Do you, like me, spend much of your summer planning out your fall agenda? Are you, like me, always in the market for a great Catholic curriculum? Have I got a link for you!
Family Formation is a K-6 Catholic religious education program used by families and parishes across the U.S. and Canada. It is a family-based catechesis that comes complete with lesson plans, activities and audio CDs.
There is also a companion “Little Lambs” program for pre-schoolers.
The monthly lesson plans are organized by topics such as “Where Heaven and Earth Meet: an Overview of the Mass” and “The Call: Are You Listening? (Vocations and Holy Orders).” I love how each month includes a dedication!
Here is the complete 3-year topic overview.
This program tempts me! I am drawn to the idea of including my husband in the children’s catechesis and especially learning about our Catholic faith as a family. After all, what could be more important?
In Other News: Dad Blogs
One of Danielle’s readers recently asked about blogs for our husbands. Here is a good one: The GEO Principle Blog. “GEO” stands for “God in Every Occupation.” In other words, when you have God in every occupation, you have a purpose for every job!
The GEO Principle Blog is written by the editor of Family Foundations magazine. He is a member of my parish, (in good-standing, I might add), a loving husband and the father of four great kids.
According to Tom:
“Because working people spend so much time on the job, this is where they are chiefly defining their relationship with God. Work time is our best opportunity to grow closer to God. Of course we get paid when we do work in the commercial world, and the compensation is important, but that is secondary. The primary purpose of working is to build a relationship with God.”
I would agree! Sometimes my work is so tedious and dry that I can’t see how it could possibly be a place to grow in my spirituality. And yet, I so know better.
One Last Recommendation: Audio CDs from the MN Catholic Home Education Conference are now available!
I wanted to blog more about this conference but then, alas, life took hold of me—firmly, around the neck—and I chose to cooperate with its grip. Ack! It’s summer vacation! You would think that my life would slow down a bit…but it hasn’t.
Well, thank goodness for these audio CDs. I mean it—the talks that I attended at this conference were amazing, and I love that I can listen to them again & again. (My memory is such that it needs, um, reinforcing.)
I’ll give a shout-out to the two talks I attended because they were both very, very good. The first was Sally Robb’s “The Second Conversion. ” Sally is hilarious—smart, self-effacing, spiritual…and she does great accents!
The second was Anne & John Bielejeski’s “Blessed, Broken, Given: Practical Advice for Married Couples.” Oh my goodness, what a couple of sweeties! Anne Bielejeski has long been one of my favorite speakers. She, too, is very funny, very practical, and so calm! Can she really be the homeschooling mother of eleven?
Here is the form for ordering the talks on CD. These talks have been very encouraging to my vocation as a Catholic wife, mother and teacher. I like to listen to them when I’m on the go, which these days (it seems) is always.
And that’s all, folks—three great resources for your summertime consideration! Let me know if you like them.
Ad Jesum per Mariam,
I just love, love, love the Family Formation program. We’ve been using it for 3 years. It’s a relief for me to have my husband involved. It takes a little pressure off of our daily schedule and also is a good reminder to us all of the foundations of the Catholic Faith. I have blogged about the program a couple of times at Camp Homeschool. If interested in what I have to say, just search Family Formation at my blog.
Anne and John’s talk was my absolute favorite! I have used many of the things they talked about in my life already. I might have to order that one for sure!
Have you done the Faith Formation thing? Sarah always talks about it in her parish, it sounds wonderful! It would be good to do at home too though. I’ll have to show Tom this!
You, know, my bag of stuff from the conference is still in my school room waiting for me to clean out the room and find places for the new stuff!!!! My goal was to not be busy this summer, and so far, it has been busy every day!
Thanks for the recomendations!
Thanks for that wonderful resource!
I’ve used Family Formation for three, no, four years now. It is worth every penny.
Thanks for all the great info! I’ll have to check it out.
We belong to the parish where Family Formation originated and have used it for many years. I too can attest to the huge blessings there are to learning about the Faith together as a family. We just love it!
So, are you going to use the Family Formation? Does it replace something like Faith & Life or something to add in addition to it?
I already bought F&L for this coming year –