January supplementary lesson:

So far we have covered chapters 1-12, the great figures of Old Testament: Noah, Abraham, Moses,  and, David plus the 10 Commandments.

Since it’s been a while since we’ve been together, let’s move away from the text and memorize a passage from the Bible.  You can either pick a passage or Psalm that is your family’s favorite or memorize the shortest Psalm, 117:

Praise the Lord, all you nations,
glorify him, all you peoples!
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever.

Next, see if you can memorize all 10 Commandments, Exodus 20: 1-17

Finally, read about the great commandment in Deuteronomy 6:5 “Therefore you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength”  Can you memorize that as well?

Continue to have your conversation with God everyday, talk to Him, but also try to be quiet and listen for Him to guide and help you.  Follow David, Moses and Abraham’s example of faith and trust.  Just like you trust your parents and teachers, you need to trust in God.

Don’t worry if you miss a day having your conversation with God.  In the Bible, Moses and Abraham made mistakes and God forgave them.  God is faithful and always there.  So try your hardest and if you fail ask God for forgiveness like Moses did.  It’s so important to say you are sorry, forgive yourself and try again.

See you soon!

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EDITED 1/12/2022: 

• We will be canceling this weekend's in-person Faith Formation session for Pre-K - Grade 5. We have asked that the Pre-K - Grade 5 catechists prepare an alternate at home lesson to replace the in-person session. Since the original January at-home lesson just went out this week, we intend to send out the "replacement" lesson at the end of next week so that the catechists have enough time to prepare the lesson. In the meantime, you can work on the lesson below if you have not already done so.

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So far we have covered chapters 1-10.  We have been diving deeper into the 10 Commandments, the last couple of chapters have focused on commandment 1-3.

We continue to delve into the remaining commandments in chapters 11 and 12.

Chapter 11 talks about the commandment to honor your mother and father.  Both the Old and New Testament tell us to respect and care for our parents.  God wants us to listen to them, obey their words and take care of them when they get old.  Yes!  Think about that.  Just like your parents have cared for you, someday you might have to do the same.  What a gift to care for the people that cared for you!

Chapter 12 talks about the rest of the commandments: 
            do not lie or tell false statements
            do not covet or be envious of possessions your friends have and you don’t
            be Honest
            be Pure of Heart

Continue to have your conversation with God everyday, talk to Him, but also try to be quiet and listen for Him to guide and help you.  Follow David, Moses and Abraham’s example of faith and trust.  Just like you trust your parents and teachers, you need to trust in God.

Don’t worry if you miss a day having your conversation with God.  In the Bible, Moses and Abraham made mistakes and God forgave them.  God is faithful and always there.  So try your hardest and if you fail ask God for forgiveness like Moses did.  It’s so important to say you are sorry, forgive yourself and try again.

See you soon!

AT HOME LESSON for Dec 3-18 (class Dec 19): 
   So far we have covered chapters 1-7. Last month’s lesson at home focused on two great figures in the Old Testament: Abraham and Moses.

   We continue our journey in the Old Testament learning about King David and his well known victory over Goliath. You can read about this in chapter 8. David wasn’t tall or strong. He wasn’t the oldest in his family. In fact, he was the youngest. He spent his time protecting the family’s sheep from the beasts in the wild.

   David had courage and faith and love for God. So when it was time to stand up for God, David said YES, I will do it. Are there times when you are called to say YES? Do you have the courage to say YES like David? YES you can!

   Our last in class session talked about the 10 Commandments. In Chapter 9, you can read about the meaning of the first two Commandments:
1. God is the only God, we need to love and respect Him
2. Speak His name with respect and only in prayer and praise.
   Continue to have your conversation with God everyday. Talk to Him, but also try to be quiet and listen for Him to guide and help you. Follow David, Moses, and Abraham’s examples of faith and trust. Just like you trust your parents and teachers, you need to trust in God.

   Don’t worry if you miss a day having your conversation with God. In the Bible, Moses and Abraham made mistakes and God forgave them. God is faithful and always there. So try your hardest and if you fail ask God for forgiveness like Moses did. It’s so important to say you are sorry, forgive yourself, and try again.

   I will not be there for our December class. I hope you have a wonderful and blessed Advent and Christmas. Looking forward to seeing you in January!!



DECEMBER SERVICE PROJECT FOR PRE-K - GRADE 5:
   Warm Feet, Warm Heart! If possible, we'd love the kids to participate in a service project this month. We are asking that they purchase ONE pair of adult socks (Just one, please. Not a pack.), wrap the socks themselves (even the littles should try to do this on their own), and attach a note to the gift that includes the following: a Christmas greeting, whether they are women's or men's socks (or unisex), and their first name only.
   These socks will be donated to local facilities/shelters that serve the homeless or less fortunate in our communities.
   To take it a step further and to allow the kiddos to feel like they are "owning" this service project, you may want to have the kiddos do a chore to make the money that they use to purchase the pair of socks. 
   The wrapped socks can be brought to our next in-person session and placed in a basket at the front of church.
   If you have any questions, please contact Beth, Amy, or Teresa.

Hello and happy November!

So far we have covered chapters 1-4.  Last month’s lesson at home focused on a daily conversation with God and showing how to love thy neighbor.

This month at home please read chapters 5 and 6 and learn about two great figures in the Old Testament.

Chapter 5 introduces Abraham who loved and trusted God.  Do you remember in chapter 1 when we talked about asking God to help us with a decision and to listen to what God wants us to do?  Abraham was a great example of someone who listened and obeyed God’s word.

Continue to have your conversation with God everyday, talk to Him, but also try to be quiet and listen for Him to guide and help you.  Follow Abraham’s example of faith and trust.  Just like you trust your parents and teachers, you need to trust in God.

In Chapter 6 we learn about Moses; he came after Abraham in the Old Testament.  Moses is another great example of someone who loved, trusted and had faith in God.  God made a promise to Moses, a covenant: They will be His people and He will be their God.  That promise is still true today.

Don’t worry if you miss a day having your conversation with God.  In the Bible, Moses and Abraham made mistakes and God forgave them.  God is faithful and always there.  So try your hardest and if you fail ask God for forgiveness like Moses did.  It’s so important to say you are sorry, forgive yourself and try again.

Our November class will be on chapter 7.  Looking forward to seeing you then!

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November at-home activity for ALL grade levels: We are hoping to spread some Thanksgiving cheer around our community and would love for you to help us with that. Before our November 14th in-person gathering, please create a Thanksgiving card that can be shared with someone that may need a little extra cheer this season. The design and cheerful/thankful message can be any you choose, but for safety's sake, we ask that the kids only sign their FIRST name inside the card. Bring the card(s) with you to our November 14th gathering and we will send them on to parishioners and/or community members on our prayer list, in living facilities, in the hospital, etc. Thank you for your help with this project! :)

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Information about our November In-Person Session:
We will be talking about the 10 Commandments during our in-person session on November 14th. Below are two songs on the topic. The lyrics to the first song are:
10 Commandments Lyrics

First, I must honor God,
Second, honor His Name,
Third, on His day be holy, this will be my aim.
Fourth, I must be obedient,
Fifth, be kind and true,
Sixth, be pure in all I say and see and hear and do.
Seventh, I must be honest
Eighth, be truthful in all things I say
Ninth, be pure in mind and heart and all I think and desire each day.
Tenth, I must be satisfied, not be jealous come what may
These are God's Ten Commandments,
These I must obey.

I'm looking forward to meeting all of you on October 17th!  Until then, here is your first at home lesson:

Read Chapter 1.

• Find a quiet place in your home and make this your place to have a daily conversation with God.  
• Find a time of the day  - make this part of your day like eating and brushing your teeth.
• You can thank God, ask him to help you with a problem, or just pray the Our Father.
• God wants you to talk to Him every day.
• (You can even check in with Him while you are on the bus or sitting in the car!)
• Have you had a decision to make and you didn't know what to do?  Have you had to choose between two sports, two musical instruments, two birthday parties?
• Have you had a disagreement with a friend and it made you sad?
• When you pray the Our Father you say 'thy will be done' - that means we should do what God wants for us
• Try sitting quietly when you ask God for help with a decision or when you ask Him to lead you down the right path.  Listen for God's word!

Read Chapter 3.
 

• Jesus says "Love thy neighbor" - Who is your neighbor?
  • your friends
  • your family
  • your teachers, coaches, instructors, bus drivers
  • a classmate that you aren't friends with
  • the person cashing you out at the store
• Who else is your neighbor?
• How do you show "Love thy neighbor"
  • a smile
  • a kind word
  • a wave
  • holding the door open
• Find the name of the current Pope and our Bishop and bring it to class
• Tell me the name of the first Pope too!!