Faith Formation - Suggestions

[DebChris]

I have always home schooled my kids. We use the Faith and Life Series and have just started the Didache Series with my high schooler. I love these series because they are heavy in content. My parish DRE however feels that it is just too much for the average kid. I think, like Joe 5859, that the kids will rise to the occasion. If you set the bar low they will meet it. If you set the bar high they will meet it. Where do you want your kids to end up?

One of the issues I have raised is that we have no trained Catechists. They want the untrained parents to teach the untrained kids. As a result a lot of misunderstanding has occured as well as heresy. But I can’t blame them because they don’t know any better.

How many of your dioceses require the teachers to be trained Catechists? What Diocese are you in so that I may contact the person in charge of Faith Formation? Unfortunately I will need cold hard proof to force the trained catechist issue.

Thanks for all of your comments. Please keep them coming. I have another meeting tomorrow night and would like to present some of your opinions and procedures to the group.

Thanks again!!

The Diocese of Charlotte, NC requires catechist training.
Each catechist undergoes a background check and takes Protecting Our Children.
Catechist Training is scheduled on a regular basis, about once every 6 months so that it seems to take forever to become certified. Level 1 requires written recommendation from 2 people who can vouch for character. I am working on level 2.
Within the teacher manuals for Faith and Life, there is information for presenting a condensed version for parish faith formation.

 

[Joe_5859]

How many of your dioceses require the teachers to be trained Catechists? What Diocese are you in so that I may contact the person in charge of Faith Formation? Unfortunately I will need cold hard proof to force the trained catechist issue.

Most dioceses have some sort of catechist certification program. However, in my diocese the certification usually comes after the person has started teaching. This happens because, every fall, the parish Catechetical Leaders are scrambling to find anybody to fill the catechist slots.

Further, the Diocesan DRE probably does not have any direct authority over the catechists at a given parish. The catechists report to the DRE and the DRE reports to the pastor, and the pastor reports to the bishop. The pastor does not report to the Diocesan DRE.