INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION 1 Christ Our Life Family Catechesis Introduction YEAR 1 In advance of this presentation, review the slides and notes. Make any adjustments to reflect your parish's process. Display this opening slide as participants enter the room. After participants are settled, introduce yourself and explain your role in the parish and program. Say: Thank you for participating in Christ Our Life Family Catechesis. Today I will introduce you to this wonderful program and describe our roles within it. 4592 www.christourlife.com/family i-1 Christ Our Life Family Catechesis Leader Guide
Presentation Overview Define family catechesis. Explain how it works. Outline what you need. 4592 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 the program's online resources. We'll have time for questions after both. Let s begin. www.christourlife.com/family i-2 Christ Our Life Family Catechesis Leader Guide
4592 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 the National Directory for Catechesis, Familycentered catechetical programs are opportunities for parents to catechize their children directly, for spouses to catechize each other and for children to catechize one another and their parents. (p. 259) In Christ Our Life Family Catechesis, you will guide your child's formation in the faith. While the program provides you flexibility and resources to help you succeed in this role, your presence is the most important aspect; being present as your child grows in our Catholic faith is a wonderful gift. As part of this program, we will gather for one group faith formation meeting per month. These meetings will feature a variety of activities that support the upcoming themes in Christ Our Life. Through these engaging activities, we ll nurture our Catholic faith and build community with other families in our parish. www.christourlife.com/family i-3 Christ Our Life Family Catechesis Leader Guide
How It Works Part Topics Part 1: The Creed Part 2: The Sacraments Part 3: Moral Life Part 4: Prayer Part 5: New Evangelization Seasonal Lessons Advent/Christmas Lent/Holy Week/Easter 4592 Say: Christ Our Life Family Catechesis takes the 25 chapters of your child's book and organizes them into five parts. The first four parts are based on the four pillars of the Catholic Church the Creed, the Sacraments, Moral Life, and Prayer. The fifth part focuses on the New Evangelization, which is the Church's call to help bring about faith and conversion to Christ. Each monthly meeting will introduce the part theme being covered over the next month. We ll provide background information and support so you re prepared to guide your children through their chapters. We will also come together for two meetings using liturgical season lessons from the Special Seasons and Lessons section of your child's book. Read aloud the two seasonal lesson titles on the slide. Note: If your parish s religious education program chooses to administer the parts in a different order, prepare and distribute an outline showing that order. www.christourlife.com/family i-4 Christ Our Life Family Catechesis Leader Guide
4592 What We ll Do Together Each monthly meeting has three sections. Welcome (15 minutes) For children and parents Introduces part theme through prayer, Scripture, and discussion Children dismissed to grade-level classrooms to discuss first chapter Connect (30 minutes) For parents only In-depth coverage of part theme through multimedia and discussion Close (15 minutes) For parents only Summarizes part theme through prayer, discussion, and multimedia Explain the Christ Our Life Family Catechesis process. Say: Each monthly meeting has three sections: Welcome, Connect, and Close. During the Welcome, we will introduce the part theme to you and your children together. After the Welcome section is concluded, your children will leave to join their gradelevel catechists to complete the first chapter of the part. While your children meet with their grade-level catechists, you will stay for the Connect and Close sections of our meeting. We will spend approximately 45 minutes expanding on the part theme through the use of multimedia, group prayer, discussion, and Scripture readings. Adjust the section below if you plan to have grade-level catechists bring the children back after the session is completed. Say: The Connect and Close sections will end about 15 minutes before your children complete their chapter with their gradelevel catechists, so you can stay and visit with other parents, ask questions, or walk over to your child s classroom. www.christourlife.com/family i-5 Christ Our Life Family Catechesis Leader Guide
What You ll Do at Home After each meeting Use the remainder of the month to teach your child at your own pace, using the grade-level At-Home Edition and your child s book. Complete the Interactive Session Review, an online assessment, after each chapter to gauge your child s understanding (when applicable). 4592 Tip Refer to the Christ Our Life Director Guide for more information on the At-Home Edition and Interactive Session Reviews. Say: After each meeting, you will have the rest of the month to teach your child the remaining four chapters of that part. To guide you through each chapter, you will use an online resource called the At-Home Edition in conjunction with your child's book. As you have the whole month, you can teach when and how it works best for your family. That could mean one chapter per week or all four chapters in one day. You can teach around the kitchen table or in the backyard. You choose what works best to help you teach your child the Catholic faith. Determine how the Interactive Session Reviews will be managed in your parish and adjust the language below as necessary. Say: And, after most chapters, your child will complete an Interactive Session Review online and email the results to me. This will help you gauge your child's understanding of the faith concepts taught. While most chapters will have an Interactive Session Review, a few chapters in each grade will not. www.christourlife.com/family i-6 Christ Our Life Family Catechesis Leader Guide
NEW EVANGELIZATION EDITION NEW EVANGELIZATION EDITION NEW EVANGELIZATION EDITION Grade Grade UNIT 1 Grade UNIT 1 UNIT 1 Before beginning Unit 1, read A Letter Home, found on page 2 of your child s book. Then begin the next paragraph with your child. Say: The title Before of beginning our book is Unit God 1, Is read Good. A Letter Have Home, your child found repeat on page the title. 2 of your Then look child s through book. the Then book begin together. the Say: next In paragraph Unit 1 we with will your learn child. about what God Say: is like The and title Before how of beginning our we book can talk is Unit God and 1, Is read listen Good. A to Letter Have God. Home, your child found repeat on page the title. 2 of your Then look child s through book. the Then book begin together. the Say: next In paragraph Unit 1 we with will your learn child. about what God Say: is like The and title how of our we book can talk is God and Is listen Good. to Have God. your child repeat the title. CHAPTER 1 Then look through the book together. Say: In Unit 1 we will learn about what God is like and how we can talk and listen to God. CHAPTER 1 picture. Centering Ask: How CHAPTER can PAGE you 1 tell 1 that these children are friends? How do you know Read that aloud someone the title is your and friend? the Bible (Friends verse on like page to be 1. with Then us; point they out the show their picture. love Centering by Ask: doing How kind can things for us.) PAGE you 1 tell that these children are friends? How do you know Read that aloud someone the title is your and friend? the Bible (Friends verse on like page to be 1. with Then us; point they out the Sharing PAGE show 3 their picture. love by Ask: doing How kind can things you tell for us.) that these children are friends? How do Use the family Bible you to read know the that story someone of Jesus is and your the friend? little children (Friends like to be with us; they (Mark Sharing 10:13 16). Give PAGE show your 3 their child love the by Jesus doing punchout kind things button for from us.) the back of the book Use as the a reminder family Bible of Jesus to read love. the story of Jesus and the little children Say: Jesus (Mark is a friend Sharing 10:13 16). to children. Give PAGE your 3 Ask: child How the do Jesus we punchout know that button Jesus from the back wanted the of the children book Use as to the a be reminder family his friends? Bible of Jesus to (He read wanted love. the story them of to Jesus be with and him; the little children he hugged Say: and Jesus blessed (Mark is a the friend 10:13 16). children.) to children. Give Does your Jesus Ask: child How want the do to Jesus be we your punchout know friend? that button Jesus from the back Read aloud wanted page 3 the and of the children have book your as to a be child reminder his answer friends? of the Jesus (He question. wanted love. them to be with him; he hugged and blessed the children.) Does Jesus want to be your friend? Ask your child to describe Say: Jesus the is stained-glass a friend to children. window. Ask: Say: Jesus How do is smiling we know that Jesus kindly on Read the children aloud wanted page and 3 the and blessing children have them. your to be child The his children answer friends? the are (He question. hugging wanted them to be with him; Jesus, which Ask shows your he child that hugged to they describe and love blessed him. the stained-glass the children.) window. Does Jesus Say: Jesus want is to smiling be your friend? kindly on Read the children aloud page and 3 and blessing have them. your child The children answer the are question. hugging Sharing PAGE Jesus, 4 which Ask shows your child that to they describe love him. the stained-glass window. Say: Jesus is smiling Read aloud page 4 and kindly have on your the children point and out blessing the words them. Jesus The and children are hugging Christ. Sharing Say: Christ PAGE is Jesus, a 4title which that was shows given that to they Jesus love after him. his Resurrection. It means anointed Read aloud with page oil. 4 and have your child point out the words Jesus and Read aloud Christ. the Sharing directions Say: Christ and PAGE is a have 4title your that child was given complete to Jesus the activity. after his Ask: Resurrection. What did It Jesus means say anointed Read to let aloud us know with page oil. he 4 and is our have friend? your child ( Let the point children out the words Jesus and come to me. ) Read aloud Christ. the directions Say: Christ and is a have title your that child was given complete to Jesus the activity. after his Ask: Resurrection. What did It Jesus means say anointed to let us know with oil. he is our friend? ( Let the children www.christourlife.com Grade 1 Unit 1 page 1 of 24 come to me. ) Read aloud the directions and have your child complete the activity. Ask: What did Jesus say to let us know he is our friend? ( Let the children www.christourlife.com Grade 1 Unit 1 page 1 of 24 come to me. ) www.christourlife.com Grade 1 Unit 1 page 1 of 24 4592 What You ll Need W1483 Christ Our Life Christ Our Life Christ Our Life God Is Our Good God Father Is Our Good God Father Is Our Good Father W1483 AT-HOME EDITION 1 AT-HOME EDITION 1 AT-HOME EDITION Jesus Is Our Friend Centering PAGE 1 Jesus Is Our Friend Read aloud the title and the Bible verse on page 1. Then point out the Jesus Is Our Friend W1483 1 Grade-Level At-Home Edition www.christourlife.com/family Your Child s Grade-Level Book Interactive Session Reviews Say: The three things you will need are your child's book, the At-Home Edition, and the Interactive Session Reviews. Children will receive their Christ Our Life book from their grade-level catechist at the first monthly meeting. The At-Home Edition and Interactive Session Reviews can be accessed online. Tip Information regarding online resources will be available in the second presentation. We will discuss the online resources further in the second presentation. www.christourlife.com/family i-7 Christ Our Life Family Catechesis Leader Guide
Your Questions 4592 Use this slide to conclude the presentation and to answer any questions that participants may have. Say: Are there any questions? Keep in mind, I will expand on the online resources in the second presentation. After questions have concluded, either take a short break or move directly into the second presentation. www.christourlife.com/family i-8 Christ Our Life Family Catechesis Leader Guide