Philosophy
Early Childhood Faith Formation is the process by which young children,
usually baptized as infants, come to know and love God. It is based on developing the children's awareness of God using life experiences relevant to the
developmental level of the young children ages three, four, and five.
Children at this age learn to relate to the care and love of God through
self-identity, nature, and the love of others.
Faith formation is
an awakening process. This awakening has its beginning in early
childhood and continues throughout the life of the child, and ultimately
the adult. "The Church's catechetical mission aims to help the faithful
of all ages grow in both human and Christian maturity" (Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States,
64). The Early Childhood Faith Formation program focuses on forming young children in their awareness of God:
God the Creator, God the Loving Parent, God the Friend, and The
Wonderful World of God.
Early childhood is a time of allowing
children to experience God in concrete ways through what they can see,
touch, taste, hear, and smell. The human experiences of children form
the basic content of their faith development.
The Early
Childhood Faith Formation philosophy supports the parents/guardians as
the primary religious educators of their children. The role of parents/guardians in
the religious growth of their children extends far beyond formal
teaching. It is in living the Christian message of love, day by day,
before the eyes, ears, and impressionable minds of little ones. All
parents/guardians should be given opportunities to understand how they
too can assist in their children's developmental awareness of God.
Goals
The
Early Childhood Faith Formation program leads children to a loving,
personal relationship with God. This involves the children,
parents/guardians, family, catechists, parish and school administration, and parish community.
Child-Oriented Objectives
Early Childhood Faith Formation strives to assist children to:
Develop a sense of wonder at the world around them
Become sensitive to the spiritual
Come to know that God is loving and caring
Develop an awareness of the presence of God in themselves, others, and all things
Appreciate themselves as gifts of God
Have a sense of belonging to the Christian community
Experience joy and ease in spontaneous prayer
Become aware of the attitudes and elements of celebration and worship
Develop their meditative and contemplative capacities through sensitive use of silence
Develop an awareness of the community of church as an important and continual support mechanism in their faith formation
Parent/Guardian-Oriented Objectives
Early Childhood Faith Formation encourages participation from parents/guardians:
Parent/guardian involvement is essential for optimum spiritual development of children.
Parents/guardians
are the primary religious educators and have the ultimate
responsibility for imparting religious and spiritual values.
The level of successful Early Childhood Faith Formation is based on the involvement of the parents/guardians in that process.
Parents/guardians
are encouraged to discuss themes presented to the children during
formation. Themes include prayer, self-esteem, feelings and emotions, family, friends and community,
senses, music and movement, storytelling, all of creation, and various secular and religious celebrations.
Parents/guardians are invited to attend Early
Childhood Faith Formation training sessions along with the parish catechetical leaders, preschool directors, catechists, and volunteers.
Parents/guardians
are encouraged to promote spontaneous prayer with the children at home.
Spontaneous prayer provides a comprehensive learning experience that
blends language development, creative and critical thinking,
communication, active expression, and provides a window into the children's understanding of God.
Celebrations, especially around a table, help prepare children
for future involvement at Mass, and other worship or prayer services. Meaningful family meals
shared with an attitude of thanksgiving can be helpful in forming children at this age.
Parish and Community Objectives
Early Childhood Faith Formation encourages participation from the parish, school, and community to:
Understand the importance and process of faith formation of children ages 3-5
Support the faith formation programs for young children and the catechists who teach them
Assist in establishing an Early Childhood Faith Formation program if one is not in place in the parish or school
Recruit
a coordinator of Early Childhood Faith Formation as part of the
umbrella of religious formation in the parish or school (it is optimal
that an early childhood director be employed by the parish or school)
Help
the early childhood coordinator of the Office of Religious Education to
provide assistance in establishing a school faith formation program
Utilize
the Office of Religious Education's and Department of Catholic Schools' early childhood ministry resources,
including the early childhood coordinator, website, printed literature,
workshops, etc.
Catechist Preparation for Early Childhood Faith Formation
If
a parish has an Early Childhood Faith Formation program, it is expected
that the program will be led by a catechist who has completed the appropriate certification process offered by the Office of Religious Education.
See Early Childhood Faith Formation Resources.
6-16-2021, 6-24-2025