Children's Faith Formation

If you have a child entering first grade Fall of 2024 in regular school, then YES, your child is ready to start his/her faith journey with Good Shepherd. Our Catholic faith is a lifelong learning experience. When you baptized your child, you committed, before God, to raise them in our faith. We are here to help you honor your commitment and to offer an ongoing Catholic Education to your child or help older children “catch up” who are behind in their sacraments.

The first-grade program of the Christ Our Life series, God Is Good, is designed to provide a simple overview of the mysteries of our faith. Through learning of the goodness of God, and the love of Jesus, the children respond to God in friendship and prayer.  This is typically the first year of Sacrament Preparation for receiving First Holy Communion.  The children should:

• become aware of God’s presence and goodness in their lives, in others, in the world, and his Church
• respond to God’s goodness by loving him and others
   

The second-grade program – God’s Gift – focuses on preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion.  This is typically the second and final year of Sacrament Preparation for receiving the First Holy Communion.
 

The third-grade program, We Believe, presents the main truths Catholics believe and express in the Apostles’ Creed. The children should:

• grow in the power to make decisions in the light of God’s Revelation and the redemptive acts of Jesus
• come to a knowledge and an appreciation of the mysteries of their faith expressed in the Apostles’ Creed
   

The fourth-grade program, God Guides Us, focuses on the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes as guides for living. The children should:

• grow in understanding and appreciation of God’s call to eternal life and his ever-present and loving guidance
• choose to live the Commandments in the spirit of the Beatitudes
   

The fifth-grade program, We Worship, focuses on the 7 sacraments, especially the Eucharist, the center of Christian life. The children should:

• grow in their appreciation of the Church as a worshiping community, and of Christ’s action among us in the Eucharistic liturgy and in the sacraments
• give worship to God by prayer, loving service, and celebrating the liturgical seasons
   

The sixth-grade program is devoted to the study of God’s saving love as it is revealed in Sacred Scripture, particularly the Old Testament. God Calls a People is designed to help students increase their knowledge of salvation history so that they may respond to God with ever-deepening love and gratitude.  The students should:

• come to a deeper appreciation of the person of Christ and his presence in his Church through the study of salvation history
• grow in their relationship with God and in giving witness to their faith
   

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Students in seventh-grade and older will be enrolled in our Confirmation Program. 
More information can be found here.