ERE - Elementary Religious Education, K-5

FOR: Classes for all children Kindergarten - 5th grades, not currently enrolled in Catholic school or another religious education program offered here at Holy Spirit Catholic Community.

WHEN: Our classes begin in September and end shortly after Easter, in May.

WHERE: Regular ERE classes meet on Monday evenings from 6:00 - 7:00pm in the classrooms of Holy Spirit Catholic School.

HOW: Registration forms, Sacramental Preparation forms, and calendars are available at the Parish Life Center, at 524 N. 7th Ave., or online for your convenience. ERE Registration Form-2011-2012 and Sacrament Information Form

Faith Formation

PROGRAM GOALS

Our Elementary Religious Education Program operates out of a clear set of goals that help everyone involved know that the program is striving to accomplish in a more specific way.

Holy Spirit Catholic Community's program reflects the command of Jesus to "…go therefore, and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20). The purpose of this program is to minister to the children/youth of our parish by forming them in the faith of the Catholic tradition and by informing them regarding the teachings of the Catholic tradition and by informing them regarding the teachings of the Church so that the students and adults involved in the program will grow in the awareness, knowledge and practice of their faith. (General Directory for Catechesis 87)

The goals flow from this mission statement, making it more concrete and demonstrating how the mission statement is being implemented.

• Goal 1. To provide a program of formal religious instruction for the elementary age children of the parish, centering of Christ and the children's relationship with Him.
• Goal 2. To support parents in their role as primary catechist of their children.
• Goal 3. To offer sacrament preparation to children as they become ready to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist
• Goal 4. To help the children discover the richness and challenges of Scripture and the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church.
• Goal 5. To build a strong Catholic Identity among the children of the parish.
• Goal 6. To give the children an experience of the Church as community.
• Goal 7. To deepen the prayer life of children.
• Goal 8. To motivate the children to live lives rooted in charity and justice based on the moral teachings of the church.
• Goal 9. To expose the students to the liturgical and sacramental richness that is part of Catholic Tradition.
• Goal 10. To assist in the training, support, and spiritual growth of those who volunteer in our catechetical program.

CURRICULUM

Text and Resources: Textbooks and other materials used in the classroom are in conformity with the teachings found in The Catechism of the Catholic Church. They have been chosen because they offer catechists the resources necessary to conduct classes, which include all the elements of the ministry of catechesis. Parents who would like to examine the text material should contact the coordinator of the religious education program, or the pastor/pastoral administrator. All children attending the classes will be provided with, at the beginning of the enrollment, appropriate handouts and material.

SACRAMENTS

First Reconciliation and First Communion

First reception of Reconciliation and Communion should be primarily a family celebration within the context of the Church community. In this way, the child, through the family, takes on greater participation in the Church of which he/she is a member and thus continues to realize more deeply the unique call of one's Baptism.

Those children who have not yet been baptized or who have not received the Sacraments of Reconciliation and/or Communion have two options.

1. Satisfactorily complete a first year of religious education in our first grade class before being enrolled in the 2nd grade for a second year of preparation, which culminates in the reception of the Sacraments during that year.
   
   
2. Faithfully attending ERE classes for one year and the following year, as well as enrolling in the Rite of Christian Initiation adapted for children, which provides additional classes towards the preparation of receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion at the up-coming Easter Vigil. These classes are for children 8 and above.