"The Art of Listening in the Style of Christ" will be offered at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Centre in Dartmouth, N.S., July 8-12. Each day's program will run 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. where attendees will be coached on how to tweak their listening skills and understand what it means to listen like Christ.
Covering Christ-inspired listening, various coaching methods and more advanced conversation skills, the four-day seminar will be presented by Fr. Dominic Sultana from the Diocese of Gozo in Malta. He created the communication course after completing his doctorate and licentiate in spiritual theology in Rome.
“As a priest, I noticed that most people expect to be heard when they come to church, but only a few are trained for this type of ministry. Therefore, I started to develop this idea of training laypeople, religious and priests in coaching others. While there are many ways of coaching, what makes this type of coaching unique is that all the tools suggested are modelled on the words and deeds of Christ as portrayed in the Gospels,” Sultana said.
Sultana first arrived in Halifax nine months ago as an intern with Divine Renovation as part of a year-long sabbatical he had taken from his Maltese diocese. Now, Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma has allowed the ministry to take place in Canada.
The course was first conducted in 2012 in Oxford, United Kingdom, before being shared in parts of Malta, Ireland, Nigeria and the U.K. This year, the United States, Australia and Dubai are expected to join Canada as stops in the program's international implementation.
“I developed this course mainly during my eight-year assignment as the vice rector of Ta' Pinu National Shrine in Malta. During this time, I ministered over 40 hours each week to the ministry of spiritual direction and hearing confessions. It was there that I saw the needs and continually refined the course, focusing only on tools that are practical and truly matter for people,” Sultana said.
At each seminar, attendees will use the examples of Christ to better understand how to listen and communicate with others. Sultana will introduce different styles of listening, such as authoritative, democratic and empathetic, with participants then experiencing each type of listening in practice.
Specific examples of Christ-centred communication, such as Jesus’ non-judgmental responses, His acknowledgment of what people say by paraphrasing and His method of asking questions and telling parables instead of giving direct solutions are all methods integrated throughout the course. By exploring that communication structure when dialoguing with others, attendees will start to understand how they can mirror His wise approach in their own lives.
The inherent importance of Christ-centred communication is something Sultana says can benefit all people, providing a more level-headed approach to their daily interactions.
“Being able to listen like Christ allows us to learn from the master how to react to certain situations. Most of us react to others using authoritative, democratic or empathetic styles without realizing it, but attending this course allows individuals to become aware of their actual style of relating to others and understand the effects of that behaviour while learning from Christ a new way to respond to the world,” he said.
While all Christians looking to enhance their relationship with God are welcome to take the course, priests, religious, catechists, group leaders, spiritual directors, psychologists, counsellors and educators are likely to find the content particularly enriching.
With over a decade of delivery under his belt, Sultana signifies the change attendees undergo as his primary joy and one of the leading reasons he continues to present "The Art of Listening in the Style of Christ" across the globe.
“Imagine being in a room where every participant is actively engaged, reflecting on their listening styles and practising new ways of connecting with others. They become more aware of their actions and their impact on others,” he said. “By adopting these skills, they not only enhance their personal relationships but also become better instruments of God's love and compassion. When more people become Christian inspirations, embodying Christ's approach to listening and understanding, we cultivate a more compassionate, empathetic and loving world.”