We love this idea from Cindy, a DRE in Illinois:

Something I just recently started doing in order to help our families remember to do their lessons each week is send a ‘sparkly’ e-mail about the lesson of the week. I’ve had a few people tell me they really like the reminders because so often the week gets away from them and then they fall behind.

She was also kind enough to attach her November reminders.  Here are a couple examples:

Subject: A week off?  Well … maybe?  Not?
Greetings families – Busy busy busy…If your schedule is as busy as ours then you are probably finding yourself a bit behind in the home lessons. That’s ok. The nice thing about Family Formation is that you are able to do the lessons on your own time, and since there’s no scheduled lesson for this week, you can use the time to do some of the activities from the previous one. And remember, don’t ever feel like you have to do it all. If you can, great! But if not, even one small activity or conversation is better than none at all. That’s why we give you so much to work with.

Try some WOG LOG time, too. (Second graders had the most number of minutes this past month. Who will the class with the most Scripture time next month?)

Above all, thanks so much for being parents who love their children and take seriously the responsibility of forming them in the faith. You are their  greatest advocates and we are inspired by your dedication.

Blessings to all!! The Family Formation Team

Subject: It’s Advent!!! Shout it like Isaiah!! (week of November 27)
“Prepare the way of the Lord!!!!” What a great time to be Catholic!!

Lesson 3: Isaiah the Prophet helps us see the connection between the things God revealed to Isaiah in his prophesies and what gave us the richness of our faith…Jesus Christ!! Let’s prepare for His coming just like Isaiah and John the Baptist call us to.

WOG LOG ALERT!! The Prophecy Concentration Game is a great way to LOG some WOG time. The second grade class won the WOG LOG trophy last month. Who will log the most WOG minutes this month?

ADVENT ACTIVITIES BOOKLET! This starts the beginning of an even busier time than we’ve all had so far and it’s also even more important to keep those family connections going strong. There are some great, yet simple, advent activities in this packet to help you stay in touch with what it’s all about. Enjoy each other!

This is a great idea for so many reasons!  With one simple email she can educate, remind, encourage, update, and clarify.  She gently keeps her families on schedule, but offers options when that doesn’t happen.  She is building community and nudging people on to a greater depth of faith as they build  holy habits together as a family.  What a fun email her families get to find in their in-boxes each week!

(Remember, we LOVE to hear ideas that worked for you!  If you have any suggestions, email the details to us or share them in the comments box.)