INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION 1 Finding God Family Catechesis Introduction YEAR 1 In advance of this presentation, review slides and notes. Make any adjustments to reflect your parish's process. Display this opening slide as participants enter room. After participants are settled, introduce yourself and explain your role in parish and program. Say: Thank you participating in Finding God Family Catechesis. Today I will introduce you to this wonderful program and describe our roles within it. www.findinggod.com/family i-1 Finding God Family Catechesis Leader Guide
Presentation Overview Define family catechesis. Explain how it works. Outline what you need. Say: In this first presentation, I ll explain what family catechesis is and how our program will run. Then we will do a second presentation that explains program s online resources. We ll have time questions after both. Let s begin. www.findinggod.com/family i-2 Finding God Family Catechesis Leader Guide
What Is Family Catechesis? Family-Centered Faith Formation Flexible Engaging Community building Explain what family catechesis is. A brief description is provided, but you may wish to define it based on your approach. Say: According to National Directory Catechesis, Family-centered catechetical programs are opportunities parents to catechize ir children directly, spouses to catechize each or and children to catechize one anor and ir parents. (p. 259) In Finding God Family Catechesis, you will guide your child's mation in faith. While program provides you flexibility and resources to help you succeed in this role, your presence is most important aspect; being present as your child grows in our Catholic faith is a wonderful gift. As part of this program, we will gar one group faith mation meeting per month. These meetings will feature a variety of activities that support me of each Finding God unit. Through se engaging activities, we ll nurture our Catholic faith and build community with or families in our parish. www.findinggod.com/family i-3 Finding God Family Catechesis Leader Guide
How It Works Unit Topics Unit 1: God Unit 2: Jesus Unit 3: The Church Unit 4: Sacraments Unit 5: Morality Seasonal Lessons Advent/Christmas Lent/Holy Week/Easter Say: Your child s Finding God book is organized into five units, each containing five sessions. Read aloud five unit titles on slide. Say: Family catechesis is organized in same manner. Each monthly meeting will introduce unit me being covered that month. We ll provide background inmation and support so you re prepared to guide your children through ir sessions. We will also come toger two meetings using liturgical season lessons from The Year in Our Church section of Children s Book. Read aloud two seasonal lesson titles on slide. Note: If your parish s religious education program chooses to administer units in a different order, prepare and distribute an outline showing that order. www.findinggod.com/family i-4 Finding God Family Catechesis Leader Guide
What We ll Do Toger Each monthly meeting has three sections. Welcome (15 minutes) For children and parents Introduces unit me through prayer, Scripture, and discussion Children dismissed to grade-level classrooms to discuss first session in unit Connect (30 minutes) For parents only In-depth coverage of unit me through multimedia and discussion Close (15 minutes) For parents only Summarizes unit me through prayer, discussion, and multimedia Explain Finding God Family Catechesis process. Say: Each monthly meeting has three sections: Welcome, Connect, and Close. During Welcome, we will introduce me to you and your children toger. After Welcome section is concluded, your children will leave to join ir grade-level catechists to complete first session of unit. While your children meet with ir grade-level catechists, you will stay Connect and Close sections of our meeting. We will spend approximately 45 minutes expanding on unit me through use of multimedia, group prayer, discussion, and Scripture readings. Adjust section below if you plan to have grade-level catechists bring children back after session is completed. Say: The Connect and Close will end about 15 minutes bee your children complete ir grade-level session, so you can stay and visit with or parents, ask questions, or walk over to your child s classroom. www.findinggod.com/family i-5 Finding God Family Catechesis Leader Guide
What You ll Do at Home After each meeting Use remainder of month to teach your child at your own pace, using grade-level At-Home Edition and Children s Book. Complete Interactive Session Review, an online assessment, after each session to gauge your child s understanding. Tip Refer to Finding God Director Guide more inmation on At-Home Edition and Interactive Session Reviews. Say: After each meeting, you will have rest of month to teach your child remaining four sessions of unit. To guide you through each session, you will use an online resource called At-Home Edition in conjunction with Children's Book. As you have whole month to complete each unit, you can teach when and how it works best your family. That could mean one session per week or all four sessions in one day. You can teach around kitchen table or in backyard. You choose what works best to help you teach your child Catholic faith. Determine how your parish will manage Interactive Session Reviews and adjust language below as necessary. Say: And, to gauge your child s understanding of faith concepts, he or she will complete an Interactive Session Review online after each session and e-mail results to me. Please note, Interactive Session Reviews do not apply to Kindergarten. www.findinggod.com/family i-6 Finding God Family Catechesis Leader Guide
Grade Grade Grade Begin Say: The title of this book is Finding God. Ask: Who is God? (our Far and Creator) Where Begin do we find him? Discuss with your child where you each find God in your Say: everyday The title life. of this Tell book your is child Finding that you God. find Ask: God Who in is him God? or (our her and Far and in your love Creator) him Where or Begin her. do Read we find aloud him? Discuss unit title. with Say: your Let s child begin where this you book each find toger by God talking your about God as our Far and Creator. God created everything that is. His creation shows Say: everyday his The love title life. of us. this Tell book your child is Finding that you God. find Ask: God Who is him God? or (our her and Far and in your love Creator) him Where or her. do Read we find aloud him? Discuss unit title. with Say: your Let s child begin where this you book each find toger by God talking your about everyday God as our life. Far Tell your and child Creator. that God you created find God everything in him or her and Introduce that is. His Saint in creation your love shows his him love or her. us. Read aloud unit title. Say: Let s begin this book Have your child turn toger page by 1. Read talking aloud about God saint s as our name Far and and Creator. sentence God created everything below it. Introduce that is. His creation Saint shows his love us. Turn to page Have 2. Discuss your child turn picture to page of Saint 1. Read Francis aloud of Assisi. saint s Ask: name What and else do sentence you see in below picture? it. Introduce (animals) What kind of Saint clothing is Saint Francis wearing? (a brown robe) Turn to Is his page clothing Have 2. Discuss your fancy? child (No.) turn picture Do to page you of Saint think 1. Read Saint Francis aloud Francis of Assisi. was saint s Ask: a rich name What and else do sentence man? (No.) you see in below picture? it. (animals) What kind of clothing is Saint Francis wearing? Read aloud (a brown page. robe) Turn Ask: to Is his How page clothing would 2. Discuss fancy? you feel (No.) if picture you Do saw you of a Saint think person Saint Francis talking Francis of to Assisi. a was Ask: a rich What else do wild animal man? such (No.) as a you wolf? see (Possible in picture? answers: (animals) scared, What nervous, kind of curious) clothing How is Saint Francis wearing? did wolf Read react aloud to Saint (a brown Francis? page. robe) Ask: (It was Is his How calm clothing would and fancy? you gentle.) feel (No.) if Say: you Do saw Saint you a think Francis person Saint talking Francis to a was a rich loved everything wild animal God man? created. such (No.) as He a wolf? loved (Possible animals answers: as if y scared, were nervous, his brors curious) How and sisters. did He treated wolf m react kindly. to Saint We Francis? are going (It was to learn calm how and God gentle.) makes Say: Saint Francis everything loved and how everything prayer Read aloud helps God created. us show page. He our Ask: loved love How all would animals creation. you feel if you saw a person talking to a wild animal such as a wolf? (Possible answers: as if y scared, were nervous, his brors curious) How With your and child sisters. add Francis s did He treated wolf feast m react day, kindly. to October Saint We Francis? are 4, to going your (It was to calendar. learn calm how and Plan God gentle.) an makes Say: Saint Francis event toger everything to celebrate loved and how everything prayer love helps God that created. Saint us show Francis He our loved love had all animals. creation. as if y were his brors With your and child sisters. add Francis s He treated feast m day, kindly. October We are 4, to going your to calendar. learn how Plan God an makes event toger everything to celebrate and how prayer love helps that Saint us show Francis our love had all animals. creation. With your child add Francis s feast day, October 4, to your calendar. Plan an event toger to celebrate love that Saint Francis had animals. www.findinggod.com W0358 www.findinggod.com W0358 www.findinggod.com W0358 Our Response to God s Gifts What You ll Need Unit 1 1 Unit 1 1 Unit 1 God, 1 Our Creator and God, Far Our Creator and God, Far Our Creator and Far At-home edition At-home edition At-home edition Grade-Level At-Home Edition www.findinggod.com/family Grade-Level Children s Book Interactive Session Reviews Say: The three things you will need are Finding God Children s Book, At-Home Edition, and Interactive Session Reviews. Children will receive ir Finding God book during grade-level session of first monthly meeting. The At-Home Edition and Interactive Session Reviews can be accessed online at www.findinggod.com/family. Tip Inmation regarding online resources will be available in second presentation. Bee we move on to questions, let me mention some accommodations our youngest students. Kindergarten does not have Interactive Session Reviews; instead children will complete a discussion and activity-based worksheet referred to as Art Print BLM. This worksheet can also be found online. We will discuss online resources furr in second presentation. www.findinggod.com/family i-7 Finding God Family Catechesis Leader Guide
Your Questions Use this slide to conclude presentation and to answer any questions that participants may have. Say: Are re any questions? Keep in mind, I will expand on online resources in second presentation. After questions have concluded, eir take a short break or move directly into second presentation. www.findinggod.com/family i-8 Finding God Family Catechesis Leader Guide