Pastor Makes a Big Hit at Catechist Meeting

This past Monday evening was our first catechist meeting of the year and it came off very well. It was nice to see the other catechists on the 8th grade team as well as some of the other catechists from other grade levels that I’ve met over the years.

The highlight of the meeting, however, was the pastor’s comments at the very beginning. He issued a challenge to all of us catechists saying that each of us, when planning our lessons, should ask the question: “how will the children/young people encounter Christ in this session?” He placed such a great emphasis on the importance of a real encounter with the Lord that I think he made a profound impression on all of the catechists.

I think this is so critical for us to remember. At times, we can get caught up in thinking, “in this session, I’m going to be sure that the kids learn the precepts of the Church” or some other doctrinal formulae. There’s nothing wrong with that, unless, that is, we are teaching them those precepts without helping them to encounter Christ. Therein lies the challenge – and a critical and most worthwhile challenge indeed!

Kudos to the pastor!

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*