The North American Forum on the Catechumenate and the Diocese of Savannah are co-sponsoring a Beginnings and Beyond Institute in Warner Robins from Oct. 16-21. Designed for both novice and experienced parish initiation teams, the Beginnings and Beyond Institute presents the vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and provides hands-on experiences of the flow, steps and periods of the Rite.

For much of the institute, participants are divided into two discussion groups. Those team members who are new to the ministry will participate in the Beginnings group and those with two or more years’ experience will be directed to the Beyond track.

The institute, which begins Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and concludes Friday at 12:30 p.m., provides essential training in the skills needed for initiation ministry and invites reflection, faith sharing and dialogue between the participants and the presenting team. By participating in adapted liturgical celebrations, team members will deepen their understanding of the liturgies of the Order of Christian Initiation.

The institute will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Warner Robins, and lodging is provided by Holiday Inn. Registration, tuition and meal fees are $514 per person, with a $10 discount per person for each team of three or more from the same parish. The Holiday Inn room rate is $68.80 per room for a room with a king bed or two double beds.

Registration is due by Sept. 2 if mailing or the registration can be phoned in with a credit card payment after Sept. 2. For information, contact the local coordinator, Lindsey Skinner, at (478) 923-0124, ext. 102, or lskinner49@cox.net or visit the North American Forum’s Web site at www.naforum.org to download a registration form.