Growing Catholics
Family Faith Formation
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This past year was amazing - the changes we made to children’s faith formation have born a lot of fruit. Here's the program for the 2022-23 school year:
PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN: Sessions for children 4-6 years of age (not yet in first grade) will introduce them to Jesus and what He said and did. Our primary goal is to help children feel happy and at home at church.
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION YEARS ONE & TWO (children of any age who have not received their first Sacraments): A parent (or another adult) will attend the Sacramental Preparation I and II classes with their children. Children may begin the class when parents feel they are ready and the classes always have children of various ages for many different reasons.
FLOURISHING CATHOLICS Children, typically in third grade and older, (who have received their first Sacraments) will come together into our Flourishing Catholics Groups. Each child (or sibling set) should be accompanied by at least one parent, grandparent, godparent or older sibling.*
Each FC Group will gather for engaging lessons which spring from the Sunday Readings. Called “Lectionary-Based Catechesis”, this is an ever-more popular approach to religious education. It allows for parents and children to explore the same ideas together - and enables them to continue to do so throughout the week at home.
*If there is no parent available to accompany their children to class, just let us know! We will have a couple of alternative options for parents to consider. We have volunteer teens to accompany your child, or you might consider our Homestudy Program; find out more HERE.
PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN: Sessions for children 4-6 years of age (not yet in first grade) will introduce them to Jesus and what He said and did. Our primary goal is to help children feel happy and at home at church.
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION YEARS ONE & TWO (children of any age who have not received their first Sacraments): A parent (or another adult) will attend the Sacramental Preparation I and II classes with their children. Children may begin the class when parents feel they are ready and the classes always have children of various ages for many different reasons.
FLOURISHING CATHOLICS Children, typically in third grade and older, (who have received their first Sacraments) will come together into our Flourishing Catholics Groups. Each child (or sibling set) should be accompanied by at least one parent, grandparent, godparent or older sibling.*
Each FC Group will gather for engaging lessons which spring from the Sunday Readings. Called “Lectionary-Based Catechesis”, this is an ever-more popular approach to religious education. It allows for parents and children to explore the same ideas together - and enables them to continue to do so throughout the week at home.
*If there is no parent available to accompany their children to class, just let us know! We will have a couple of alternative options for parents to consider. We have volunteer teens to accompany your child, or you might consider our Homestudy Program; find out more HERE.
OUR MISSION
The vision of faith formation provided by the Church, in the General Directory for Catechesis asks that we develop an "intergenerational” or "family" vision of Catholic formation. There are models which are more effective than the traditional “Religious Education Program”, that respond to the reality of the world we live in:
The vision of faith formation provided by the Church, in the General Directory for Catechesis asks that we develop an "intergenerational” or "family" vision of Catholic formation. There are models which are more effective than the traditional “Religious Education Program”, that respond to the reality of the world we live in:
- It needs to look less like a separate "program", and more like a process to strengthen everyone’s connection to our liturgy, sacraments, the Church year, justice and service, and prayer, i.e., all the ministries of St. John parish.
- It should not focus on children only but on the family unit (however it may be comprised) — people of all ages and generations, especially adults who are best able to serve as teachers and models to the children they influence.
- It must move beyond an age-segregated “school model” of religious education, and rather, make connections among the generations in programs that provide "developmentally appropriate" learning, complementing it with family dynamics.
- We need to forget the focus on "textbook as the curriculum" and use the life of the Church life as the curriculum, taking advantage of the ancient gift of the Church Year, sacramental celebrations, community prayer, and works of justice and service and providing catechesis that prepares everyone to learn by participating in our parish life.
- We must take seriously the direction for the parish staff to work in partnership with parents and families by recognizing that the family at home is integral to faith formation.