Dear Friends,
The Religious Formation Conference is exploring the development of Life Commitment International, an online formation experience for religious preparing for perpetual/final profession who reside abroad and cannot participate in RFC’s residential Life Commitment Program in the United States.
Earlier this year, we explored offering an international online version of Life Commitment. While there was initial interest, we did not receive enough registrations to move forward. Before determining whether—and how—to offer the program in the future, we want to listen more carefully to congregations and formation leaders.
What might Life Commitment International look like?
Our current vision is a two-week formation experience during the summer months, designed to provide meaningful formation while accommodating participants living and ministering in different countries.
The proposed model would combine:
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Prerecorded presentations that participants could watch on their own time, allowing flexibility across schedules and time zones.
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Live Zoom sessions with a facilitator for deeper discussion, integration, and application of the material to participants’ experience of religious life and preparation for lifelong commitment.
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Small peer-group conversations without a facilitator, creating space for participants to process their experience together, build relationships, and develop mutual support that can extend beyond the program.
The timing of live Zoom gatherings (a couple hours maximum each day) would be determined once we know where participants are located, with every effort made to accommodate the time zones of the cohort.
This is a proposed model—not a finalized program. Your feedback will help us determine whether there is sufficient need for Life Commitment International and how the experience should be structured.
We have created a short survey to learn about potential interest, preferred timing and format, and the needs of those preparing for lifelong commitment in different international contexts. If the survey demonstrates sufficient need and interest, RFC will develop the program based on what we learn.
We invite formation leaders, congregational leaders, and others involved in preparing members for perpetual/final profession to complete the survey and to share it with colleagues who may have insight into this need.
Please complete the survey by December 31, 2026. Responses received by the end of the year will be reviewed together and will guide our discernment and planning for a future Life Commitment International program.
Thank you for helping RFC listen before we build! Your experience and perspective will help us discern whether this program is needed and, if so, how we can create an experience that genuinely serves religious preparing for lifelong commitment around the world.
With gratitude,
Dr. Nadiya Levchenko
Director of Programs and Initiatives
nlevchenko@relforcon.org