Create an outline of an adult faith formation program of three or more weeks. Choose one of the weeks to do a detailed catechetical plan. The plan should include the following details.
Content:
The multi-week program is about what?
Baptism Preparation for parents of a child to be baptized.
What is the goal of the multi-week program?
The goals of the course are that the parents of the children, preparing for their child to be baptized will receive catechesis on the Sacrament of Baptism and therefore, be able to celebrate the Rite of Baptism with a deeper sense of joy.
What are the expected outcomes of the overall course?
To understand that the Rite of Baptism confers:
- The Forgiveness of sins of the recipient
- Endows the Recipient with the gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Provides the recipient an entry into the eschatological community
One detailed session:
Topic of this one session:
Why did God create me?
What is the goal of this one-week?
- The parents will learn that God created them to, “Know serve and love him in this life and in the next.”[1]
- The parents will learn that God wants to enter into relationship with them.
- It is through the Church that they learn how to know serve and love God.
What specific, measurable, learning outcomes are expected from this one week’s catechesis?
To be able to articulate:
- Who is God?
- Why he created us?
- The idea of community
Who is being catechized?
This catechesis is addressed to a Vietnamese-American community from different socioeconomic levels. It also addresses the new Vietnamese immigrant coming to the United States. Their age vary from 25-40. Most of these people speak English but the new immigrants and some of the Vietnamese-American speak only Vietnamese. The group’s education level varies from middle school education to graduate studies. A concern for these people is there understanding of faith. It varies greatly between people. It ranges from a basic understanding; if you recite certain prayers and live out a certain way you will enter heaven (a child and basic understanding of their faith) to a deep knowledge of God and a desire to enter into a deep relationship with him. There is also a tension to strike a cultural balance.
When:
Date of session: Once a month Duration of session: 4 weeks
Time of session: 90 minutes
Resources used in planning and catechizing:
Text:
“Some kind of bridge of trust in place, people will move closer to God.”[2]
CCC:
Prologue 1 “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheeer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws closer to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into unity of his family, the church.”
No. 804 One enters into the People of God by faith and Baptism. “All men are called to belong to the new People of God”, so that, in Christ, men may form one family and one People of God.”
NDC:
“This first sacrament pardons all our sins rescues us from the power of darkness, and brings us to the dignity of adopted children.”[3]
“The blessed Trinity is invoked over those who are baptized so that all who are signed in this name are consecrated to the Trinity and enter into communion with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”[4]
Bible:
Genesis 1:27-31
other:
“Being a Catholic Christian is being a member of a living organism, identified with the Body of Christ. This brings with it ever-present broad (Catholic) implications for life, commitment, mission, and ministry.”[5]
Universal call to holiness and mission
Environment:
How will the space be set up? Why set it up this way?
The chairs for this session will be set up around circular tables; there will be five chairs per table. This is to permit each parent to be able to see one another and also to be able to see the presenter who will be in front of them. This also creates and allows for group discussion.
Since the PowerPoint Slide will face the center of the room, there will be some space in between the projector and the circular tables. They will gather in between the tables and the screen. This will allow them to be together for prayer.
Collaboration:
Who will catechize with you?
There will be one catechist per group of four.
What specifically will they do?
The collaborators will help prepare all supplies and do preparations in advance for the presentation. They will also be setting up the environment prior to the class. During the session they will also be involved in-group discussion.
Multiple Intelligences engaged:
List the art, music, visual, costumes, etc. supplies to enhance the learning.
The video The Hubble Ultra Deep Field in 3D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAVjF_7ensg&feature=youtu.be
Displays: of roses, leaves, and diagrams of the human body.
Music: Different classical piano concertos.
Which senses will be engaged?
Auditory, Sight, Touch, Visual
Which physical positions will be involved?
The participants will be seated for most of the time (preference to stand in some instances will not be discouraged); interaction will be encouraged.
Before each session and during each session breaks will be taken; for a snack, quick clarifications, and will include movement and stretching.
Adult Learning Principles:
Which adult principles will you weave into the plan?
The adult learning principles that will be weave into the plan are: life experience and knowledge, practical, and relevancy-oriented.
Prayer:
What will the prayer space look like?
Everyone will gather in chairs set in a circle.
What will you do for the opening prayer? How does this relate to the topic of the week?
Spontaneous prayer. I will lead a prayer that will be based on God’s love for everyone. So that people begin to feel less scared and nervous, but also begin to form trust and. This allows the parents to begin recalling their own experience of God’s love.
What will you do for the closing prayer? How does this related to the topic of the week?
At the end of class people will be gathered together in a circle and to say very briefly how they found God in their daily life or how they knew that God was present and real. At the end we will recite together the Glory Be. This ties what they have learned in the session and organizes it so that they can produce their own understanding so to take home with them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Life to Faith to Life Plan
| “VELCRO” |
Get in touch with the experience of the learner. (Think of a secular – NON-religious experience that is familiar to these particular learners. What life experience of theirs will you have them recall? Or what experience will you offer them the opportunity to have right in the catechetical session? Choose an experience that is somehow related to the main goal of the session.
The period of conception to birth which the parents experience
for themselves. Conception begins with sexual intercourse, this act is an act
first and for most and act of love, a sacrificial love. This act is also an act of unity, which connects husband and wife. From there the egg and the sperm join and begin to multiply. The conjugical act can be a symbols, signs and expression of God’s love even though falling short but an experssion of the trinity, a God who is loving, compassionate, who’s son demonstrates what a sacrificial love looks like. We also see that God is all knowing and is full of wisdom in the simply in the natural process that occurs after sexual intercouse. We see how an egg and a sperm with the help of God create a human body and soul.
Then once the child is born, both the parents and the child begin to learn and know about each. As they learn each other’s likes and dislikes they begin to cultivate a relationship, and they are drawn closer together. Sometimes the child does things that the parents dislike or makes them mad, but they never abandon their child. This is the same way for God. As a child of God we come to know and love him through our experiences and encounters with him. Sometimes we do things that God dislike, such as sin or treat others poorly. Yet, like our human parents God does not abandon or neglect us.
– For how many minutes will you do this? 20 minutes
- Reflect on the experience.
What is an age-appropriate way for this group of learners to reflect on this experience?
They will reflect on their experience of God through beauty and creation using the video The Hubble Ultra Deep Field in 3D. From there reflect on how they have experience and seen God in their own life. Using the video the parents will reflect on the beauty of creation of a child they are about to get baptized.
– For how many minutes will you do this? 10 min
- Catechizing – teaching the session.
What will you do to teach the session? What methods of presentation will help them learn and remember? Refer to Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. Use at least two. Look at your stated learning outcomes above and make sure you are doing something to teach each one.
Depending on the session, different visual materials and objects on display will. For all sessions there will be a presentation on PowerPoint and a video to go along with the presentation. For example, session one will begin with the video The Hubble Ultra Deep Field in 3D to use the logical-mathematical intelligence. Which then leads to a discussion on who God is? There will also be flowers, leaves, diagrams of the human body on display as an example of God as creator. The session then continues to the other question for the session. The discussions will use Gardner linguistic intelligence.
– For how many minutes will you do this? 40min
| “VELCRO” |
Integration: How will you help the learner integrate the teaching into his or her life? This is the point in the session where you help them to make a connection between the experience of step A and this teaching. They get to “try out” the ideas and see if they make sense in their life. Remember, active learners retain more knowledge than passive receivers. Again, look at different learning styles. Given the characteristics of this particular group (see “who” above), what are they most likely to enjoy doing that will help them understand and retain what has been taught?
The learner will be able to intergrate the teachings into their daily lives
through the common things within our daily lives that the parents come into contact regulary. The learner will also be intergrating and reflecting on it through their discussion and involvment through out the session.
– For how many minutes will you do this? 10 min
- So what?
How will you assess what they learned?
What the parents learned will be assessed through group discussion and their reflection of everything in their prayers.
How will they take this learning home and use it?
The parents will be able to grow deeper in relationship with God through Christ. This can be seen through better understanding ways of encountering God.
– For how many minutes will you do this? 10 min
Your evaluation of the session:
- The success of the session will be evaluated by the post-session discussion with the catechists based on what went on in the discussion.
- This session gave them the opportunity to look at whether or not they have a relationship with God. This session also gives them the opportunity to begin to cultivate a relationship through initial trust followed by curiosity.
[1] Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism: the truths of our Catholic faith clearly explained and illustrated with Bible readings, study helps and mass prayers.(New York: Catholic Book Pub. Co., 1969), 9.
[2] Sherry A. Weddell, Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus (Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, 2012), 129.
[3]National Conference of Catholic Bishops-United States of America, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: Study Edition, Study Edition. (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1988), xvi.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Thomas A. Krosnicki, “On Becoming a Catholic: The Challenge of Christian Initiation.” Theological Studies 46, no. 3 (ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, September 1985), 590.
