A Utilization Focused Evaluation of a Lay Ministry Education Program: Issues and Critiques

This article is the result of a comprehensive evaluation study of a three-year lay ministry education program in a Roman Catholic diocese. The authors take the position that evaluation research is an integral part of the program planning cycle and that evaluation data can be used to build more effective adult education programs for laity. Using a utilization-focused framework (Patton, 1997), the three-member research team colleted data through document analysis, open-ended interviews, and a group interview. Data from this study confirm that this adult education program fosters learning and faith formation, and should be continued, albeit with some changes. This paper discusses the study and the usefulness of evaluation research in lay ministry programs.