Growing Catholics
Family Faith Formation
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This past year was challenging - but it offered extraordinary opportunities. Because we are so enthusiastic about what we have learned, this year we will be making some exciting changes to children’s faith formation:
PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN: We plan to offer sessions for children 4-6 years of age (not yet in first grade) which 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. (No changes here.)
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION YEARS ONE & TWO (children of any age who have not received their first Sacraments): We plan on having parents attend the Sacramental Preparation I and II classes with their children again. Typically children move through these two years of preparation in first and second grades, but children may begin the class when parents feel they are ready and the classes always have children of various ages for many different reasons.
GROWING CATHOLICS Children, most usually in third grade and older, (who have received their first Sacraments) will come together into what we’ll call a Growing Catholics Group. Each child (or sibling set) should be accompanied by at least one parent, grandparent, godparent or older sibling.*
Each GC 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. One of these is our Homestudy Program; find out more HERE.
PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN: We plan to offer sessions for children 4-6 years of age (not yet in first grade) which 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. (No changes here.)
SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION YEARS ONE & TWO (children of any age who have not received their first Sacraments): We plan on having parents attend the Sacramental Preparation I and II classes with their children again. Typically children move through these two years of preparation in first and second grades, but children may begin the class when parents feel they are ready and the classes always have children of various ages for many different reasons.
GROWING CATHOLICS Children, most usually in third grade and older, (who have received their first Sacraments) will come together into what we’ll call a Growing Catholics Group. Each child (or sibling set) should be accompanied by at least one parent, grandparent, godparent or older sibling.*
Each GC 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. One of these is our Homestudy Program; find out more HERE.
WHY WOULD WE WANT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES?
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. This means that we have to move away from the traditional “Religious Education Program” to something that responds to the reality of the world we live in. We learn this about today’s Faith Formation:
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. This means that we have to move away from the traditional “Religious Education Program” to something that responds to the reality of the world we live in. We learn this about today’s Faith Formation:
- 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 the age-segregated, unappealing “school model” of religious education, making 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.