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Generations of Faith: FAQ

Why did Immaculate Conception change from grade level religious education for children and teens to Generations of Faith for the whole community?
The parish changed in order to respond to the expectations of the Holy See and the US bishops. Based on essential aspects of Catholic faith and worship, particular catechetical goals and requirements are spelled out in several important documents. One of them, the General Directory for Catechesis (GDC) was published by the Holy See in 1997 as a revision of a 1971 document.

The GDC instructs us that "adult catechesis should be the organizing principle which gives coherence to the various catechetical programs offered by a particular church...this is the axis around which revolves the catechesis of childhood and adolescence, as well as that of old age." In Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us (1999), the US bishops emphasized that the faith formation of adults is to be the center of the Church's educational mission. We have struggled for many years to provide systematic, lifelong learning for the adults in our parish. When the Center for Ministry Development offered us training to provide intergenerational learning we accepted. Generations of Faith is an approach to faith formation that equips the parish to become a community of learning by creating lifelong faith formation that is centered in the events of church life, that embraces all ages and generations, and that promotes faith growth at home, through parish preparation programs, and, most importantly, through participation in church life.

Are other parishes in the Archdiocese or in the US using GOF?
Yes. There are 1094 parishes in North America using Generations of Faith. Currently there are 41 parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston, with another 20 in training to begin GOF next year. A list of the parishes may be found at: www. generationsoffaith.org/members/directory.cfm.

Where does the curriculum come from?
The term "curriculum" can be misleading if it suggests that GOF is just another approach to classroom teaching of a systematic body of material. It is not. Because GOF aims to support life long faith formation for everyone, it embraces much more than "book learning." The "curriculum" is the faith, worship, community, and mission of the Catholic Church. The goal is the ongoing conversion and deepening commitment to Christ of all who claim the name "Christian." Moving beyond the "textbook as the curriculum," GOF focuses on the faith and worship of the Church and the events of its life for the benefit of all ages and generations, tapping into the educative and transformative power of the liturgy, the Church year, sacramental celebrations, community prayer, and works of justice and service. GOF uses the Sacred Scripture as its primary text and the worshiping community as the "classroom". Learning sessions are designed to help "break open the Word," and prepare for or reflect upon particular liturgical celebrations.

How can I be sure that my kids are getting the basics, like learning the Ten Commandments, prayers, etc.?
According to Our Lord, the "basics" are things such as: the Kingdom of God is at hand, so repent and believe in the Gospel (Mt. 4:17, Mk 1:14); hear and do the words of Jesus (Mt. 7:24, Lk 19:21); love God with your whole being and your neighbor as yourself (Lk 10:27-28 also Jn 15); Go and make disciples of all nations (Mt. 28:19). Parents who want their children to get these basics should encourage them to participate as fully as they can in Sunday Eucharist as well as in our learning sessions. Parents should never underestimate the effect of their words and deeds, especially their own effort to become better disciples. The effective catechesis of children requires the active participation of parents as well as the parish community.

Of course learning prayers, points of doctrine, the Scriptures, and developing a sound understanding of faith are an essential dimension of faith formation. Many of these "basics" are part of the lectionary cycle. When they appear in the readings at Mass, they will be reflected upon in our formation sessions. In the last 2 years, for example, we have all learned more about several basic Catholic theological themes including the church year and the seven sacraments. When our breakout sessions are being planned, the design teams consider curriculum recommended in the National Directory for Catechesis, the Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth, and the Archdiocesan Curriculum Guidelines. Baptism calls parents to be the primary catechists for their children. Adult formation empowers parents to teach their children the prayers, faith traditions, and doctrine of Catholic teaching. Take-home supplies and materials reinforce this learning.

Why is the session two and half/three hours?
This is the bare minimum necessary to sustain our ongoing effort to repent and believe in the Gospel and do everything else the Lord asks of us. This time is needed to help "open our pores" to what we celebrate in the Eucharist, offer an experience of community, pray and reflect together, and encourage mutual support and learning. All of these elements are important to the faith formation of our children, youth, and adults. Can my child learn enough by only coming to one session a month? No. By itself, one session a month (or even several of them) cannot suffice for a child or an adult because sessions alone cannot do the job. A learner must also faithfully participate in the liturgy, which is "the privileged place for catechizing the People of God" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1074). That's why Generations of Faith presupposes active participation in the Sunday Eucharist. The learning sessions are designed to break open the Word, help us to open our lives more fully to the Lord, understand better how faith and prayer speak to our own lives and experience, and point out ways of living the faith we celebrate at Sunday Mass. Home kit materials and activities provide individuals and families an opportunity to share and discuss the faith topic, pray together, perform service, and help each other become better disciples.

Our family has a busy schedule. Sometimes things come up and it can be hard to make the GOF session. What if we miss a month?
An occasional absence is not a problem so long as the persons concerned are doing their best to respond each day to their Christian vocation. GOF supports this daily effort by providing a concrete way to promote lifelong learning and faith formation. The Sunday lectionary follows a three year cycle. Although we will emphasize different aspects of the readings or Catholic faith at any given point in the cycle, over time, all essential points will be covered, and indeed from various perspectives. So there is no need to panic if someone misses a month here or there. Additionally, GOF is designed to be family friendly. With advance notification, families are encouraged to attend an alternate session when they have a conflict.

I don't feel qualified to teach my kids. I prefer to have a trained catechist do it.
This feeling is understandable, but it presupposes that GOF is mainly about the systematic teaching of specific knowledge, which is not the case. In fact, parents are always teaching their kids (whether they know it or not) and their words, deeds, attitudes, demeanor, and practices cannot not teach them. The only real question is what kids are actually learning from their parents. At their children's baptism, parents promised to bring them up to keep Christ's commandments. Most parents try to do that, and should have confidence in their ability to work from their own experience to help their children grasp the meaning of justice, charity, prayer, the importance of God's word, and many other dimensions of our faith. Any lack of confidence should prompt parents to redouble their participation in the Sunday Eucharist and the other elements of GOF. Besides making them better disciples, this will increase their capacity to be good teachers of their children. What could be better? Generations of Faith provides adult formation, home materials, and support for faith sharing in the family setting; in addition, the GOF Core Team is always available for questions. Together with celebrating Mass and attending GOF learning sessions, this provides a rich, substantive, and ongoing formation experience for both parents and children. At the end of the day, it is the experience of faith in the Domestic Church, i.e., the home, which will nurture the Gospel message most effectively for our kids and for everyone in the family.

How does GOF deal with kids preparing for eucharist, penance and confirmation?
All sacramental candidates attend Generations of Faith; since this is our basic faith formation for everyone, it provides the necessary foundation for sacramental preparation. In addition to Sunday Mass and monthly GOF sessions, candidates for first penance, eucharist, and confirmation attend additional sessions which address specific issues related to the sacraments, spiritual development, and service. These are scheduled by the coordinator and may include parent meetings, service group work, and/or retreats.