Each year I send out evaluations to both my catechists and parents to get their feedback about the catechetical year.   I praise God for the many blessings from the year: how God worked in families, the creativity of catechists and their desire to share Christ with their students are just a few blessings.  Christ desires to draw us closer to Himself and I am grateful for the opportunity to reflect on the many gifts and blessings (seen and unseen) that occurred this year.

Reflecting and evaluating upon what can be improved in the future is also important.  The landscape of Religious Education is rapidly changing in many respects and if we don’t consider what we need to do to continually help our families and students grow in a way where they will come to know the Gospel more fully in order that their lives can be transformed.  Reaching out to parents and children who are over-scheduled, consumed with noise and distractions can contribute to their ability to seek and find God in their daily lives.

Here are some things I’ve been reflecting upon:

1) How can catechists be trained so that they can seize the opportunities they have to draw students out of their busy world and give them the one thing that satisfies – Jesus Christ? What things are we doing that contribute to children and parents encountering Jesus?

2) Are the resources we are providing catechists (and parents) helping them to pass on the faith and engage kids?

3) What tools and resources can be provided so as to help engage children more fully.

4) How can we involve parents more and help them be the primary educators of their children’s faith?  We don’t want to be a program where parents essentially “outsource” faith formation to us (the parish).  We want to be a bridge and collaborate with them in order that they may be more empowered to pass on the faith to their children.

How about you?

What have you been reflecting at the end of your religious education year?