The Faith Formation Office invites parishioners to discern if God is calling you to support the faith formation of our young parishioners. It is out of our Baptism that we are called to respond to the Great Commission: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Mt. 28:19-20)
You may be unsure about what to expect or to do. Maybe you’re worried that you won’t know enough about your faith to share it.
Let us put your fears to rest. There is no such thing as The Perfect Catechist.
We are looking for parents, grandparents, adults, students, first-time catechists, long-time catechists, and former catechists. We are looking for people who seek to learn and prepare, who are committed to helping our young people encounter Jesus Christ and to live as his disciples and who trust that God will provide all you need to be an effective leader.
Consider these top ten reasons people are reluctant to answer the call.
We provide a week-by-week curriculum outline and a full set of resources to help you. Our texts have complete teacher resources, lesson plans and a robust web site full of suggestions. Our experienced catechists share ideas and lesson plans as well. We also have resources in the Parish Office, which include shelves of materials you can use, and our staff is available to help.
At one point, we were all on a journey to learn something – how to read, how to tie our shoes, how to do fractions – and we did it. Your faith is the same; when you practice it more actively, you learn more about it. In fact, this is the thing we hear most often from catechists – their faith grows exponentially when they become a catechist.
If you attend the 9 a.m. or 11:30 Mass, you’re already here on Sunday mornings so the 10:30 Faith Formation session may be the perfect fit. Busy after mass on Sundays? That’s ok – we offer Faith Formation on Tuesday at 5:30 and Thursday at 4:00. Planning takes only a couple of hours during the week. Chances are you’re already online during the week– you can surf for lesson ideas then. This year, we will also offer enrichment workshops throughout the year that will take place right after class.
We get that. At baptism, you were called to be a witness to Christ’s love in the world. Serving as a catechist allows you to live out this call. Coffee and quiet are beautiful things, but the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the classroom has even greater beauty.
This isn’t the “CCD” you may remember from your youth. Our students learn in all different kinds of ways, including using technology. Can’t sing? No problem; plenty of people on YouTube and Spotify can. Not creative? Our resource library is full of books, ideas, handouts, posters and more. Plus, if you’ve ever been on Pinterest, you know there’s no shortage of ideas.
You don’t have to. You can request to be a co-catechist and teach with a spouse, friend, or fellow parishioner. You can choose how best to teach. Some catechists like to team-teach. Others like to trade off from week to week. You’ll also be supported by staff and Aides. We have substitute catechists if you’re unavailable for a given lesson.
If you’d rather teach a grade or class different than your child’s, we can accommodate that. Some of our parents like teaching their child’s class and move up as their children progress through the program. Others like teaching a different grade and seeing a different aspect.
You don’t have to know all the answers all the time. We have the people and the resources to help you find the answer so you can bring it back to class the next week.
Our students have enough “cool” friends. What they need in faith formation is a committed Catholic who will learn their names, listen when they speak, involve them in meaningful lessons, lead them in prayer and ultimately help them to come to know Jesus Christ. It is from your own faith journey and relationship with Christ that you are able to accompany our young people on their journey of faith.
Very few of our catechists are professional teachers, so everyone has concerns about classroom management. We will help you set expectations for your classroom and ensure that students and parents understand what is required for participation in our program.
Open yourself up to a new relationship with God; through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will journey together in helping the young people of our parish encounter and grow to love Jesus Christ.
Check out more info on our Catechist page where you can review a catechist role description and related resources.
Questions? We’d love to talk with you. Please call or email:
Keri Misurell, Director of Faith Formation
(973) 744-2850
kmisurell@stcassianchurch.org
