Family Formation

It struck me last night at our first classroom meeting of the year as we were going through a long to-do list of basics and extras and opportunities and stuff to pick up and stuff you could buy and stuff you needed to make sure your kids were bringing home and stuff to memorize and stuff to bring back next month and ways to sign up to help our program that it was probably ridiculously confusing for first-timers.

If that’s you, I’m guessing you weren’t alone. Every year we need to find the balance between giving enough information to new people, covering all the information we need to convey, and staying within our time limits, and we probably fail way more often than we realize. If you happen to be one of those whose head was spinning a little when you left, read on. This primer of the Church of Saint Paul’s October classroom meeting is for you!

First of all, this time and every time, the most important part of Family Formation is attending the monthly classroom session and doing the Home Lessons (preferably on the weeks indicated).

If you don’t do anything else, do these lessons. They are the core and the most valuable part of Family Formation!

Other stuff we talked about:

• Memory verse (optional): Each month we encourage students to learn a memory verse to be recited for the classroom catechist the following month. You can find this verse on the front cover sidebar of each Home Lesson and on a separate sheet that was in your packet. There are almost always separate verses for younger and older students.  Those who can successfully recite will receive a small prize – typically a Holy Trader Card.
• WOG logs (optional): WOG Logs are a way to encourage kids to read Scripture on a regular basis. Simply check the box for each day you read the Bible and bring that month’s log to the next classroom meeting. Each month all the WOG Logs that are turned is are placed into a drawing and two students will win Dairy Queen gift cards. Your numbers are tallied throughout the year, and in May the students with the highest number of days reading Scripture will be honored with a special prize. You can see the total number of days our Family Formation students have logged throughout the year on Family Formation’s bulletin board in the hallway near our office.
• All Saints’ Day Party (optional, but super fun!): Annual event for families celebrating the Feast of All Saints. The evening begins with Mass and then dinner, games and lots of fun. Kids (and adults) should come in costume, dressed as a Bible character, animal, or Saint. (No cartoon characters or scary costumes, please.) There will also be a separate teen room with games and snacks for kids in 7th grade and older. Please pre-register after Masses beginning this weekend.
• Saints’ YES! (optional): This is a social group for 4-6th graders. They meet monthly for a wide variety of fun events. Register at the beginning of the year to participate.  Their first meeting is Friday, October 12.
• Handmaidens (optional):  Handmaidens of the Lord is a group for girls, grades 4 through 6, with the aim of encouraging and teaching the young ladies to grow in holiness and providing opportunities to develop friendships.  A typical meeting features study in virtue, a feminine art, tea time, and topic handouts for further study at home. Registrations are being taken now and the first meeting is on Thursday, October 11.
• Soldiers of Christ (optional): This group, for 4-6th grade boys and their fathers, features lessons on virtue, scout skills, active games, and social time with other boys from the parish. Registrations are being taken now and the first meeting is on October 11.
• Books of the Bible Challenge (optional): Each year Family Formation sponsors an additional challenge and this year we’ve given you resources to memorize the names of all 73 books of the Bible in order. Beginning soon, there will be opportunities to recite before and after classroom meeting times and the prize is a special t-shirt. Family Formation and Little Lamb/Sunday Celebration students can earn their shirt for free and parents who have also complete the challenge can get a shirt for a small fee to cover the costs. NOTE: We do this challenge every 3 years, so if you aren’t ready to do it before May, it’ll be around again in 2015.
• Cate-Quizm Challenge (optional): This challenge is for adults and is designed to encourage them to read the Catechism and grow in knowledge of the Catholic Faith. Each card has 10 multiple choice questions. Use the Catechism references (the numbers in the parentheses) to find the answers. Bring completed cards back each month for a chance to win a Caribou Coffee gift card.
• CCCs for sale (optional): We have a limited number of copies of the Catechism of the Catholic Church available that we’re selling for only $8!  We’re offering it at this fantastic price because we hope every Family Formation home will have and use a copy.

So to recap – this is an active and creative parish with lots of opportunities to grow in your faith, socialize, and serve others. Focus on the essentials for now and eventually add other stuff that will fit in with your family life. All of these things (and lots more that you’ll hear about throughout the year) are available each year and on an ongoing basis. We’ll see you when you’re ready!

Also, please, please, please, if you have a questions, ASK!  That’s what we’re here for!

This is a great question and one we hear often from parents who were not well catechized for whatever reason in their own childhood.

The most important thing to know is that God has given you all the graces necessary to lead your children to heaven.  He trusts you to do this job, and He always pays for what He orders!  He’s just waiting for your simple “yes” so He can begin doing a great work in your family!

The fact of the matter is that you are already teaching religion to your kids and you’ve been doing so since they were born!  Do you go to Sunday Mass?  You’re teaching them about the priority of worship.  Do you say simple prayers with them?  You’re teaching them about your trust in God.  Do you care for your family?  You’re teaching them about love and sacrifice — two major attributes of God, Himself.

The next thing we want you to know is that Family Formation does everything possible to help you succeed.  You do not have to be an expert in the Faith to use Family Formation.

•  Each lesson is written at an elementary school level, and is easy to understand.  By simply spending a small amount of time in preparation each week (literally just reading the lesson ahead of time is usually enough), you can become familiar with the topic in the upcoming lesson.  Even parents who were very poorly catechized can begin learning the facts of the Faith in simple ways along with their children.
• No additional research is necessary but if you want to dig a little deeper additional references from Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church are given for each topic.
• Each lesson is organized with easy-to-access parent information on the front cover and review quizzes on the back cover.
• Only minor preparation is necessary and we always give you advance notice of it.
• The monthly meetings offer chances to help everyone learn about a topic in more depth.  You’ll also have a chance to ask questions and network with other parents who are also undertaking this wonderful task.

One of the richest blessings of Family Formation comes as families learn about the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith together!  Many parents have testified to the fact that through Family Formation they have come to learn and understand the Catholic Faith for the first time.