Generations of Faith

[Magnum_V8]

Do you have the Generations of Faith program in your parish?

generationsoffaith.org/

Our parish council president said that someone from the diocese was talking to her about getting it started in our parish. Our president said that she’s just too busy to take on another program, but had someone in mind for it…yep, your’s truly.

Just wondering what its all about and how it works. I understand that it has something to do with faith formation, but I haven’t had an opportunity to fully investigate the website yet. We desperately need some sort of catechesis/faith formation in our parish.

Thoughts, anyone?

 

[puzzleannie]

we have several old threads on this program with contributors who have used it or taken part in their parish. It is family centered or inter-generational catechesis, one approach to “whole community catechesis”. It can be offered either to replace traditional grade level CCD/RE/PSR or as an alternative to existing programs. Our neighboring parish used this approach for years, and after a new pastor, and replacement of most parish staff including all involved with CCD/RCIA/YM, are back to the traditional model.

DREs in the diocese were offered a seminar on this program by its originator a couple of years ago, and some of us have incorporated elements of “family centered catechesis” but have nonetheless kept traditional RE programs. For instance, we have 4 family programs at natural times during the year for CCD–All Saints, Advent and Lent retreats, and Mary day, the last day of CCD in May. On those days we use resources such as GOF and similar programs to do activities families can do together. We also send home a flyer in English and Spanish each week with every child in CCD for discussion, reflection and action based on the Sunday readings for families. We explain how to use this resource at parent meetings.

some of these family programs offer modules that can be done at home by the nuclear family, or by several families gathering as a group in homes, and others take place at the parish facilities. They are often offered as an alternative in a parish that cannot generate enough volunteer catechists for traditional CCD, but in practice, do require a lot of volunteer help to keep going.

the programs themselves, GOF and similar, are fine as far as they go, and if presented as the program guide suggests, will cover eventually all or most of the topics covered in a typical RE textbooks series over grades 1-6, assuming each child attends the family program for 6 years. None of these are substitutes for formal sacramental prep, and most parishes that use them either have family centered module for each sacrament, or a conventional candidate/parent class for sacraments.

 

[pippin]

Our parish has used the program for several years now. We use it in place of a weekly CCD program. It meets once a month. Every family gets a take home packet with activities to continue the learning at home. I don’t know how many actually use it. Our pastor wanted to discourage the drop-off program where parents drop off kids, but never attend mass or participate in parish life. In the younger group, parents/guardians attend with the children. There is also an adult group. I taught a couple of years and the kids seem to enjoy it more since there are group activities and craft projects.

 

[rpp]

My parish very seriously looked at the program. They have some very slick (read slippery) marketing materials. Very professional. After attending a training session this is what my pastor had to say.

“I seemed like a very complete program. The packaging looks very good and it is well organized. Unfortunately, it appears the material does not teach what the Church teaches and is in direct conflict in several areas, especially in the area of conscience versus objective morality. As a result, we will not use this program or any material from that company in this parish.”

With that one paragraph, he ended a one year investigation and project to bring it into the Church.

Here are some other web resources.
The GOF web site. Here is self description of their program

Here is a CatholicCulture.com review of their web site and their program.
catholicculture.org/reviews/view.cfm?recnum=2521