The theme from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for the 2017 catechetical year is “Living as Missionary Disciples.” Catechists live their baptismal call to share the faith with others. Next week, parishes will commission or send forth their catechists on Catechetical Sunday, and most faith formation programs will commence. Depending on the age of the children in your classroom, you may have bright-eyed little ones who don’t regularly leave Mom and Dad, or you will have seasoned students who are used to the classroom routine. Whatever the age, this is an exciting time—meeting new people, renewing old friendships, and always, learning the Good News of Jesus Christ revealed through the Gospels. The Pflaum Gospel Weeklies support catechists and teachers with easy-to-use Teaching Guides. The Weeklies also offer many online materials to help you manage your classroom, plan lessons, and supplement your time together with activities. These materials include:
- Resource manuals Many catechists do not have formal education in teaching. Resource manuals are available for each level to help with classroom basics—tips to manage a classroom, plan a lesson, and help all children succeed in the classroom.
- Extra guides If you forget your print copy at home or you’re a last-minute substitute, you will find current Teaching Guides in both Spanish and English.
- Doctrine help Each lesson includes Church doctrine relevant to that Sunday’s Gospel. This part of the lesson is included in the What the Church Believes and Teaches Catechism handbooks. A Teaching Companion to the handbooks is available for each level to help you guide the children through the doctrine.
- Seasonal activities You may find that you need some pacing activities for your classroom. These free, printable activity sheets can be used before class begins or if some students finish an activity early.
- Catholic resources These are background sheets on prayers, saints, feast days, and Catholic culture. They can help boost your children’s knowledge of the Church or be shared with families.
- Video links Each week, the editors gather Gospel-related videos that you can show during your class. They usually run between three and five minutes, so they can enhance your lesson but not take up too much time.
Image credit: Copyright © 2017, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington D.C. All rights reserved.
