Welcome 2021!!!!!
So 2020 was not easy for anyone, most are happy to see it in our rearview mirror. 2020 forced us to reimagine how GOF can take place remotely, and we anxiously await the time when we can get back together for pancakes early on a Sunday morning. Until then, we have a couple more month of online/at home sessions. Please spend some time at the dinner table covering the subject matter, and if you missed a session or two, please just go back and review them as a family. All of the sessions are still fully available.
December In-Person Session Replaced with Drive-through Live Stations of the Nativity.
Visit, or re-visit our community event.
11/15 First Communion Session Postponed
November Session
The November materials have been posted, and survey is open for completion. We Americans recognize November as a period of thankfulness that is culminated by our Thanksgiving holiday. The goal of our November sessions is to recognize those gifts that we have received along with the gift of the Beatitudes. The recognition that God shows favor toward those that suffer as much as those whom have an abundance is an important Christian understanding. God warms with sunshine and quenches with the rain both saints and sinners. How we recognize and what we do with the gifts given by God is the important part.
OCTOBER SESSION
Our October session will be done at home, and offers the opportunity for everyone to participate in an exercise in dignity.
For adults we have Faithful Citizenship from the US Council of Catholic Bishop. This document and accompanying materials offer discerning Catholics the opportunity to reflect on on issues when selecting a political candidate. For our younger participants we look at caring for others. the common thread between the two topics is how we give dignity to others. What kind of world would we live it if our focus was to give dignity to others? From a political objective, to interpersonal friendships, would they all not be better if giving dignity was our personal objective?
Our October session will be done at home, and offers the opportunity for everyone to participate in an exercise in dignity.
For adults we have Faithful Citizenship from the US Council of Catholic Bishop. This document and accompanying materials offer discerning Catholics the opportunity to reflect on on issues when selecting a political candidate. For our younger participants we look at caring for others. the common thread between the two topics is how we give dignity to others. What kind of world would we live it if our focus was to give dignity to others? From a political objective, to interpersonal friendships, would they all not be better if giving dignity was our personal objective?
Please don't forget to complete the September survey on your family discussions and activities.
If you missed the September in-person session we need to get two books into your hands for the monthly at-home sessions. Please contact the offices to make arrangements to pick them up.
If you missed the September in-person session we need to get two books into your hands for the monthly at-home sessions. Please contact the offices to make arrangements to pick them up.
IT'S HERE, IT's HERE, GOF IS FINALLY HERE!!!
It's back to GOF time of year, and we are grateful to be back in session. Please complete the following survey, and see the Program Details below. As just about everything is, our sessions on Sunday is a mask mandatory event. We will be meeting in the hall following 8:30 Mass on Sunday, and gathering in the church on Monday night for a prayer service prior to going to the hall for the family session. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Rick Squier at stjoaneducation@gmail.com, or 330-626-3424.
It's back to GOF time of year, and we are grateful to be back in session. Please complete the following survey, and see the Program Details below. As just about everything is, our sessions on Sunday is a mask mandatory event. We will be meeting in the hall following 8:30 Mass on Sunday, and gathering in the church on Monday night for a prayer service prior to going to the hall for the family session. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Rick Squier at stjoaneducation@gmail.com, or 330-626-3424.
Program Details
Our GOF program this year will be conducted in a hybrid manner. We anticipate meeting only three times over the course of the year. Our in-person meetings will take place in September, December, and January. We will not have breakfast for our Sunday session, or dinner for the Monday session. Likewise, we will not have our breakout classroom sessions as both items create undue challenges in our new covid reality. Our in-person sessions will take place after the 8:30 Mass and offer the opportunity for families to attend either 8:30 or 11:30 Mass. The Monday sessions will start with a prayer service at 6:15 in the Church. Our sessions will set the stage for the following at home sessions, and offer us the opportunity to distribute family materials.
Activities for families will be based on materials on this website, and books supplied to our participating families. Tuition for families this year is $100, payable at our in-person sessions or through the parish offices. Please feel free to pay in full, or make payments as you are able.
Our next session will be Sunday September 13, or Monday September 14.
Our GOF program this year will be conducted in a hybrid manner. We anticipate meeting only three times over the course of the year. Our in-person meetings will take place in September, December, and January. We will not have breakfast for our Sunday session, or dinner for the Monday session. Likewise, we will not have our breakout classroom sessions as both items create undue challenges in our new covid reality. Our in-person sessions will take place after the 8:30 Mass and offer the opportunity for families to attend either 8:30 or 11:30 Mass. The Monday sessions will start with a prayer service at 6:15 in the Church. Our sessions will set the stage for the following at home sessions, and offer us the opportunity to distribute family materials.
Activities for families will be based on materials on this website, and books supplied to our participating families. Tuition for families this year is $100, payable at our in-person sessions or through the parish offices. Please feel free to pay in full, or make payments as you are able.
Our next session will be Sunday September 13, or Monday September 14.
We Take Our Mission Seriously
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But this is most effective when we don't take our-
selves too seriously. We share our faith with the young ones around us in a manner that is most engaging to them, and that is in a fun and light-hearted way. Sure, there are times when we need to be serious, but when we have fun our kids learn best. Our program is designed to utilize joy filled family time as opportunities to share our relationship and perspectives on God. Our ultimate goal is to strengthen relationships with community, family, and the Divine. |
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Age Doesn't Matter
Each person is able to experience faith in different ways. A young child has faith that a loving parent will be there to protect and help them. We can expand upon this dependency by starting the discussion about God at a young age, and continue the development of a relationship with the divine as a person matures.
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Family Based
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As parents we share our stories of church, or religious experience; when we do so we are passing your faith on to the person we care for. This is what we are called to do as Catholics. Parents are the first and foremost teachers of faith to their children. Generations of Faith offers the opportunity to not only share faith, but also grow in it and understand it better. When we talk to our kids about our faith we talk from the heart, and from the heart there are rarely wrong answers to any questions.
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For the 2020-2021 academic year we will be utilizing events from the past year to not only learn where God exists in all of it, but also our Catholic response which is formed by Jesus. They say that we learn from experience; well, we have lots of great subject-matter to use in learning and build faith as families and community.
We look forward to sharing with you and learning from the reflections and projects offered from your family.
We look forward to sharing with you and learning from the reflections and projects offered from your family.
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Monthly Topics for 2020-2021
September: “As you did for the least of these brothers and sisters…” Introduction to the year. October: Give to Cesar what is Cesar’s (Civic Responsibilities/Faithful Citizenship) November: An attitude of gratitude: prayers of thanksgiving, and prayers for the welfare of others. December: He came as a homeless refugee. The Christmas Story January: Catholic Social Teachings February: “Policing and being Policed,” panel discussion on assumptions that drive our actions, and how this often negates the dignity of the human person. March: Causes of Poverty in America, and our Catholic response. April: Christian perspective on Justice. The real experience of apartheid as unjust rule. May: Prophets of peace. The distinct messages of Jesus, St. Francis, Gandhi, Thomas Merton, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Pope Francis and others that called for peaceful revolution to a more gentle and accepting society. |
As we look to the year ahead we do so with the understanding that we need to remain as flexible as possible. In-person meeting may not be advisable, or even allowed based on state mandate. This website is designed to engage families in remote faith sharing as necessary. The dates listed below are reserved in hope that we will be able to come together as a community a couple times over the course of the year for different faith experiences.
September 13 - 14
May 2 - 3
May 2 - 3