Purchase a resource designed to be shared! This videos series is designed for anyone looking to explore how Natural Family Planning relates to the setting of Catholic parish life and ministry. Your one-time purchase allows you to share valuable NFP education again and again!
But... what exactly should we be doing? And whose job is it to do it?
Natural Family Planning (abbreviated 'NFP' or sometimes called 'Fertility Awareness') is the only sort of family planning method that the Catholic Church has approved for couples who are trying to postpone pregnancy. Yet a slim minority of Catholic couples actually use it.
Those who do use it often feel alone, and that the Church does not understand their struggles. They deeply desire to follow Church Teaching...
But where is the Church when they need help finding an instructor?
Or experience marital issues related to periodic abstinence?
Or have questions when their doctors try to get the to use birth control for other medical issues?
If you're wondering how to articulate what the Church teaches on NFP, how NFP works, and how our parishes can make big differences with a little NFP support... this is for you!
Meet your host:
Christina Valenzuela has been a certified instructor in the Boston Cross Check™ method of Natural Family Planning since 2013. She had over a decade of experience working in parishes and campus ministry settings prior to founding Pearl & Thistle in 2018. This video series is the culmination of her ministerial experience in the field of NFP, as well as her theological training, which consists of an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Theology from the University of Notre Dame as well as a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School.
She is a life-professed member of the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic. Christina and her husband have been married for almost thirteen years and have four children. They reside outside of Boston.
Overview Video
Preview the introduction video to this course, which explains what to expect (and what NOT to expect!) in this masterclass on NFP for Parish Ministry.
These Videos Are Perfect For:
Diocesan Staff
Diaconal Trainings
Spiritual Directors
Ministry Teams
Priests
Mentor Couples
What's Included?
Welcome to NFP for Parish Ministry! Overview Video
In this section, we will explore three key areas which form the foundation for understanding what the Catholic Church teaches about NFP:
Marriage
The Dignity & Meaning of the Body
How to Assess the Morality of Actions
Pt. 1: Catholic Teaching on Marriage & Conjugal Love
Pt. 2: Catholic Teaching on the Body & Morality
Pt. 3: Digging Deeper- Grave Reasons, Open to Life, & Double Effect
Catholic Teaching Resources.pdf
How Does NFP Work?
Pastoral approaches to NFP must be informed on the science & logistics of family planning with natural methods, including an overview of biomarkers and method types
Pt. 1: Science of the Menstrual Cycle
Pt. 2: Shared Fertility & Biomarkers
Pt. 3: Tool vs. Method- What's the Difference?
Pt. 4: Categories of NFP Methods (with representative options)
Pt. 5: Efficacy of NFP Methods
Quick Method Comparison chart .pdf
Pastoral Issues with NFP
What sorts of issues may Catholic couples face in their use of NFP? How can we make our parishes more responsive to those needs?
Pt. 1: Practical Issues are Pastoral Issues
Pt. 2: Four Common Situations to Plan For
Pastoral Scenarios.pdf
Pastoral Scenarios Part 1
Pastoral Scenarios Part 2
Pastoral Scenarios Part 3
Pastoral Scenarios Part 4
Pastoral Scenarios Part 5 & Conclusion
Bonus!
Printable resources for you to share with your parish!
The simple answer: YES! The more complicated answer: if you have purchased these videos and intend to show them in a setting where you are facilitating discussion or leading a class, I think that's the perfect use for them. But if you are asking about whether you can purchase one set of videos and then pass them around to lots of individuals... please don't do that.
Can I download these videos?
These videos are not downloadable and need to be played through the Podia portal. If you are intending to show them as part of a class or discussion group, please ensure that you have internet access in order to do so!
Can I use some of these videos in a class I'm teaching?
I can imagine that many of these videos could be used separately in various settings, and if you are a teacher who feels that a particular video is right for your class or lesson, please feel free to use it! But keep in mind that these videos are specifically composed for people who want to learn about NFP in order to use that information in a parish setting.
Is this the same as your NFP Ambassador Course?
These "masterclass" videos comprise what I like to think of as the practical background information that NFP Ambassadors should know about NFP. So, the NFP Ambassador Training Course contains all of these videos and resources... but with lots more! For NFP Ambassadors, I want to focus on the question of how to discern your unique role in parish NFP ministry and to actually prepare you to provide an info session if that's what your parish wants. If you don't think you need all of those extras and just want the background info, then this product is for you!