What is Generations of Faith?

Generations of Faith (GOF) is an innovative approach to parish wide faith formation. It offers singles, couples, and families the opportunity to work on faith formation together. Parishioners will gather monthly in intergenerational groups for one 3-hour session. The goal of these sessions is to provide a context for participation in and reflection about the event that highlights each month’s theme. Direct instruction, learning materials, reflection opportunities, and home kits will be designed to help everyone better understand events in the life of the Church.

 

 

Why Generations of Faith?

Adult faith formation, by which people consciously grow in the life of Christ through experience, reflection, prayer, and study, must be the central task in catechetical enterprise,” becoming the “axis around which revolves the catechesis of childhood and adolescence as well as that of old age.” (Our Hearts Were Burning within Us, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 2000)

 

 

How will I benefit? How will my child/ family benefit?

There will be many benefits to you and to your family as a whole; to name a few: meet more neighbors and parishioners with whom you worship at Sunday mass, grow in your own faith, spend time together as a family engaged in a meaningful activity, have all your children come for faith formation on the same date and time, and learn first hand what your child is hearing and learning about our faith.

 

 

How is it structured?

Each session will include:

  1. A prepared meal—Families/households will take turns bringing in the meals so that everyone can relax, eat together, and socialize with other parishioners.
  2. Opening Experience—an introduction to the theme presented in an intergenerational setting. This may include prayer, a speaker, activities, or discussion.
  3. Learning Sessions—depending on the sessions, the group will either stay as a whole or breakout into smaller groups (families with children, adolescents, adults) to receive instruction geared towards preparing for the monthly event in a developmentally appropriate way.
  4. Whole Group sharing—group will share what they have learned at tables. Home kits will be distributed with instructions.

 

What is the curriculum? 

For the next six years, our learning will be based on the following themes:

            1.  Our Church Year and Season

2.  The Sacraments

            3.  The Creed/Catholic Beliefs

            4.  Prayer & Spirituality
            5.  Justice & Service

            6.  Catholic Morality

Through the first six year cycle we will have covered the full content of our Catholic Faith. Each time we begin a cycle we have matured and are ready for a deeper level of understanding our faith.  The curriculum is based on the teachings from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and correlates with the six tasks of catechesis: promoting knowledge of the faith, the creed, the sacraments, moral formation, missionary initiation, prayer, and community. Each month we gather to concentrate on one area of our church life and feasts and our learning is anchored by the events for which we prepare.

 

 

What about Sacramental Preparation (i.e. First Communion, First Penance, Confirmation)?

Candidates for sacramental preparation will participate in the regularly scheduled GOF program. They will also attend grade level meetings and/or retreats to focus on specific sacramental preparation.

 

 

Will it be mandatory for parents to attend with their children?

We believe that parents want to be kept ‘in the loop’ as to what their children are learning.  We believe they want to share in their children’s faith journey, and, more importantly, we believe that children—adolescents included—need their parents and other adults to be involved in their faith journey, providing positive role models and encouragements. For this reason, we expect parents to attend faith formation sessions with their children. However, we realize there might be situations in which this is not possible—parents may have to work—in which case a responsible adult who is involved in the child’s life (grandparent or other relative, godparent or family friend) may attend in the parent’s place.

 

 

What happens if one of the parents is not Catholic?
Non-Catholic parents are equally welcome to participate in Generations of Faith if they are interested.  If, however, a non-Catholic parent is not interested in participating, this does not prevent the rest of the family from doing so.

 

 

What about single parent families?

This is a great program for single parents. To name but a few benefits: a meal, all the children together in one place, the opportunity for the parent to speak with other adults, no need to find a baby-sitter, a simplified schedule that decreases the amount of ‘running around,’ ready to use ideas of meaningful activities to do at home.

 

 

What kind of materials will be in the home kits?

The primary goal of the home kit distributed each month is to help individuals and families do the following:

·        Continue the learning with materials suitable to each age group

·        Develop ritual celebrations at home that foster Catholic identity

·        Pray together

·        Enrich relationships

·        Act justly, serve those in need

·        Reflect on their experience, apply to daily life