Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is LIFE?

LIFE (Living In Faith Experiences) is our Intergenerational Faith Formation program based on Generations of Faith (GOF), which is a nationally acclaimed Intergenerational Faith Formation program.

LIFE is a learning model that moves learning beyond textbook knowledge. Encouraging lifelong learning, it invites each of us to practice our learning each day and to share in our learning as a faith community, not a classroom.

LIFE is an approach to living faith which realizes we need more than education forchildren if we are to be a parish fully committed to following the Way of Jesus Christ.

2. Who participates LIFE?

EVERYONE, EVERYONE and EVERYONE! LIFE incorporates ALL AGES in a unique model of learning by experiencing and living out events in the life of the church. Parents with children, ADULTS, teens, SENIOR CITIZENS, married, SINGLE, retired, EMPTY NESTERS, widowed, grandparents and interested parishioners are all invited to be part of LIFE.

3. Do we have to attend with the whole family?

LIFE is intended to be shared by an entire household. We use the term "family" loosely. We know that families are sometimes 1 person or even 20 people, but the idea is for everyone in each household to learn and share together. Each household will get a Home Kit, which will reinforce what was shared at the session, in order to help reflect on it and how it affects their life.

4. What are the goals of LIFE?

• To transform religious education as a separate
• program by implementing a more collaborative and integrative approach that involves all of the parish's ministries in faith formation
• To end age segregation in religious education
• To shift the focus of the curriculum from the textbook to the events of Church life
• To nurture family faith at home as integral to the faith formation process
• To enable parents to approach the task of being the primary teachers for their children with confidence and knowledge
• To have more families praying together
• To have more children and their parents actually understand the value of our Sunday Mass and the Sacraments and rites of the Catholic Church
• To have more families actively participating in parish life (no more drop-off-and-pick-up)
• To have more of our families reading and sharing Scripture
• To have more families and individuals who can speak of a deeper understanding of their Catholic faith
• To have more individuals and families forming a real Christian community and supporting one another in living a Christ-filled life

5. What is our vision?

Embracing the vision of faith formation in LIFE requires moving away from a school model to a community or "whole church" paradigm of faith formation.

We believe that LIFE will help parishioners to engage in more meaningful participation in church liturgies and events. We hope to encourage everyone to reflect on the significance of these events and to apply Catholic teachings to daily life. We envision strengthened Catholic individuals, families, and community as the outcome of this program.

• The first aspect of LIFE is making Faith Formation a life long learning process. The General Directory for Catechesis (1997) calls for a lifelong approach to faith formation with the parish community at the center of catechesis. In the current CCD model, the message is clear that faith formation ends at Confirmation when in fact it should be cradle to grave.
  
  
• The second important aspect of this vision is locating religious education not in the "classroom" but rather in the lived experience of communal parish life and in its families and households. Some of us are old enough to remember a time when such a dynamic needed no programming at all - it simply was the way Catholics lived, shared and handed on their faith to each other and to the next generation. The revolution in church and culture that came with the 1960's turned many things upside down. It's not unusual to hear older folks complain, "Kids just aren't learning the faith the way they used to" and younger parents ask, "Just what are my children supposed to be learning in CCD?" And we all wonder and ask, "Is religious education working?"
  
  
• The third familiar dynamic that LIFE brings to mind is the critical importance of parents and extended families in the work of their children's religious education. Catholic children learn more about their faith at home (by example) than in the classroom. Faith is one of those things that is more easily "caught" than "taught."

6. What are "Events" and "Sessions"?

We are celebrating "Events" within the Church calendar (i.e. Advent, Lent, Pentecost, morality, Confirmation, etc.). Each LIFE "Session" is preparation for (and occurs before) the Church "Event". We plan to have 2 identical sessions per Event, so that people may choose the session that is most convenient for them - Sunday 12-3pm or Monday 6-9pm.

7. How is each session structured?

The learning process is "event centered". For each session we take one event, mystery or feast, and we do three things: prepare (through our LIFE program) for the celebration as a community (e.g. Advent), experience the event as a parish, and reflect on the event and apply our learning to daily life.

Each session will be 3 hours and include:

1. A prepared meal -- to alleviate the stress of food preparation, the parish will provide a meal so that families can relax, eat together, and socialize with other parishioners.
   
   
2. Opening Experience -- an introduction to the theme presented in an intergenerational setting. This may include prayer, a speaker, activities, or discussion.
   
   
3. Learning Sessions -- breakout sessions will allow different ages to receive instruction geared towards preparing for the Church Event in an age appropriate way. Home kits will be distributed with instructions.
   
   
4. Whole Group sharing -- different age groups will come back together to share what they have learned.

8. Will the Sessions and Events be the same every year?

The Event focus will change each year over a six-year cycle. Year 1- is Church Year, Year 2-Prayer, Year 3-Social Justice, Year 4-Creed, Year 5-Morality, and Year 6-Sacraments.

This year (2006-2007) we are focusing on Church Year. We will prepare for Advent in November, in March we will prepare for Holy Week, and in May we will prepare for Pentecost.

9. Aren't we expecting too much of parents?

If parents really want to raise their children in the Catholic faith and they are coming to the church seeking help and guidance with this matter, it is our responsibility to give them the best advice and help that we have learned from Church wisdom and the experience of those who have succeeded in this venture. Both Church teaching and our human experience point to the truth that raising children in the Catholic faith cannot be a separate extra-curricular activity but needs to be an integral piece of family life. We do not expect a family that has not been integrating faith into their life to suddenly do so when we begin the program; but the program is designed to teach such families ways they can begin to do so and provide them with ideas, suggestions, materials and support to enable them to succeed.

10. Will it be mandatory for parents to attend with their children?

We believe that parents want to be kept 'in the loop' as to what their children are learning, we believe they want to share in their children's faith journey, and, more importantly, we believe that children-adolescents included-need their parents and other adults to be involved in their faith journey, providing positive role models and encouragements. For this reason, we expect parents to attend faith formation sessions with their children. However, we realize there might be situations in which this is not possible-parents may have to work, parents might not see the value in coming to a faith formation session-in which case a responsible adult who is involved in the child's life (grandparent or other relative, godparent or family friend) may attend in the parent's place.

11. Whom should I inform if I'm interested in helping with this?

Please contact Fr. Richard or Theresa Racine at 532-3228.

Volunteer Opportunities

The Generations program is dependent on support of a variety of volunteers. The following is a partial list of volunteer opportunities: