A Creative Approach to Religious Education
Incarnation Parish is committed to become not only a community which gathers for worship, but also gathers for learning and service.
In response to the call of the United States Catholic Bishops to revise models of catechesis, we have adopted the life-long intergenerational plan of “Generations of Faith.” We have abandoned a classroom model focused on children for the sake of an interactive community program focused on adult faith. Worship comes first, and all learning flows from the Table of the Lord and leads back to it. We see everyone here as a learner, from toddler to senior citizen.
Every year we adopt a theme for our learning. We have done two years on Liturgy since we wanted to move more deeply into claiming our right to “full, conscious, active participation in the liturgy,” as the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy described. We then did a year’s study of the Sacraments. This year, we are centering our learning on the Creed.
In addition to semi-monthly gatherings of children and teens at grade-level, the whole community gathers four times a year for “Learning Festivals.” We pray together, we share a meal, we break into different age-cohorts for learning, and we reassemble to review our learning and prepare to connect our learning with our lives.
The catechetical aspects of the program are prepared by an in-house Design Team of staff and parishioners, and wonderful breakfasts and dinners are served by an in-house Production Team. GOF also includes a weekly bulletin that has catechesis as a major goal, weekly scripture meetings, adult faith formation opportunities in Advent, Lent, and at other times, and Children’s Liturgy of the Word on some Sundays.
We are beginning our fifth year of GOF. Our theme for this year is "Social Justice" Our Learning Festivals will be held in October, December, February and April.
Social Justice: Our Parish Mission
Session One
Thurs 10/2 6:00 pm…or Sat 10/4 9:30 am
Session Two
Thurs 12/4 6:00 pm...or Sat 12/6 9:30 am
Session Three
Thurs 6:00 pm…or Sat 9:30 am
Session Four
Thurs 6:00 pm…or Sat 9:30