Remind your students that it’s still the Christmas season by using pieces of your nativity set on this month’s prayer table. While the traditional (12 days after Christmas) date of Epiphany is January 6, most countries, including the United States will celebrate it on Sunday, January 8.
Archive for the ‘Catechist's Corner’ category
January Prayer Tables for Classrooms
January 2, 2012Fun and Games
November 26, 2011One of our creative catechists shared a couple suggestions for teaching December’s classroom topic, Mary: God’s Masterpiece. “For acting out the story, bring some simple props to liven up the acting out part. A broom for Mary’s chores, a book for her lessons, a hammer for Joseph the carpenter, two plastic wine glasses for the [...]
December Prayer Tables for Classrooms
November 17, 2011In this month’s topic, Mary: God’s Masterpiece, even the title encourages you to use beautiful art on your prayer table! Since your classroom time will be in December, the typical go-to idea is to set up all or part of a Nativity set for your decoration, but I’d like to suggest you possibly put that [...]
More effort means more time
November 7, 2011Hello Everyone, I love reading the documents of the Church. They provide such wisdom, reminding us what is really important. Take this quote from Pope Pius XI back in 1935 from the document On Better Care for Catechetical Teaching: “Pastors and others having the care of souls should ever bear in mind that catechetical instruction [...]
How to Use a Bible When Catechising Children
October 24, 2011Hello Everyone, I want to take a two minutes today to introduce you to a catechetical tool that is simple, easy, and effective. Whenever possible with your home or classroom lessons, use a real Bible. From now on make it a habit to stop reading Bible quotes from the lesson page. Instead, pick up the [...]
Fun and games
October 20, 2011One of our creative catechists shared a suggestion for introducing November’s classroom topic, the Corporal Works of Mercy. Instead of just telling the kids what they are, have them discover for themselves through a fun and quick game of Charades! Each of the corporal works requires a giver and a recipient, so pair up your [...]
Great Practical Advice
October 12, 2011Hello Everyone, I wanted to take the time to pass on some forgotten wisdom from the past. This quote is from Pope Pius XI, from his work On Better Care for Catechetical Teaching from 1935 “Furthermore, let pastors and their assistants endeavor so far as they can to make the children eager to attend the [...]
A sticky situation …
October 1, 2011After today’s first Family Formation class, a catechist told me about a fun and effective way she used to help her young class remember the prayer we say silently before the Gospel at Mass. Each child got three small cross stickers – one to place on each of their foreheads, lips, and heart – to [...]
“Welcome to our class!”
September 24, 2011Catechists, making a quick, beginning-of-the-year call to each student before the first class meets is an effective way to start off right. We recommend you double this impact by talking to both a parent and your student. In the parent conversation, it’s amazing how many situations you can head off by simply asking “is there [...]
Thanks, Iowa!
September 23, 2011Thank you to everyone who attended the Family Formation 101 workshop and stopped by our vendor table last weekend at the 2011 Diocesan Ministries Conference in Carroll, IA. Meeting new friends and connecting with familiar faces is always a highlight of our trips. We are always encouraged and blessed through sharing the good news of Family [...]
Matt Brounstein
Sue Klejeski
Molly Koop
