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February Calendar
February is always a tough month for R.E. due to conferences and the beginning
of Lent. Pray for no snow days! There will be no R.E. classes
on
Tues., Feb. 7th and Wed.,
Feb. 8th due to
conferences in the Millard Public Schools. We will also have no classes on Feb.
21/22nd so our students can go to Ash Wednesday Mass with their families and
attend the Soup Supper. Sunday School will not hold classes on Feb. 12th and
19th.
R.E. Communion Services– Feb. 14/15th
Religious Ed classes will be held in the Worship Space on Feb. 14/15th. (The
school building will be in use for SSM school conferences). Catechists will
meet with their students in the commons and be dismissed to the Worship Space by
grade. Parish deacons will lead us in a Communion Service.
Sky
Vacation Bible School
‘Sky’
Totally Catholic Vacation Bible School is coming to St. Stephen's on June 11-15
and June 18-22, 2012.
We
are looking for adults and older teens to lead Skits rooms, Imagination Station
(formerly crafts), Snacks, Games, Movie Room and Sing & Play. These are great
activities to do as a family.
For more
information, see our VBS webpage at left or contact Rhonda Richeson.
Sky Totally Catholic VBS Preview
Call to Faith eConnect
access for catechists
Call to Faith eConnect
provides web access to many planning and catechetical resources. eConnect
passwords for St. Stephen's catechists and R.E. parents can be obtained by
visiting our eConnect site or contacting D.R.E. Mary Maguire at
m.maguire@stephen.org.
Video and Resource Catalogue:
We have many resources available in the R.E. Office to help you prepare for
class or to use while teaching. If you are interested in showing a movie
or using research materials from our resource library, please either stop in the
office, email or call the R.E.
Office at 402-896-5683. If you need help finding a resource, please call
and we will do our best to find just what you need!
We are blessed by nearly 300
Catechists and weekly Volunteers!
The heart of our program is the dedication of
our catechists and their willingness to share
their faith with our
children. For our program to function, we need 295
catechists and volunteers each week! We are very grateful to
our wonderful catechists and volunteers who
are witnessing the love of
Christ to our children.
We
have teaching opportunities for pre-school through high school.
Our catechists teach in
teams of two with a class of 15 students. All lesson plans and materials
are provided for you and tuition is waived for your children. Email or
stop by the
Religious Education Office to see what opportunities are available. We can
show you curriculum and lesson plans and help you choose the grade that is
best for you. Please prayerfully consider joining
us in this very important teaching ministry. Call the office at 896-5683 or
email Mary Maguire at
m.maguire@stephen.org
for more information.
Catechist Development: Catechists are provided opportunities to
further their own faith and learn new methods of catechesis through
workshops and classes offered at St. Stephen's and through the Archdiocese of
Omaha.
Archdiocese of Omaha Catechist Training- The following courses
can lead to a Level I Catechist Certificate. Classes will be held
at
St. Gerald’s
St.
Gerald’s School, 7857 Lakeview St. , Omaha, NE 68127.
All courses are offered on Saturday mornings from 8:00 a.m. – 10 a.m.
The cost
for each course is $5.00
Oct. 1 Jumpstart I 
Oct. 29 Jumpstart II
Jan. 28 Introduction to Sacred Scripture
Feb. 18 The Creed
Mar. 10 Introduction to the Seven Sacraments
May 5 Introduction to Catholic Moral Teaching
St. Stephen
the Martyr Adult Formation
has many courses that are
perfect for catechists, such as World Religions, The Mass as Prayer,
Introduction to the Spiritual Life, and many Bible studies from Genesis to
Revelation! Please visit our
Adult Formation page for more information.
St. Stephen's Adult Formation
Board of Education ‘Catechist and Volunteer of the Year’
 Congratulations
to Dennis Gilmore, ‘B.O.E. Catechist of the Year’!
Dennis Gilmore was recognized by the Board of Education for excellence in being
a catechist. Dennis shows great creativity in teaching his middle school
classes, including producing a passion play for the class to perform for the
younger students. Dennis forms a personal bond with his students and challenges
them to grow in their faith. Dennis learned a lot about being a catechist from
teaching with his wife, Nancy, for many years before teaching on his own.
(photo; l. to r.- Jeanne Meyer, B.O.E., Dennis Gilmore, Sandra Jameson, B.O.E.)
Circle
of Grace
Circle of Grace is the Safe Environment component for children and youth
and lessons are shared with students in Kindergarten through grade 12.
Circle of
Grace provides an
excellent opportunity to teach about God's love for us, the gift of Grace and
the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is not a ‘Sex Ed’ or
‘Stranger Danger’ class!
Information
on the program philosophy and background is included with your lesson plans. If you have questions about the program, please contact
Mary Maguire, D.R.E. I would be more
than happy to discuss it with you. If you would like to see more background
information, the complete parent information packet provided by the Archdiocese
of Omaha is available on the Program Information page of our website
(link at the left). This packet also provides additional resources to help
parents.
Safe Environment Training: All catechists and volunteers are
required by the Archdiocese of Omaha, in accordance with the Charter for the
Protection of Children and Young People, to complete a training session and
background check. Upcoming Safe Environment training dates and times are
available at
Archdiocesan Safe Environment Training.
Catechist/Volunteers
are always needed!
Catechists teach in teams, and lesson plans and activities are
provided. We also provide free child care for the younger children of
our catechists in the Little Saints Center. Tuition fees are waived for
all of the children of catechists, grade level coordinators, child care helpers,
floating catechists and three-hour office aides. Descriptions of the
duties for these positions are found on page 2 of the registration form.
Sacramental preparation fees are not waived for the children
of catechists and volunteers.
If you are interested in becoming a catechist or have questions about what is
involved in teaching, please email us at the
R.E. Office or call 896-5683.
We can show you curriculum and lesson plans and
help you choose the grade that is best for you.
Because of
Safe Environment requirements that were established by the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops, volunteers at all
parishes who work with or have access to children must attend Safe Environment
training through the Archdiocese of Omaha and undergo a background check. Safe
Environment training must be completed before you can begin working with the students. The current schedule for Safe Environment training is available at
www.archomaha.org.
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