Scheduling for the New Year!

Hello to all my peers! As we end up this year I am sure like myself you are already beginning to evaluate and tweak your program for "next year." Here in our parish program, my superiors are once again asking that we implement more parental responsibility; one way my pastor is adamant that this take place is to “remove” the traditional model and place the text books in the hands of the parents.

I have considered such a model but thought about starting this with Grades 4 & 5 ONLY. Then I thought we would continue bringing in Grades 1, 2, & 3, and of course the Middle school students who are often the most difficult, to “home school.” In the meantime will also implement monthly parent gatherings for Gr. 1 & 2 to prepare them for the “home schooling” idea.

Now in order to “keep everyone in check” I thought perhaps we could have “presentation of lessons Sunday” when the children would return from the Children’s liturgy of the Word session after 3 weeks of "home schooling" with their lessons as a offering. Following this presentation Mass we would bring the children into a classroom to review what had been done and present what the next 3 weeks would entail with parents gathered for the same purpose in a different location.
I would appreciate any insight to such a considered endeavor.
Easter Blessings.
Dawn Alves, DRE Holy Family Parish, Gloucester MA

Dawn, I'm impressed that you're already looking ahead to next year! I'm no where near that point

I like that you are thinking of "starting small" and piloting this new approach with just a few grade levels. It seems that this will help you learn what works/needs to be adjusted on a smaller and more managable level.

It sounds like this change is coming from the top down. What else is the pastor doing to help lead this change? Is he talking about it from the pulpit, or including something in the bulletin/parish newsletter? Is he writing a letter to all the PSR families about this change? Not only does staff need to explain the what, but I'm guessing the change will be much more successful if you're also able to explain the why... (and clearly demonstrate what the "benefit" of the change is).

Also, does your text book series have a home learning component/resource, either in print or on the Web? What are you thnking of doing for the parent meetings?

Good luck! Keep us posted on what you decide
Pam

Hi Pam,

Thanks for the quick reply! Actually, the pastors have spoken to the parents as the primary catechist at their baptismal catechetical moment but that thought is often forgotten as you may already have experienced. and they reinforce that thought at the parent meetings during the sacramental year. However, having said that…..again, as we all know most do not feel like the primary or the appropriate catechetical leader for their child.
I will suggest that a note go home from the pastor, that may give them the summer to think about this change and to “ready” themselves for questions and concerns.
We use the Finding God series from Loyola which we all love but many of my "home schooling" parents have found that they do not use it and prefer to just take the student text, read it for context and learn at that level initially while integrating the information as best they can.

I appreciate your insight.
Easter blessnings.
dawn

That initial catechetical moment at baptism is so important, no?

I once heard Fr. John Cusick (co-founder of Theology on Tap) speak, and he talk about the importance of that initial moment, AND the importance of ongoing follow up. He had a whole name for it: the follow-up during the first three years of a child's life, but I forget what he calls it.

Great in theory, but sometimes hard to do in practice!

Wonder what we can do to help parents become more comfortable being the primary educators of their children???

Dawn
Wow your entry blew me away. I would suggest that your pastor read the GDC and NDG on the roles of parents and catechists. Yes parents are the primary influence in children's faith lives but your pastor needs to understand that there is a very important role for well trained catechists (even for younger students) This role is unique from the role of parents. Where parents naturally teach children the practical elements of lived faith (they model, a realtionship with God, moral decision making etc.) many are not prepared or able to teach their children the finer points of our theology. Imaging the awkward position of the parent who is divorced and remaried (out side of the church) having to teach their child about the indisolvablity of marriage or the interfaith family having to negotiate issues like true presence or the communion of saints.
I totally agree that we need to include parents in a partnership with the parish in forming their children's faith. but one of the main points in the GDC is that catechesis is the work of the entire parish. I would suggest that perhaps your pastor needs to sit down with a representative group of parents explain what he would like to do and the rational but more importantly listen to their honest responses. Does he have a sense of what stress home schooling will cause in some families? What about the families where school work is a nightmere because of learning disablities? What about the students who need the support of their peers or the inspiration of faith filled catechists to compensate for families who are distant from the faith for a variety of reasons some justifiable. If the goal is to bring families closer together and closer to their faith I would suspect that your pastor will find that he is having the opposite effect. I would suggest that he needs to look at a more wholistic or combined approach that meets families where they are and invites them along the road of faith rather than sets a nearly impossable goal, hands them a map and walks away from them.

Dawn,

One of the parishes in my diocese has recently moved to a similar model. As the result of a long story, the parish lost their school building, and no longer had space to have classes via the traditional model.

In the new model, classes are held weekly, but a different age group meets in the parish hall. The first week it's grades 1 - 3, then the next 4 - 6, and the next 7 - 8. On the fourht week, there is always a whole-community prayer service/liturgy/sacramental celebration held in the Church.

The evenings begin with opening prayer and introduction. Then there is break-out time in which the students remain in the hall for catechesis, and the parents move to the Church for adult catechesis to talk about the same theme/topic that their children are learning about. The parents also get an overview of the two or three other themes that they should be working with their children on during the rest of the month.

The switch has not been easy, but this is the third year with this new model, and they are beginning to see some success. Parents are finally beginning to feel comfortable with "being the primary catechists." Now that they're into the program, they are happy with the way things are moving. The DRE, however, realized that it was the loss of the school building which forced them to create something new...

Jclark your post raises some interesting questions for the church about what we are doing with Faith Formation. Saddly too many parishes and even diocese are making choices not out of a vision for what they believe from their hearts will be the best way to evangelize and catechize but in reaction to various percieved "crisses" such as lack of space, limited of funding, closing/clustering of parishes, fustration with parents etc., etc.
I believe that the Holy Spirit is extending us (the church) an invitation to make a leap of faith and explore new deepths of our relationship with God. But I also believe that we can't respond to that invitation if we are allowing negative issues ( all the things we think we lack) to limit our response and vision.

I am interested in finding many ways to involve parents in creating a reservoir of faith for their children. I appreciated reading all the postings.
Rather than an 'either/or' response I would think finding many ways to invite families to participate. As someone described many of our families and their children would be stressed by home-schooling, especially if they were handed a text without any prep. What would be some simple steps to begin this journey that would not overwhelm them? Do the families gather for prayer at home? If not, or sporadically, what about having a session for parents to teach them how to gather their families in prayer? Do families prepare to listen together to the Word proclaimed at Mass on Sundays? What about a session teaching them simple ways to break open the Scripture? A session on religious art--what do they have around their houses that remind them of what they believe and who they follow. Another on music that animates the heart--traditional, liturgical, pop with faith messages. How do we get families to practice the Corporal/ Spiritual Works of Mercy, participate in the mission of Christ--maybe a time to reflect on what they are already doing and inviting them to other opportunities.
As someone mentioned catechesis is the work of the whole Church--how are we connecting people to one another--establishing ties between ages, cultures.? Do we have mentors for families in our parishes?

Maura,

Good point: we certainly want to minister out of an abundance mentality as opposed to a scarcity mentality. At the same time, I believe that sometimes the Spirit is most present and active in those liminal moments, when someone or something rocks the boat so much that we have to give up that with which we are comfortable. Obviously, this is not to say that I think everyone should give up their traditional RE programs If, though, when faced with change, we do work out of an abundance mentality, we can free ourselves to think outside the box, and create something that might just work.

Maura,

You really seem to understand the parent/parish partnership. Would you mind sharing how you involve parents in your RE program? And in sacramental preparation, too!

Thanks,
Pam