We can tend to lean on one or another of three teacher/learner models but a mix of the three is best.

We can talk about teacher/learner models, however, a couple of graphics can do the job better than a lot of words.

The first model is a lecturing model. It can have value and Catholics see this most at Mass and in a lot of adult education.

The second model is interactive, and is the backbone of my focus on FSSGs (Faith-Sharing Small Groups).

The third, is how we learn by being part of a community of faith, for example, in a parish. Each of these models has a place, but the Catholic position is that each contributes to the building up of the faith community by being a small group that meets the needs of discrete groups within the larger community without displacing anything in the larger community.

Deacon Ray Biersbach, PhD, May 12, 2025