On Tuesday, April 27, 2010, Joe Paprocki, DMin. is hosting “Growing as a Catechist: A Self-Evalutation Based on 7 Critical Tools from The Catechist’s Toolbox.” The webinar will be be from 7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. (CST).
At this time of the year, many catechists are coming to the end of their teaching schedules. This is a good time to pause and take stock—to engage in a self-evaluation in order to grow as a catechist. In this Webinar, Joe Paprocki invites catechists to evaluate their efforts this year in light of 7 critical “tools” (skills and qualities) drawn from his book The Catechist’s Toolbox.
This Webinar will assume a very different flavor from the previous ones in that the focus will be on answering 7 poll questions (one for each of the 7 tools), resulting in a highly interactive and fast-paced experience.
In the days following the Webinar, Joe will answer questions on his blog, Catechist’s Journey. If you would like to receive Joe’s blog posts by e-mail, click here.
This free Webinar is led by Joe Paprocki, an eighth-grade catechist in the Archdiocese of Chicago with over 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry. Joe, national consultant for faith formation at Loyola Press, is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling The Catechist’s Toolbox and A Well-Built Faith.
If you have additional questions about the Webinar or would like to receive a certificate of completion, please contact Carrie Freyer at freyer@loyolapress.com.
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press. He has over 25 years of experience in pastoral ministry and is the author of numerous books. He is also father to two grown children. Joe shares why he enjoys The Story of the Cross, written by Mary Joslin and illustrated by Gail Newey.
Holy Week is an opportunity for families to come together around the story of Jesus’ suffering, death, and Resurrection. I find The Story of the Cross: The Stations of the Cross for Children to be a wonderful introduction for young children to the delicate subject of Jesus’ death on the Cross.
As a child, I remember being frightened by the life-size and very graphic statue of the crucified Jesus in the rear corner of my Church. Let’s face it: the topic of death is not something that parents are eager to expose their children to, and yet the story of Jesus is centered around his selfless suffering and death. The Story of the Cross enables parents to introduce their children to the events of Holy Week in an age-appropriate manner. The book begins by inviting children to first meet Jesus through the joyful story of his birth and then briefly describes his teaching and his invitation to love God and neighbor. It goes on to explain that some people did not like Jesus’ teaching and began to plot to have him put to death.
From this point on, The Story of the Cross becomes a reflection on each of the traditional Stations of the Cross while still retaining its storybook form. The illustrations creatively include children looking on with sad expressions on their faces, enabling parents to help their own children to deal with the emotion of this powerful story. Each station also includes a very short and simple prayer that parents and children can pray together. Beginning with the tenth station (Jesus is stripped of his garments), the illustrations offer a perspective of Calvary from a distance so as not to frighten children with graphic images of Jesus’ suffering. Instead, the focus is on the people sadly witnessing Jesus’ death. A fifteenth station is included, focusing on the joy of Jesus’ Resurrection. The concludes by describing how the Risen Christ appeared to his followers, “bringing life and love that will never end.”
I highly recommend The Story of the Cross for parents of young children as we enter into this holiest time of the year as Christians.
For a limited time The Story of the Cross is on sale for only $10—more than 35% off the regular price. Use code FAM10 to receive the discount, which is valid through April 15, 2010.
In this Webinar, Joe Paprocki will help catechists revisit the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to help them and those they teach to better understand how to approach the Lenten season in a way that will lead to renewal of our baptismal commitment. In a unique and refreshing approach, Joe draws from three well-known Hollywood movies to make his points about prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
In the days following the Webinar, Joe will offer additional Lenten activities on his blog, Catechist’s Journey. If you would like to receive Joe’s blog posts by e-mail, click here .
This free Webinar is led by Joe Paprocki, an eighth-grade catechist in the Archdiocese of Chicago with over 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry and national consultant for faith formation at Loyola Press.
Register for this free Webinar today by clicking here.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the “Getting Started as a Catechist” webinars. All four webinars were successful and we appreciate your questions, comments, and ideas. Below are pictures from the webinar experience. For more information about the webinar, to watch the webinar, or for more information about catechesis, visit http://catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com/.
Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer
This free Webinar is led by Joe Paprocki, an eighth-grade catechist in the Archdiocese of Chicago with over 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry. Joe, national consultant for faith formation at Loyola Press, is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling The Catechist’s Toolbox and A Well-Built Faith.
