The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a new way of Christian education that presents the most important realities of the Christian faith to the youngest members of the Church. This manner of Christian education assumes that young children have religious potential, that is, God has already made himself present to them in their deepest being, and that they are capable of developing a conscious and intimate relationship with God. They only need guidance and vocabulary to enable them to become aware of their relationship with God and give expression to it.
How does the program work?
It is done by means of two things:
The prepared environment contains materials that are models of things used in the Church's worship. The environment also contains materials relating to the proclamation of the faith such as parables, prophecies, geography of Israel, and the life of Christ.
What is the work of the child?
The catechist makes presentations to the child using the child-size materials. These presentations are chosen to convey the essentials of the faith in a manner appropriate to the child's development. The child is then invited to work individually with the materials in a very hands-on manner. The child will then internalize and respond to the presentation and, consequently, have a personal conversation with God. The child, the catechist, and the Atrium assistants find their faith nourished in this process.
For more information about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at All Saints', please contact Christal Ellis at (310) 275-0123 x123 or cellis@allsaintsbh.org.
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