“For Those Entrusted With Accompaniment.”

Registration for a new cohort opens: September 1, 2026.
 

The next cohort/class begins January 22, 2027, at the Christian Renewal Center, Dickinson, TX. A virtual orientation is required before the session. New cohorts are formed twice a year, with the first session in January or June.

January 2027 marks a meaningful turning point for ForMission ASM. As part of our rotating formation cycle, this session engages Mission and Religious Life for the 21st Century – Responding Creatively to a Changing World. This moment offers not only a new thematic focus, but also a fitting beginning for an expanded vision of the program—one that reflects the evolving reality of religious life today. As mission increasingly unfolds through shared responsibility among vowed members, associates, and lay collaborators, ForMission ASM embraces a more synodal and adaptive model of formation. In a time marked by cultural shifts, global interconnectedness, and new forms of ministry, this theme invites participants to engage the challenges of today with imagination, courage, and deep attentiveness to the Spirit, shaping a future where mission is both faithful to its roots and responsive to the signs of the times.

ForMission ASM is a formation program designed for those entrusted with the formation and accompaniment of others in religious life today. Rooted in the evolving reality of the Church, the program brings together vowed religious, congregational leaders, associates, and lay collaborators who share responsibility for nurturing vocation, community, and mission.

Grounded in a holistic vision of formation—human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral—ForMission ASM invites participants into a process of personal integration and communal reflection. It recognizes that those who form others must themselves remain open to ongoing transformation, attentive to the movements of the Spirit, and responsive to the needs of a changing Church.

ForMission Online Application Preparation Guide
ForMission Letter of Recommendation Guide

 

Click here to view photos from past ForMission sessions. 
Read/view ForMission Winter 2026 session highlights and Summer 2026 session highlights

If you have any questions, please contact Nadiya Levchenko, Director of Programs and Initiatives at nlevchenko@relforcon.org. 

The experience of the past 2 years has truly energized me for mission! The speakers, content and communion of members affirmed and strengthened my belief that religious life is God’s gift that is needed more than ever in the Church and the world of the 21st Century. I strongly encourage anyone who is open to a sense of renewal and hope to participate in the ForMission program.

-Colleen Crossen, CSJ, Class of 2023

What Makes ForMission ASM Different:

  • Formation of formators
  • Holistic formation: human, spiritual, intellectual, pastoral
  • Cyclical themes revisited and deepened over time
  • Residential formation plus year-round accompaniment
  • One-on-one mentoring and supervision groups

The goal of the program is:

  • ForMission ASM is designed for those who form others and recognizes that sustainable formation begins with the formators' own ongoing formation.
  • Personal and communal transformation for the sake of communal life and mission in the context of religious life, the church, and the world in the 21st century.

Pathways Within One Shared Experience

This year, ForMission ASM includes distinct pathways of participation to reflect the reality of formation today—bringing together vowed religious, leaders, and collaborators who share responsibility for accompanying others.

Participants will engage together in a shared formation experience, with space to reflect on their specific roles through these pathways.

ForMission ASM Pathways (within one shared program):

  • Accompaniment Pathway - For those directly responsible for accompaniment, initial, ongoing, or transfer formation

  • Leadership Pathway - For those in congregational or appointed leadership, accompanying others and being responsible for congregational formation

  • Partners in Mission Pathway  - For associates, lay partners, and those supporting formation in religious life

  • Religious Priesthood Pathway - For those responsible for the formation of the priesthood in religious life, navigating the integration of consecrated life, community, and sacramental ministry

These pathways do not separate participants but deepen the shared learning by honoring the diversity of responsibilities within one mission.

A Community of Formation

ForMission ASP is more than a program—it is a community of practice. Through peer learning, mentorship, theological reflection, and real-life application, participants are invited to grow in self-awareness, deepen their capacity for accompaniment, and strengthen their ability to form others for mission.

In a Church shaped by synodality and shared responsibility, ForMission ASP responds to a simple but urgent need:

👉 to form those who form others—for the sake of mission.

How the Program Works:

  • Participants are admitted to the program annually for a January or June residential session. Over the course of the two (2) years, participants attend four (4), week-long, residential sessions – two (2) in January and two (2) in June. Credentialed program presenters are drawn from theological schools, religious congregations, and organizations that offer the expertise needed in the education and formation of formators, are first-rate in their respective disciplines, and lecture nationally and internationally.
  • Between residential sessions, participants engage in various program requirements at home. Some responsibilities call for personal reflection, reading, and writing of reflection papers and assessment reports.  Other activities engage participants in study with members of their own communities or with religious from other congregations, and participation in a peer supervision group. A final project connected to one’s ministry and of relevance to one’s religious community is submitted at the conclusion of the program. Upon successful fulfillment of all ForMission requirements, a certificate of completion is issued.

✅ Hybrid Participation Option

Recognizing the global and diverse realities of religious life, ForMission ASP offers both in-person and hybrid participation, allowing those who are unable to travel to join key sessions online while remaining connected to the broader learning community.

  • In-person participants engage in the full residential experience, including mentorship, prayer, community life, and informal conversation 

  • Hybrid participants join core presentations live, participate in small-group discussions, and remain connected through shared materials and virtual engagement

This expanded format makes ForMission ASP accessible to those who may not be able to travel while maintaining the integrity of the formation experience.

January 2027 Residential Session: Mission and Religious Life for the 21st Century

The next ForMission cohort/begins the late afternoon of January 22, 2027, with check-in beginning at 3:00 pm and departing the morning of January 29, 2027. 

The January 2027 theme, Mission and Religious Life for the 21st Century, invites participants to respond creatively and faithfully to a rapidly changing world. Each day explores a key dimension of formation through a contemporary lens: Scripture grounds us in discerning the signs of the times; Ecclesiology reflects on religious life within a synodal Church beyond maintenance; Interculturality challenges us to encounter mission at the margins; Spirituality sustains hope, resistance, and faithfulness amid uncertainty; and Formation Skillset equips participants with adaptive leadership for today’s mission. Together, these sessions form an integrated journey of reflection, discernment, and practical engagement for those called to accompany others in shared mission. 

📖 Scripture | “Reading the Signs of the Times Through Scripture” - Dr. Carlos Garcia Alayon

  • Jesus’ mission in changing social realities

  • Prophetic imagination and Gospel creativity

  • Scripture as a lens for today’s crises

 

🌍 Interculturality | “Mission at the Margins: Interculturality as Evangelization” – Dr. John Chitakure, PhD

  • Mission beyond borders and comfort zones

  • Listening before acting

  • Being evangelized by those we serve

 

🏛 Ecclesiology | “Mission Beyond Maintenance: Religious Life in a Synodal Church” – Fr. Frank Donio, SAC

  • Synodality, collaboration, and co-responsibility

  • Religious life and lay partnership

  • Letting go of control and old models

 

🔥 Spirituality | “Hope, Resistance, and Faithfulness in Uncertain Times” – Sr. Nancy Shrek, OSF

  • Mission when results are unclear

  • Spiritual resilience amid decline and change

  • Trusting God’s work beyond our success

 

🛠 Formation Skillset | “Adaptive Leadership for Mission Today” – Dr. Susan Timoney

  • Leading without authority

  • Navigating conflict and ambiguity

  • Innovation rooted in Gospel values

Program Fees

The following program fee amounts are effective for the incoming ForMission cohort/class June 2026 and January 2027, with a required virtual orientation. The cost includes tuition, room and board, program, and reading materials. 

Please note that yearly inflation adjustments are possible. As costs for in-person gatherings continue to rise (e.g., travel, lodging, etc.), the Conference continues to explore alternative formats that balance the physical, in-person sessions with advances in virtual community and learning. We ask that the fees be paid in U.S. dollars drawn from a U.S. bank, with checks payable to the Religious Formation Conference. You can also use a credit card or an electronic withdrawal from a checking account. Invoices will be sent to your email address. 

RFC Member Congregation: The total cost of the 2-year program starting in 2026 is $14,740 payable in four (4) installments of $3,560 (includes a $500 non-refundable deposit). Each installment payment is due prior to the next upcoming residential intensive session. Hybrid participation: $2000 per session.
Deposit and application due date: December 15, 2026. 

Non-Members: The total cost of the 2-year program starting in 2026 is $16,855, payable in three (3) installments of $4,060, and one (1) installment of $4,175 (includes a $500 non-refundable deposit). Each installment payment is due prior to the next upcoming residential intensive session. Hybrid participation: $2400 per session.
Deposit and application due date: December 15, 2026. 

Mary Daniel Turner, SNDdeN Scholarship Fund

We are happy to share that partial scholarship funds are available for RFC member congregations/provinces. Learn more

ForMission Withdrawal Policy

The RFC is bound by various contractual agreements, including financial commitments, necessary to secure appropriate venues and accommodations and qualified presenters for each residential session. Early withdrawal does not automatically curtail responsibility of the sending congregation/province for payment of remaining quarterly tuition fees.  

Participants who need to withdraw from the ForMission program are obligated to pay for the program portion of the sessions they are not able to attend. The program portion is equivalent to 50% of each session fee. Withdrawal notification must be provided at least 30 days before the next session(s) or the community is responsible for the full amount of the program. For serious reasons, participants may take a leave of absence for one session. However, if the participant does not return to the ForMission program, the congregation/province remains financially responsible for the full amount of the remaining sessions. 

The ForMission program was awe-inspiring and encouraging. The authentic support of staff, mentors, and presenters has enriched my understanding of accompaniment for formation. I am most grateful for the gift of the committed companions who shared faith stories and hope for the future of religious consecration. I continue to be enriched with some of these companions! I hope you consider joining a cohort: you will walk the journey of accompaniment with amazing people!

Angelica Velez, OP, Councilor/Novice Director | Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose