Stories from the Field Archives - Page 34 of 61

Adult Faith Formation – Laying the Foundation

I met this morning with Maryellen, the staff liason for Adult Faith Formation at St. Barnabas, for our first meeting to begin laying out a vision for what we hope to accomplish in AFF this year. We both agreed that the place to begin is NOT with a program but with a VISION and a PLAN! With that in mind, we are looking to meet with the Faith Formation Commission of the Parish Pastoral Council […]

Catechists for Parish Organizations

Joe Paprocki

The post I put up the other day about designating catechists for Men’s and Women’s clubs in parishes struck a positive chord with lots of people. In particular, a comment posted by Maureen summed up precisely what I was aiming at when she said that the idea: …also speaks to one of the foundational principles of the USCCB pastoral plan for Adult Faith Formation, “Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us”: parish life itself is the […]

How About Catechists for Parish Women’s and Men’s Clubs?

Joe Paprocki

Too often, we Catholics approach adult catechesis with the notion of beginning a program that we hope to get folks to attend, when in fact, many people are already attending parish functions but not necessarily receiving faith formation as a part of the experience. One such example are Women’s and Men’s Clubs (Mother’s and Father’s Clubs, Holy Name Society, etc.) These are groups that gather numerous parishioners on a regular basis for a wide variety […]

Combatting the “Drop-Off” Mentality

Joe Paprocki

This afternoon, I met with Deb Breakey, the DRE of St. Cajetan Parish in Chicago, to brainstorm a new way to kick off the catechetical year this Fall designed to combat the “drop-off” mentality that so many parents have when it comes to their children’s faith formation. We are working on designing an experience on the first night of religious education that, in essence, will be an intergenerational event. Parents will be asked to gather with […]

“Meet the Staff” Day at St. Barnabas!

Joe Paprocki

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with the staff at St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago where I will be assisting in adult faith formation! They were very warm and welcoming and we enjoyed spending about an hour together during which time I introduced myself to them and articulated my goals for working with them on adult catechesis and reporting on my blog. We then engaged in some give and take as they asked some […]

Time to Get Serious…About Adult Faith Formation!

Joe Paprocki

I hope you enjoyed my “summer chuckles” while I was on vacation! Fr. Jim Martin, SJ, reminds us that “our relationship with God — like any relationship — can use some humor from time to time.” Now that I’m back, it’s time to get serious about my focus for the upcoming year: adult faith formation! As I mentioned in a previous post, this year, instead of teaching a grade of elementary age religious education, I […]

Iced Coffee Catechesis – A Well-Built Faith

Joe Paprocki

I’ve already mentioned to you the Lawn Chair Catechism being hosted by CatholicMom.com which is using my book, A Well-Built Faith: A Catholic’s Guide to Knowing and Sharing What We Believe, this summer. Now, I find word that a parish in Andover, MA, is also using AWBF for what they call “Iced Coffee Catechesis!” Here’s their blurb: Iced Coffee Catechesis Pope Francis reminds us that joy is ours in Christ – a joy ever new – […]

YOU Get a Bowl! YOU Get a Bowl! YOU Get a Bowl!

Joe Paprocki

I just had to share one of those moments as a catechist that just make you laugh! Last night, for the last half hour of class, we had a little film-fest as a treat for the kids on their last night. With the DRE’s permission, we brought some popcorn for them to enjoy. Joanne employed some of the kids to help her distribute the goodies and one young man was in charge of distributing the […]

Survey Results In

Joe Paprocki

Last evening, I surveyed my students (8 of 9 were present), asking them to indicate which activities we did this year were their most or least favorite. I compiled a list of 20 activities we did throughout the year and asked them to rate each one on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “least favorite” and 10 being “most favorite. First, I am happy to report that NOT ONE activity of the […]

One Last Session!

Joe Paprocki

It’s hard to believe, but this Tuesday is the last session I have with my 6th graders! Where did the year go? It has been a wonderful year and I am so grateful to these 9th sixth graders for being such a great class of kids and to my wife Joanne for being the best aide ever! Our official last class is next week when we take the kids to church for Mass so this […]