakers and many workshops on specific topics. It was last held in metro Detroit in 1996.
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