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Sunday School classes will begin Sunday, October 4 at 9:45 a.m. in our regular class rooms off Luther Hall. We have introduced a new format and a new curriculum based on the Revised Common Lectionary. The children meet together in the Atrium Room at a new time, 9:45 a.m., for readings from the RCL, prayer, and song. After this introductory worship, the children meet in their age appropriate class rooms for study and activities based on the RCL lessons of the day. At the time of the Eucharistic, all children will join their parents in church for the sacramental meal and remain until the conclusion of the service.Fr. Jim and I are excited about our new curriculum
and format! Parents and children will be learning the same lessons
each Sunday, hopefully inspiring family discussion to enrich the liturgical
year experience. We also feel that it is very important that our
Eucharistic meal be a shared experience not only by families together
but also within the context of the church family.
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The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a new way of Christian education that presents the most important realities of the Christian faith to the youngest members of the Church. This manner of Christian education assumes that young children have religious potential, that is, God has already made himself present to them in their deepest being, and that they are capable of developing a conscious and intimate relationship with God. They only need guidance and vocabulary to enable them to become aware of their relationship with God and give expression to it.
It is done by means of two things: 1. a prepared environment, called the Atrium, 2. a trained catechist whose sources are Scripture and Liturgy. The prepared environment contains materials that are models of things used in the Church's worship. The environment also contains materials relating to the proclamation of the faith such as parables, prophecies, geography of Israel, and the life of Christ.
The catechist makes presentations to the child using the child-size materials. These presentations are chosen to convey the essentials of the faith in a manner appropriate to the child's development. The child is then invited to work individually with the materials in a very hands-on manner. The child will then internalize and respond to the presentation and, consequently, have a personal conversation with God. The child, the catechist, and the Atrium assistants find their faith nourished in this process.
The Atrium is more like a church than a traditional classroom; less of a place of instruction than a holy ground where Christ is encountered in word and action, The Atrium is a place that "calls forth" the child's response rather than to "pour in" information. In the Atrium, the child seeks to find out "God, who are you and how do you love us?" The Atrium is a room of wonder. The adults in the Atrium look at and listen to the children and allow them to lead the way to God.
Children from three to six years of age have demonstrated particular sensitivity to the following points: 1. Jesus Christ, as the Good Shepherd, who protects his sheep and calls them by name, 2. Eucharist as the greatest gift of the love of the father and of the response human beings give to God, 3. Jesus Christ as "the light of the world", and 4. Baptism as the act with which this gift is given. Some of the richest responses seen in children in the Atrium come when they listen to those shortest and yet the most powerful parables of the Kingdom of God. The most important thing that happens in the Atrium is that, together with the children, we grow in our knowledge of Jesus, the Christ, the Good Shepherd, and his love for us, and that we grow always more capable of responding to that love.
One of the most urgent need is for trained Catechists and Atrium helpers. Training programs will be offered throughout the year. There is also a great need for people with musical talents, wood working skills, sewing skills and fine art ability. This may be an opportunity for you to participate in our children's spiritual development - these children are our future church.