Family Faith Formation
Posted February 28, 2025
Family Faith Formation coming this Fall 2025
Beginning next fall, we are excited to introduce a new faith formation approach called Family Faith Formation. Designed to bring families together in a shared journey of faith, this program is rooted in the belief that faith is best nurtured within the home. Family Faith Formation will provide opportunities for both children and parents to grow spiritually with engaging lessons, meaningful discussions, and community-building activities through a combination of at-church and at-home sessions. The goal is to empower families to live out their faith in daily life, together deepening their relationship with Christ and one another.
Many more details will be shared in future bulletin articles in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we invite families to begin considering this opportunity, launching in Fall 2025. We also encourage the entire Saint Andrew community to pray for our families and youth as we embark on a multi-year transition to a new model of faith formation.
St. Joseph, patron saint of families, and St. John Bosco, patron saint of youth—pray for us!
Posted March 7, 2025
What is Family Faith Formation?
Last week, we introduced a new faith formation approach beginning next fall called Family Faith Formation. That begs the question – what is family faith formation? Our vision is that families who are part of the family faith formation program will all engage in a faith formation together. Sessions will meet roughly every third week on the church campus and these sessions will engage the whole family. When families arrive, elementary children and teens will split off into separate sessions leaving the parents to participate in their own session for adults. The sessions for adults will be focused on providing ways to live out our Catholic faith within our families and provide methods to teach the faith to our children every day at home, not just when we are at church. At the end of each session, the youth will return, and families, now reunited, will spend time together sharing what they’ve learned and pray together as a family.
More information will continue to be provided in the coming weeks through future bulletin articles. In the meantime, please continue to consider this opportunity for your family, launching in Fall 2025.
St. Joseph, patron saint of families, and St. John Bosco, patron saint of youth—pray for us!
Posted April 13, 2025
Who is Family Faith Formation For?
The catechism is clear that parents are the “first heralds” of the faith to their children (CCC 1656, 2225). But parents are not expected to be the only heralds, they are to be supported by the whole parish community. As we set out on this new journey of Family Faith Formation, we invite the entire parish community to become part of this endeavor. As we leave Mass each week, we look up to see the great commission above our baptismal fountain: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). We are all called to be missionaries and catechists, and to help pass the faith to the next generation.
In the coming weeks, we will be providing opportunities for everyone to serve or participate in our new Family Formation ministry. This ministry is not just for families with young children. It is meant to include all of us. Each one of us has gifts that are meant to be shared to build up the Kingdom of God. Your gift might be exactly what someone else needs to begin their own witness and life of faith!
St. Joseph, patron saint of families, and St. John Bosco, patron saint of youth—pray for us!
Posted April 20, 2025
Why Family Faith Formation?
At this point, you may be wondering - why are we changing our approach to religious education? Unfortunately, the reality is that over 50% of young people who were raised Catholic are no longer Catholic today, and 79% of those former Catholics leave the church before age 23. While these numbers are grim, there is a bright spot. For young people who grew up in a family where their Catholic faith was very important, over 70% of those adults remain Catholic today! These studies tell us that there is a clear link between the faith life of the family and a child’s faith life as an adult. Clearly the most influential factors in a young person’s faith journey are their parents and extended family members.
Our new approach will focus on this reality, equipping parents and extended families with the tools and confidence to make their Catholic faith a lived experience for the entire family, nurturing their faith at home through prayer, conversation, acts of service, and shared experiences.
St. Joseph, patron saint of families, and St. John Bosco, patron saint of youth—pray for us!