Being a catechist has been a part of my life my many years. I taught both elementary and confirmation groups when my kids went through the programs. The fall after my mother died I was undecided about continuing as a catechist even though my church was desperate for volunteers. I felt indifferent and I wondered if it was time to allow the next generation to take over. One night I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. I heard my mom’s voice say very clearly to me, “I have a plan for you.” I knew then I would be back as a catechist and that I could serve to do more. I could build upon my experiences and ideas to create better and improved lessons. This website is dedicated to my mother. She believed strongly in angels and their powers to guide us to.
My motivation
My creativity has been sparked by my lack of enthusiasm for curriculum from the major publishing companies. Even though the childrens’ books come full of beautiful pictures and well-thought out content, they demand a teaching approach like what many children see all day in school. We can do better than just having them read content from books and fill-out the corresponding response pages. Catechism should be dynamic. Catechism should be full of conversations. Catechism should be inspiring. Please take a moment to ready my Philosophy page where I outline my 3 key elements of successful class sessions.
Free and sustainable activities
As church budgets continue to be squeezed, programming must be budget friendly. Many churches are struggling to cover the cost of directors for their ministry programs. Some churches are now having their programs be run entirely by volunteers. Finding and utilizing free quality activities is going to be a new mode for almost everyone so that budget dollars can be spent wisely. I will never charge for my content in an effort to help the Gospel of Jesus be spread and shared throughout all churches of all denominations.
I strongly believe in sustainability and reusability. Many of my lesson plans, activities, and games contain manipulatives that can be used from year to year. Not only do these manipulatives make your class sessions more dynamic but they offer a cost effective way to not add financial burden to your programs. My lesson plans and activities help you avoid having to pay each year for new workbooks or for subscription fees to on-line components.