Suggestions for CCD

[Orleans_Attny]

Friends,

I’m posting this there because I value this section of the forum, because the traffic here is high, and because many of the posters are very familiar with Church documents.

If I’m posting in the wrong place, please forgive me and understand that I’m sincere. Moderators: please feel free to move me to the appropriate section.

I’m teaching CCD this year (3rd grade). I live on a military base in Japan and we are without Catholic Schools - so CCD is it - as far as organized, out of home education.

Besides teaching the students, one of my major goals for this year is to increase parental involvement. Part of the way that I’m doing this is by sending home materials every week with the students, assigning homework that will require parental involvement, and providing parents with a handbook of sorts.

I’m fearful that what the students learn will quickly be lost without parental involvement. And some parents don’t even go to Mass or confession. Most parents don’t take seriously the obligation to teach their children the faith. I can’t do it in one hour per week, but I can provide some tools.

So what tools do you recommend?

What would you want to give to a cafeteria (or disinterested) Catholic?

I’m providing the easy stuff: prayers, Rosary, how to make a Confession, list of sacraments.

I’m sort of picking and choosing from “Handbook for Today’s Catholic” (1978)

Other thoughts?

In advance: Thanks for your time and help.

Pax,
OA

 

[Barbkw]

Those the base receive EWTN on television?

There are many programs that I found interesting on my way back to the Church?

Visual learning Low energy.

 

[puzzleannie]

F Most parents don’t take seriously the obligation to teach their children the faith. I can’t do it in one hour per week, but I can provide some tools.

So what tools do you recommend?

What would you want to give to a cafeteria (or disinterested) Catholic?

I’m providing the easy stuff: prayers, Rosary, how to make a Confession, list of sacraments.

I’m sort of picking and choosing from “Handbook for Today’s Catholic” (1978)

Other thoughts?

In advance: Thanks for your time and help.

Pax,
OA

the forum is evangelization, but we can start here
we give the handbook (in bulk about $3 per copy) to every family, in English or Spanish, at the first mandatory parent meeting. All families must attend in order to register their child and have him placed in a sacramental class. We go through the booklet and show what it contains–the elements of the Creed, short description of sacraments, order of the Mass, prayers and devotions, and practices–commandments, beatitudes etc. The third of 12 mandatory meetings (over the 3 years sacramental prep) introduces scripture and every family gets a bible. They learn how to navigate, how the bible is organized, what is divine revelation, and brief overview of salvation history, 4 senses of scripture, and how to pray with scripture. At this meeting they are also shown how to use the weekly Gospel resource that goes home with each child. They are used in class because we begin each session with the Gospel proclamation from the lectionary, and the resource has a short teaching, discussion questions and learning activity. The parents are shown how to use this as preparation for Mass, as a tool to generate discussion on the Gospel, and Mass in general, within the family.

The 12 mandatory meetings, and they have 3 years to complete them, cover what the diocese requires for sacramental prep for parents and sponsors, and exceeds that because we add scripture for instance, marriage issues including convalidation, discipleship and stewardship etc. The resources for those meetings include pamphlets from Our Sunday Visitor (less than $2 each in bulk purchase) called CAtholic Parent Know-How, on all the sacraments plus other topics like scripture, fundamentals of the faith etc.

a reproducible Sunday gospel resource, available for all 3 years in the lectionary cycle from several publishers is an inexpensive way to send that home, and carefully selected CPKH can be your send home on the specific topics. they stand out because in addition to giving a mini-bible study on the topic, they have specific suggestions and language on how to explain faith concepts to children, and how to implement them in the family setting–how to practice reconciliation in the family, for instance.

in think with uninvolved, uncatechized, un-practicing Catholic parents we have to begin with the RCIA model–initial evangelization through the Sunday Gospels.

 

[Orleans_Attny]

the forum is evangelization, but we can start here
we give the handbook (in bulk about $3 per copy) to every family, in English or Spanish, at the first mandatory parent meeting. All families must attend in order to register their child and have him placed in a sacramental class. We go through the booklet and show what it contains–the elements of the Creed, short description of sacraments, order of the Mass, prayers and devotions, and practices–commandments, beatitudes etc. The third of 12 mandatory meetings (over the 3 years sacramental prep) introduces scripture and every family gets a bible. They learn how to navigate, how the bible is organized, what is divine revelation, and brief overview of salvation history, 4 senses of scripture, and how to pray with scripture. At this meeting they are also shown how to use the weekly Gospel resource that goes home with each child. They are used in class because we begin each session with the Gospel proclamation from the lectionary, and the resource has a short teaching, discussion questions and learning activity. The parents are shown how to use this as preparation for Mass, as a tool to generate discussion on the Gospel, and Mass in general, within the family.

The 12 mandatory meetings, and they have 3 years to complete them, cover what the diocese requires for sacramental prep for parents and sponsors, and exceeds that because we add scripture for instance, marriage issues including convalidation, discipleship and stewardship etc. The resources for those meetings include pamphlets from Our Sunday Visitor (less than $2 each in bulk purchase) called CAtholic Parent Know-How, on all the sacraments plus other topics like scripture, fundamentals of the faith etc.

a reproducible Sunday gospel resource, available for all 3 years in the lectionary cycle from several publishers is an inexpensive way to send that home, and carefully selected CPKH can be your send home on the specific topics. they stand out because in addition to giving a mini-bible study on the topic, they have specific suggestions and language on how to explain faith concepts to children, and how to implement them in the family setting–how to practice reconciliation in the family, for instance.

in think with uninvolved, uncatechized, un-practicing Catholic parents we have to begin with the RCIA model–initial evangelization through the Sunday Gospels.

It sounds like you have a robust program, and I thank you for responding.

My parish is the largest in the Archdiocese of the Military Services, but even we don’t have RCIA.

I will inquire, however, about establishing a program for CCD Parents and sacramental sponsors. It would be wonderful if we could create something.

Pax,
OA