Community and collaboration: successful religious education integrates classes with parish, family life

National Catholic Reporter, March 26, 2004 by Kris Berggren

Sunday school. CCD. Catechism. Religious education. Faith formation. Whatever we call it, parishes and parents have long accepted the classroom model of passing on the faith, whether through Catholic schools, Wednesday night or Sunday morning programs. Many parents, catechists and religious education experts have seen the failure of that model to inspire children with a love of Christ or a love of the church.

"Religious education as is can be a great program for kids to learn facts, but not so great at keeping kids committed to the Catholic faith," said Doris Murphy, director of religious education at St. Bridget Parish in River Falls, Wis. "I think some of how we are presenting religious education from K-12 is part of the problem."

At its worst, religious education classes are little more than glorified babysitting. At best, they are integrated into the scope of parish life and generate energy among participating families. "The object is really less about the classroom and more walking on the road to Emmaus, where hearts are set on fire," said Christopher Weber, director of Catholic Education Ministries for the Central Maryland region of the Baltimore archdiocese. "Of course knowledge is part of that, but: it comes after that real faith connection, where they see the message is real in my life."

Catechetical leaders believe parishes can create and sustain effective religious education programs by combining solid volunteer management principles with opportunities for ongoing adult faith formation in a climate of collaboration and relationship building.

Doris Murphy's program at St. Bridget, a parish of about 1,500 households, is lively and well attended despite the competition from kids' athletics and parental work commutes to jobs in the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. "We have to be sensitive to the parents' reality. We give out our schedule right away [at the beginning of the school year] and I say, 'Write it on your sports schedule!' They do not like it if we change anything because they really plan to come."

Like a cook who peruses several cookbooks, combining recipes, Murphy reviews "all the textbooks" before she writes her own four-year curriculum for each level: grades 1-4, 5 and 6 and 7-11, focused on monthly themes and activities and learning opportunities that "reach out in different ways to hear about God," including interactive, artistic, musical, prayerful, academic, dramatic and discussion-based classes. "Religious education is about more than intellect. I believe it is about how to 'know, love and serve God,' "Murphy said, using the old Baltimore Catechism phrase. "There is no question about that in my mind. But it is how you learn. The what is a given."

Murphy's high expectations produce results. The hour-long classes begin and end right on time, avoiding the typical "10 minutes you don't do diddlysquat," as Murphy puts it. Parents must attend classes with their children through fourth grade and are invited to do so through sixth grade. Although parents may balk at first, they soon realize it's worth it--and not just for the kids.

Enthusiasm fop the faith

Parent evaluations reflect their satisfaction: "We like the extra exposure to religious education ... the group involvement ... the parent-child bonding," said some recent evaluations.

"They all say they learn something as well," Murphy said, "and our parents are pretty sophisticated. It's a college town." One recent example was a catechist's simple metaphor of blowing up balloons to illustrate the Holy Spirit as the breath of God that keeps us going as the air keeps the balloon inflated. "Afterwards, several parents told me they had never figured out a way to talk about the Holy Spirit," Murphy said. "We-think they know all that: wrong."

Children's faith formation begins with adult formation and enthusiasm for the faith. Nancy Lawlor, a catechist with an education degree and five years' experience at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Minneapolis, said her parish's embrace of whole community catechesis has slowly transformed its religious education programs for children. "It is more satisfying and more organized. A lot of parents stay and go to the adult sessions," she says. "Before, lots would drop off their kids and leave."

The parish sets aside each Wednesday night for a meal, large group assembly and smaller, age-group based faith formation classes or sacramental preparation. After the meal--something like pizza or chicken or a "hot dish" (known as a casserole to non-Minnesotans)--everyone assembles in the church for a prayer service, song, and announcements with a personal touch such as news about a birth or death in the community. Then people break into age groups for their class or a speaker.

"It is becoming clear that Wednesday night is not just 'CCD,'" Lawlor said. "To really be part of this parish you need to come on Wednesday nights."

Patience is a virtue when it comes to building a program that works, said Murphy. After four years at St. Bridget, "this is the first year I am feeling real success," she said. "It takes that long."