Catechectical Update
I added some Catechetical resources on the sidebar. You'll notice I don't have a lot of textbooks there. I think we all know why.
However, these are resources that will help you BE the catechist that you need to be. Whether or not you are in charge of Confirmation or other youth religious education, part of your work needs to be Catechetical. Did you know that the reason that the Creed is the first part of the Catechism is because everything else is based on it? Ergo, (therefore), you gotta incorporate knowing the faith into other parts of your programming.
Which should be a "duh" to those of you who realize that the 8 Components must work in tandem together for a successful formation of youth.
Note-avoid the Bill Huebsch "In Plain Englsih" series. I don't think the originals are all that difficult to comprehend, and we need to-we have to-have a working knowledge of our Faith. All the meat on the bones, as it were, not just the cut up parts.
posted by TCYM Lounge @ 11:41 AM
5 Comments:
I'd be curious to hear about your thoughts on the best "environment" in which to do catechesis. I personally don't like the classroom setting at all. Feels like school, and I don't care how much you dress it up, it's still a classroom. And to equate sharing the Gospel, faith and the teachings of the Church with "school" in my opinion does it an injustice. Turns the teens off before you have a chance to say anything. Any thoughts?
I think classroom settings only work IF you are talented enough to wear both your evangelization hat as well as your catechesis hat.
It also depends on where you are-are you in a high school or in a religious education class?
I'll take the RelEd answer.
I taught in a classroom, but they sat on the floor with pillows. I had simple and straighforward rules and I did teach: But I did moer than that. I strove to involve them in their own learning.
The very first few classses I always did the circle up thing and they said their names and some silly topic (least fav class, sport/activity you enjoy, etc).
In the lessons I always taught, but in a variety of ways. Sometimes we used movie clips. Sometimes they had to do the work. Sometimes we did question and answer, where I would ask them questions and challenge them on their answers. In every lesson it's important to also find ways to help them move it from their head to their heart.
Learning Truth has been anathemized in this country. Experiential catechesis was the norm. However we are taking teenagers here-teens with very little life experience. We have to proclaim it, then explain it and help them apply it.
It takes more energy than just opening a book, granted. But what are we doing here? Are we catechising souls or what? Are we trying to help our students-and their families-get to heaven or not? Are we trying to give them every ounce of information and instruction so as to lead holy lives or not?
That is also one of the reasons I'm so so SO big on comprehensive youth ministry. Catechesis and Evangelization are two sides of the same coin. The 8 Components work together to form young people. Instruction can't happen without the rest.
An excellent-no, MUST HAVE-resource is the General Directory of Catechesis, the Source Book and the National Directory of Catechesis. Reading through those won't give you lesson plans but they will help anyone doing Catechesis realize what needs to happen in order for teens to come to an adult grown up acceptance of their faith.
BTW, I'm one that favors baptizing culture and using it for good means, rather than throwing out all that is in pop culture as "bad". It's not. It can be used for good in the right hands.
of the 3 resources you mentioned, which should I read first?
the General Director for Catechesis. Not a hard read, a lot of great, great directives.
I think I got the numbers wrong. Of interest in this question, read #139-141, but through 162 is extermely good as well.
In "The Mystery We Proclaim" Msgr Kelly goes through a methodology that I'll expand on later. However, to answer your question he deliberatley talks about preparing the space to most attune the learner to the Message:
"...this will mean introducing techniques to foster exterior and interior silence and render participants receptive to the Word of God...In this context I believe we should not see the school classroom physical setting as the desirable one for catechesis..."
He goes on to say that while there is an instructional component, catechesis must engage the whole "cognitive, affective and behavioral response"
And this from one of the best!
that's "General DirectorY..."
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