Too often, in our parish experience, education has been primarily focused on the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) or the religious education program for children and young people. It is true that this is an important part of our parish’s efforts in this area. And, happily, in our parish and the Eau Claire area there are some wonderful opportunities and options for helping our young people come to know, love, and serve God. However, if this is all “education” is in our parish it is no wonder that our young people see the REP program as just another ‘class’ they have to go to and are very happy to ‘graduate’ from CCD when they are confirmed. No, this area of parish life must support the formation of our young people with the continuing formation of our adults!
When young people see their formation in our religious education program for young people as only the beginning of a life-long love affair with God, they will get so much more out of those foundations which are laid in their youth. They will see what they are doing as the gateway to the wonderful growth and life they see in their parents, grandparents, and other adults around them in church, in their school, and in the community – wherever our adults are found in our young people’s lives. You will see in our pamphlet on evangelization and catechesis a number of ways in which we form our young people as well as our adults.
Focusing on adults, we have a program for forming and bringing adults into the Church known as the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. This is a one-year (September – May) program for getting adults familiarized with the Church and preparing them for Baptism, Confirmation, and the reception of Holy Communion. This program serves everyone from those who are not yet baptized to those who were baptized but never really raised in the Church to those who just want to learn more about a faith they desire to know more about.
Our Adult Continuing Formation takes the form of periodic bible studies, book studies, and video-based programs for growth and acquiring an ever greater appreciation for the great wealth of knowledge, experience, and culture which is our Catholic faith. These are often led by a lay person who is learning right along with everyone else in the group. If you have a desire to learn about some particular topic, ask! There are most likely excellent resources which can be accessed for your continued growth in our Catholic faith.
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