Dec. 12, 2007
Making NFP relevant: CCL enlists revitalized presentation and JPII in new program
CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Couple to Couple League, a leading provider of training in Natural Family Planning, was facing a problem: stale materials and a skeptical audience. Its leaders responded boldly, deciding to overhaul all of their outreach materials and methods. After three years of work, CCL is now unveiling brand-new materials animated by modern technology and a more personal approach based on the timeless theology of Pope John Paul II.
At the heart of the change, said Executive Director Andy Alderson, is the realization that young Catholics are harder than ever to reach. "'Because the church says so' is not good enough anymore," he said. "They need to be reached in a new manner and engaged on multiple levels."
To do that, CCL teachers will now use an instructional DVD embedded with video clips of experts, including a priest and a medical doctor. It also features computer animation of ovulation and implantation. CCL's thick, monochrome reference manual has been replaced by a full-color, graphics-rich workbook that couples can write in throughout class. Classroom instruction will be much more interactive. Couples will roll up their sleeves and fill out charts within 45 minutes of the start of the first class; before, that didn't occur until well into the second class.
Because the new materials simplify the science of the Sympto-Thermal Method, they make room for greater emphasis on another important element: NFP's rich marital benefits. That altered emphasis is reflected in the line added to CCL's slogan: "NFP: safe, healthy and effective...and it can change your hearts in surprising ways." "It's a little teaser," explained Publications Director Ann Gundlach. "We want couples to know that if they start living this way, they're likely to see a change. And the teachers emphasize this by sharing parts of their own experience in each class."
All the training materials are wrapped in the wisdom of Pope John Paul II, incorporating principles and language from his seminal masterpiece "Theology of the Body." The level of incorporation is
what most impresses Father Richard Hogan, a key editor of CCL's new program. "It's refreshing to see how CCL has adopted the ideas of John Paul II, the Great, and sprinkled them throughout all of their programs," he said, "from teacher training, to printed materials, to the public instructional program." When Board Chair Linda Kracht participated in the program pilot, she witnessed the lasting power of the late pontiff. "The teachings of John Paul II ring true with couples," she said. "This makes it easier to teach the moral reasons behind NFP to our students."
Embracing the Internet will also add ease, Alderson said. For example, couples will be able to meet in an online forum to find support for their counter-cultural practice. They can also optionally track their fertility signs in a new electronic charting program, and easily send data to their teachers for any needed follow-up. This brings NFP to the students' computers, right where they send their e-mails and grab their news and pay their bills.
Meanwhile, the web access will enable CCL trainers, who used to rely on a cumbersome paper process to train NFP teachers, to support, evaluate and certify candidates much more swiftly. The polished new materials will persuade many couples to become CCL teachers, Alderson said, while the online format will make training much easier, allowing them to start and stop whenever they want. As a result, CCL is aiming for a 20 percent increase in teaching couples each year.
Early observers are equally optimistic. "NFP has generally resided on the periphery of most Catholic parishes and dioceses. It's still a small percentage of engaged couples who even take an NFP class," said John Gagliardi, chair of the Twin Cities chapter. "CCL is committed to truly mainstreaming NFP. Because of this, we're confident that many more parishes and dioceses will make the new CCL course a normal part of marriage preparation."
Archbishop Harry Flynn of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis echoed that enthusiasm. "The Couple to Couple League is paying a double homage to Pope John Paul II: answering his call for a New Evangelization and incorporating his theology. I anticipate a profound impact."
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as declared by Pope John Paul II, makes an apt occasion for CCL to unveil its new approach to NFP training. The pontiff placed under Our Lady's motherly care the innocent lives of children and the unborn.
For an online video explaining the new CCL teaching program and other related information, visit http://ccli.org/news.
About CCL
The Couple to Couple League teaches more than 7,000 couples in the United States every year. Since its founding in 1971, the organization has instructed more than 185,000 couples. CCL is made up of a network of more than 850 teaching couples who offer classes in natural family planning throughout the United States and in other parts of the world.
8 comments:
While there are clearly many positives to the new CCL teaching materials, the changes in the student manual related to breastfeeding, particularly its natural child spacing effect, have caused concern and disappointment among some lactation professionals, who previously viewed CCL as an unusually reliable resource on breastfeeding and fertility.
Dr. Miriam Labbock, professor at the School of Public Health of the University of North Carolina, has highlighted a significant error in CCL's statement of the rules of the Lactational Amenorrhea Method of natural family planning, which CCL has apparently declined so far to correct. This is so even though the specific error could easily result in unintended pregnancies, running the risk of detracting from the credibility of the entire program.
http://enabling-breastfeeding.blogspot.com/2007/11/lets-get-lam-right.html
"Ecological breastfeeding," the form of breastfeeding that tends to delay the return of fertility for an average of 14 months (thereby contributing significantly to the maternal reduction in cancer risks and other maternal health benefits in addition to the obvious benefits to the child) has been completely omitted in the new manual. This is unfortunate, as the previous "Art of Natural Family Planning," along with Sheila Kippley's book (published by the League), Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing, were for many years the only resources on this form of breastfeeding and its attendant natural child spacing effects. As a result, CCL was seen among lactation professionals and LLL Leaders, even secular ones, as a respected resource for this kind of information. While the new manual does speak of the benefits of breastfeeding in a general way, there is nothing especially new or unique about the presentation. The manual will be of little interest to breastfeeding professionals in its current form. Sadly, this means that many secular breastfeeding mothers who initially sought breastfeeding and fertility information will not be further exposed to the systematic NFP information in the same volume. Hopefully for CCL this loss in audience will be offset by the increase in Catholic engaged couples who have little or no interest in breastfeeding, or who intend from the outset to limit their family size to just one or two children, and will therefore find the materials more streamlined.
Naturally, there are many proponents of the new materials, and CCL will surely reach couples who might otherwise avoid NFP instruction. On the other hand, there are also many individuals who found the previous materials more useful, accurate and comprehensive, if not quite so glossy and modern.
As I understand it, postpartum fertility issues, including the effect of nursing on the return of fertility, will be taught in a separate class, presumably with a separate manual. It can only be hoped that the LAM error in the primary text will at least be corrected in those as-yet-unpublished materials, and that reliable information on ecological breastfeeding will continue to be made available through the organization responsible for bringing this important natural effect of breastfeeding to the attention of NFP professionals in the first place.
What does CCL think of the Marquette Model?
Diana,
I do not know much about Marquette Model. The newest way of thinking about other methods is that different things work for different people/situations. As long as it is in line with Moral theology, and works it is probably good. I know the USCCB NFP research newsletter is written by a man at Marquette.
Anon.,
I appreciate your concern.As a LLL leader, and CCL teacher, I have seen both groups "soften" the approach taken regarding mother baby togetherness and breastfeeding. I think that the new CCL approach will still be very good, and will perhaps make those who are not able to have the extended infertility of breastfeeding as a benefit not feel guilty. Many woman follow all of the rules of LAM and still have an early retun of fertility. It is a very frustrating situation for them, and often they wean. If they see bf as much more than baby spacing, they are more likely to continue.I know that is just one small example, but is one that comes to mind.
I agree 100% with your comment about LAM. I have taught mothers for 40 years that exclusive breastfeeding is insufficient by itself for maintaining amenorrhea for six months. In fact, researh shows that about half of the exclusively breastfeeding mothers have an early return prior to six months. What should be taught is the Seven Standards of ecological breastfeeding for the spacing of babies as God intended. We don't teach half-truths with systematic NFP and we shouldn't teach only part of the truth with regard to breastfeeding infertility. Sheila Kippley
Sheila,
Thank you so much for commenting. I am honored. You are very much correct. We need the 7 standards. From what I understand, we will be presenting them in a more personalized setting, more one-on-one, so we can be certain women understand. I have found myself doing tis for years anyway, so it seems a better fit. The mothers who come to us pregnant are in a panic in most cases,a dn need the extra care to make sure they are hearing what is being said. I hope we will not be presenting half-truths, but rather making sure the whole truth is heard.
One more thing to note. The Breastfeeding speaker for the 2008 conference is Kathy Dettwyler. Much of her work has been on the effects of mother baby togetherness. She is certainly not "breastfeeding lite"
Deb, Then why did CCL change one writer's use of "ecological breastfeeding" in Family Foundations to "full" breastfeeding? Why did the CCL Executive Director say the closest thing to eco-breastfeeding in the new program is what CCL calls "continued breastfeeding" which is defined as any breastfeeding after 6 months? Why didn't they put the 7 Standards in the new manual? It only takes a few minutes to explain the concept of eco-breastfeeding. Why did the wife of a Board member tell a good friend at the 2006 Convention that CCL will follow the AAP recommendations regarding infant sleep, that CCL will probably not teach cosleeping? If that is true, CCL will not discourage pacifier use since the AAP recommended the use of a pacifier for infant sleep by the breastfeeding mother after 1 month postpartum. By the way, our website, www.nfpandmore.org, has the critiques of the AAP recommendations by medical and breastfeeding organizations at "links." We also offer blogs on the CCL changes. We would welcome any comments from CCL Central on any specific point brought out in these blogs. Interestingly, CCL had a news release on the new STM, and a news release on their teaching of the Theology of the Body, but there has been no news release on their new breastfeeding changes, changes which affect people's parenting choices. Sheila
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