2017 - Page 9 of 26 - Catechist's Journey

Finding catechists who are evangelizers and see themselves as such is the key to a faith formation process that forms disciples. - quote on blue background

Recruiting and Retaining Catechists Who Evangelize with GIFTS

Many catechetical leaders are familiar with the struggle of trying to find catechists at the last minute and begging parishioners for help. We have all heard the horror stories of people who tentatively volunteered and two weeks later found themselves standing in front of a room full of students, unsure of themselves and wondering how they ended up in this position. If our catechists are the backbone of our faith formation programs, then recruiting and […]

Ignatius Loyola’s Management Style Might Work for You

Jim Manney

The “director” part of a DRE’s job description is a taxing challenge. “Director” means “manager,” and managing people and programs is never easy. It means achieving lofty goals with limited resources. It means dealing with people who often don’t behave the way you want them to behave. It means compromise, tough decisions, and juggling conflicting interests. Managing means meetings. Lots of meetings. To complicate matters, most DREs are teachers at heart who love students much more than budgets and […]

What do you wish someone had told you before you became a catechist?

10 Things Veteran Catechists Want New Catechists to Know

Denise Gorss

What do you wish someone had told you before you became a catechist? We asked this question on our Catholic Faith Formation Facebook page and got some great responses—good encouragement, especially for new catechists starting their first year of teaching. You’re responsible for one thing: getting the child closer to God. —Shannon Panchyshyn I’ve been teaching religion for almost 50 years in a regular classroom and PREP classes. I learned from experience. If I had […]

Engaging Young People with Active Learning Strategies

Joe Paprocki

Professional educators know that, for learning to be effective, it needs to be an active experience. Active learning ensures that learners actively engage and participate in the learning process by doing something other than simply listening and then, of course, thinking about what they are doing. Active learning is learner-centered as opposed to teacher-centered. I talk about this in my recent post: Shining the Spotlight on Those We Teach. What this means for us as […]

Catechist Recruitment

Interviewing Your Catechists

Joe Paprocki

Recently, I received the following message from Martha: Hello, I am searching for a catechist interview. I am a new DRE and I am wondering if that is a wise idea. I will appreciate your feedback. The quick response is “Yes,” it is a good idea to interview your catechists, not just when you are recruiting them, but also at the beginning and end of each year. I recognize that this may be impossible for […]

Inspiration for a Worried Teacher

Joe Paprocki

If you’re feeling nervous about the approaching new catechetical year, you’re not alone. Read and pray with this excerpt from A Catholic Woman’s Book of Days by Amy Welborn. And let’s pray for each other as we prepare to meet our students. “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of […]

11 Tips for Catechists - catechist at desk working on planning classes

11 Tips for Catechists—Free Download

Joe Paprocki

Preparation is key to the success of any catechist. Plan for a great new year of faith formation by reviewing my 11 Tips for Catechists, available to download for free this month here at Catechist’s Journey. Whether you’re an experienced catechist or new to the classroom, feel confident as you approach your planning by implementing these pointers. Catechetical leaders, please share the link to this post with your catechists and help them prepare for a […]

Eight Ways to Use Worksheets Effectively in Faith Formation

Denise Gorss

I have heard some catechists say they will never use blackline masters (BLMs) in religious education classrooms, and other catechists like to use every one their curriculum provides. These worksheets and other handouts are usually provided as part of the curriculum; a good catechist manual will advise when to integrate a BLM into the lesson. The key to using worksheets effectively in faith formation is understanding that they are resources for activities, not time-fillers, and […]

I’d Like to Pick Your Brain!

Joe Paprocki

One of my biggest goals with this blog has been and continues to be responding to the most critical needs of catechists. We take great pride here at Catechist’s Journey in remaining in touch with the real issues that affect catechetical ministers day in and day out. With that in mind, I’d like to pick your brain! As I set out to plan the topics I will address in the coming months, I’d like some input from […]

In the Wake of Charlottesville – Teaching About the Sin of Racism

Joe Paprocki

As the beginning of the catechetical year is upon us, many catechists are looking at wasting no time addressing the issue of racism which is at the forefront of the news these days, especially with the recent events in Charlottesville, VA. Catechists should be encouraged not to shy away from addressing this topic since it draws us into the very heart of Jesus’ message of love of neighbor. While some are proposing that there are […]