We don’t have Sunday School here. Not because teaching children isn’t important but because it’s way too important! We wondered: Is it possible to give our kids something that is as interesting and rich as they are? Something that does more than just teach disjointed stories or pour information into their brains? Those questions have been answered by Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a well-established faith-building process rooted in the Montessori method that welcomes children into the worlds of the scripture and the liturgy, two places where God meets us. An entire space called an Atrium is set aside for the children’s use. Highly-trained catechists facilitate the experience in the atrium, while the Holy Spirit acts as the true Teacher, building up in children such precious gifts as faith, hope and love.
Designed for children 3-12, Catechesis is a process of faith formation whereby a child is encouraged to drink deeply of the mystery of God. Information about God is not pushed in; rather, a love of God is drawn out. Our desire at Grace Lutheran is to cultivate faith in children and not merely arm them with facts about their religion. This means taking the mystery of the child, with all its wonder, and creating a space where he or she can meet the mystery of God. By joining these two beautiful realities, faith flourishes and something beautiful is experienced.
As one might expect, the riches of this process aren’t limited to the children. Often adults in the church find new dimensions of their own faith as they work with the children and see the Holy Spirit at work.
For more information visit www.cgsusa.org.here
