WANTED: NFP Teachers

We have seen many of our California NFP teachers discontinuing their services in the last few years.

Some are simply retiring, after many decades of service. We thank this faithful and dedicated group, many of whom continue to support CANFP in their retirement, because they understand more than most the need to unite our efforts advocating for NFP throughout California.

Others have stopped teaching due to family demands, with hopes of resuming in the future.

Then there are those who cite lack of local support and referrals as their reason for discontinuing. Not all teachers are blessed to be serving parishes with priests who value their role, or as a resource for a physician who refers patients to learn to chart their cycles.

I have been teaching NFP for 42 years, and it has never been easy. Yet, I would not trade the experience for anything! If the NFP teacher lacks support locally, so do the couples who seek it out! It is all the more rewarding in such situations, to bring the good news of NFP to those who would otherwise not hear it. Despite the challenges, the rewards are plentiful. The women and couples I work with are a blessing in my life, and most are so grateful and appreciative.

Andreya (see Meet Our Member here), while acknowledging there have been challenges, articulated well the blessing and privilege it is to be an NFP teacher. This is a common theme in other interviews you will read in our Meet Our Member articles on this site.

Are you being called to teach NFP? Often, the calling to teach NFP is rooted in a desire to share with others, what has greatly benefited us. The training is rigorous, but you will be grateful, as it is that thorough training that you will rely on as you mentor couples through the challenges of the different stages of life. The cost of the education program is an investment in your professional development, and you can recoup the investment through fees for your services. You should be prepared to dedicate six to ten hours a week to your teaching program.

Are you a pastor who would like to make this service available to your community? Andreya is not the only NFP teacher who pursued training in response to her pastor’s invitation. Is there a woman in your parish that you think would be a good candidate to teach NFP? She is a user of NFP, and would be a good mentor for other women and couples? She is equipped to handle the academic demands of the training, reliable, and persistent? Perhaps you could partner with her, investing in her training, in exchange for direct services to the parish, speaking to parish groups like RCIA and Confirmation classes, and providing parish based instruction in NFP. You might partner with other parishes in your region, sharing the investment in the training, as well as the services of the NFP teacher. Some pastors consider the NFP teacher a member of paid parish staff, or teaching NFP as part of her job description in addition to other duties, such as youth minister, or catechetical director.

Are you a pregnancy resource center, medical clinic, physician, or hospital? Integrating NFP services into these settings benefits the sponsoring organization, and the women and couples they serve.

We have an opportunity to train a new generation of NFP teachers, this fall, right here in California. The program is a 13-month course of study incorporating two classroom instruction phases and supervised teaching experience. See the info on page five of this edition, and contact CANFP or Margaret Howard (program director) to request more info.

Consider joining our team of California NFP Professionals. It is a unique opportunity to truly make a difference—in your life, and the lives of those you will serve.