Religious Education at St. Joseph
At St. Joseph, our Religious Education program helps children grow in their faith by learning about God, the teachings of Jesus, the Bible, prayer, and how to live as disciples each day. We believe that parents are a child’s first and most important teachers of the faith, and that children learn best when they see their faith lived out at home and in daily life. Our goal is to support families in building a strong foundation of faith, developing Christian values like kindness and forgiveness, and becoming active members of the Church through worship, sacraments, and community life.
PARENT RESOURCES
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K-6th Grade
Students in Kindergarten thru 6th grade meet on Wednesdays 6:15-7:30 PM
7th-8th Grade
Students in 7th and 8th grade meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month 6:15-7:30 PM in the Parish Hall.
Adult Volunteer
Adults within our church and community are always needed to help make our RE program successful. Please consider giving of your time and talents to our smallest members. All volunteers must be Safe Environment trained by the Archdiocese of Omaha. Reach out Sherry Huntwork if you are interested.
EMAIL DRE
Family Faith Formation
The Family Formation (FF) approach is based on teaching parents and children—as well as any other interested parishioners—at the same time. It is focused on dynamic sessions that involve teaching, group discussion, question and answer, and fellowship. This focus differs from traditional religious education, which is more like a K-8 school day.
Frequency, Schedule, and Attendance
FF will meet monthly during the academic year for class. That class will go from 5:30-7:30pm, starting with dinner at 5:30pm. Dinner will be provided by the parish. The class will begin at 6pm, while we finish dinner. At least one parent should plan to attend each month with their child.
In addition to the class time, each month will have a designated activity. Families are strongly encouraged to participate in the activities, since they will be directly tied to class lessons and seasons of the Church year. Some activities will be family-based, and others will be group-based. Each month, we’ll provide all that is needed to participate in the activities. A key component of all religious education, FF included, is attendance at Sunday Mass. This regular attendance will help the topics take root deeply.
What to Expect
Everyone coming to FF should expect to be actively engaged. It won’t be a passive experience. We will cover the teaching of the Church over the course of a three-year cycle, based on what are called the “pillars” of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, namely, the Creed, the Sacraments, Life in Christ, and Prayer. We’ll punctuate everything with prayer and with the scripture, so the cycle of the years will be Creed, Sacraments, and Life in Christ. This year will be on the Creed, and we’ll divide it over the nine classes. Next year will be on the Sacraments, and the year after on Life in Christ. At least for the first year, Fr. Scott will be the sole teacher, though we’ll look for moments of witness and insights from others as the year goes on.
Preschool Catechesis of the Good Shepherd(CGS)
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a way of teaching children about God that focuses on helping them experience His love personally. It is centered around the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd–a loving protector who knows each of us by name and cares for us deeply.
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CGS for Preschoolers (age 3 to 6)
The Atrium
The environment in the Atrium is a peaceful and sacred space where children can work on materials like:
-A small model of the Good Shepherd and His sheep.
-A tiny altar to learn about the parts of the Mass.
-Puzzle maps of Israel to understand where Jesus lived on Earth.
CGS Approach
it’s not about rushing through facts or memorizing bible stories. It’s about fostering a deep inner relationship with God, in a way that is natural and gentle for young kids.
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Youth Group
All 9th-12th grade youth are invited to our St. Joseph’s Youth Group. Join in a lot of fun and fellowship…and always food! We meet the second and fourth Sunday of the month at 7 p.m. as a group.
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