Scheduling & Calendaring
Our grant program is built around a two-year, extended sacramental preparation process. It includes both kerygmatic catechesis and immediate preparation for Eucharist and Reconciliation.
MasterClass Videos
We highly recommend that you watch our videos on scheduling and calendaring for extended sacramental preparation. They are both part of our free Directing Family Catechesis MasterClass.
Selecting Your Resources
Core Sessions
At a minimum, a grant-funded program must provide your families all the core sessions in the following:
- Growing Up Catholic Faith Stories: Jesus Lives (15 sessions, usually 6 parish/9 home)
- Growing Up Catholic First Reconciliation (6 parish sessions)
- Growing Up Catholic First Eucharist (6 parish sessions)
Optional Faith Stories Retreats
The Faith Stories curriculum includes four family "retreat" sessions, which are included in the grant funding and we encourage you to use:
- The "Sharing Stories Retreat" is a good introductory/kickoff event.
- The "Advent Retreat" is a good seasonal event to prepare for Christmas.
- The "Jesus Retreat" can be used at any time of year, but works well in Lent.
- The "Signs, Symbols, and Sacraments Retreat" also is a good fit for Lent.
Supplemental Sessions
Some parishes may want to provide additional gatherings or send-home experiences (and some dioceses may encourage or require this). They are not covered by grant funding. Fortunately, they are all very affordable.
- More Faith Stories themes. If you are looking for a large number of additional sessions, consider the God Calls and Spirit with Us themes, which provide and additional 15 sessions each. They are just like the Jesus Lives sessions.
- Seasonal and other family sessions. We recommend hosting Advent and Lent sessions each year to help your families enter these seasons. We have options for these and other topics to add to your schedule.
- Parent sessions are gatherings of parents separate from their children. We have various options.
Learn more: For English & Spanish Ministries For English-Only Ministries
Sample Schedules
Here are some examples of how you might schedule sessions throughout a two year preparation process. The "Calendaring Sacramental Preparation" video in our Directing Family Catechesis MasterClass walks through each of the calendars.