Facilitating means helping a group engage in an issue. A facilitator puts things back out to the group. A facilitator is not the “answer person” — that is what a teacher, or a leader, would be. A facilitator always keeps in mind that it is the job of the group to struggle with something. If someone says, “Yeah, but what about…?”, a facilitator says, “Let’s throw that out to the group.” If the group enters into a discussion where they lack knowledge and are merely “pooling the ignorance”, choose a volunteer to look something up in the Catechism of the Catholic Church or a theological dictionary. Of course, there are appropriate times for teaching. People who seek out answers from you can be addressed after the group discussion.
Even though one could reach immediately for the Catechism to find an answer to a particular theological question, it is important for the facilitator to remember that sharing ideas is part of the learning and growing experience of a small group. There will be a time to reach for the Catechism! Just don’t be too quick about it. We are partners with the Holy Spirit, not the Holy Spirit. A good discussion helps people discover truth by entering into prayerful dialogue.
Facilitating vs. Leading Snapshot
Facilitating: helping someone to engage in a topic
Leading: trying to change someone’s attitude, behavior, or understanding
Facilitating: helping the group wrestle with an issue
Leading: pushing toward a goal through directed questioning
Facilitating: the questions tend to help group members interact with each other
Leading: the questions tend to keep the group members responding to the leader