4 Easy Ways to Promote NFP in your Parish

By Reggan Simons, Center for Family Life Formation

The number of couples open to, and interested in, practicing Natural Family Planning (NFP) is on the rise and with NFP Awareness week just around the corner, (July 21-27), you can help couples in your parish learn more about Fertility Awareness a.k.a. NFP.

Couples preparing for marriage often hear about NFP for the first time at either Marriage: A Journey for Life (MAJ) or Catholic Engaged Encounter (CEE). Approximately 25% of (MAJ) couples express a desire to learn more about NFP once they have completed MAJ. In addition to their request for more information, couples often say, “Why haven’t I heard this before?” With this in mind, below are four easy ways to promote NFP in your parish community to continue raising fertility awareness in your parish.

1. Promote NFP with posters/fliers on a bulletin board, banners on your website, bulletin inserts, witness talks, etc. The more we are able to see and hear about NFP, the closer it comes to becoming the norm for the families of our parishes. For resources in both English and Spanish, please click here.
2. Include homilies and prayers of the faithful concerned with the sanctity of marriage and openness to life. For prayer and liturgical resources, please click here.
3. Build up the NFP community in your parish and/or deanery. Invite married couples and/or families to gather together for a picnic or barbecue in a local park, or for wine and cheese at the rectory or a parishioner’s home. For ideas on NFP socials or a list of speakers well versed on the topics of NFP, Fertility Awareness, Theology of the Body, etc., contact the Center for Family Life Formation.
4. Encourage participation in human sexuality formation programs such as LoveEd (program for parents and kids), Rooted (school curriculum) and Teen STAR (fertility awareness for young people) as a way to empower parents and young women in your parish.

For more information and tips on building up your NFP community, contact Reggan Simons, Archdiocesan NFP Coordinator, Center for Family Life Formation.