As parents and members of St. Luke Parish, we are called to share our faith, joy and love with our children and with each other. Faith Formation is intended to inform, form, and ever transform the children and their parents in living their Christian faith.

• Inform - to nature people's minds and hearts in the wisdom of the Christian faith so that who they are and how they live is deeply influenced by what they "KNOW".
• Form - to nurture people's identity and lifestyle in Christian decipleship.
• Transform - to promote personal and social transformation; to "change the world".

Parents are the primary educators of their children. In recognizing this, we as a parish community, seek to work with them in teaching their children about Good and His Church. We provide formal Faith Formation classes for Pre-School through Eighty Grade for elementary aged children in a program that introduces and builds upon various aspects of our faith.

Parents are expected to attend special meeting in order to help prepare their child for a Sacrament.

Students must be Baptized (certificate required) before they will be accepted in any of the Sacramental Formation Sessions offered at their age level.

Preschool (Ages 4-5) and Kindergarten Sunday at 9am, September - May
The children meet Sunday mornings during the 9am Mass. The little ones meet in room 3, where they listen to the Sunday Gospel Readings at their age level. A volunteer Catechist guides the children in activities that will help them to relate the Gospel teaching to their daily life.

1st-4th Grade - First Three Wednesdays of the Month at 5:30-6:30pm, September - May
The Gospel-centered lessons teach the faith statements of the Creed, the seven Sacraments, the old and new Testament, and the Church's traditions of Christian prayer. The children meet with a volunteer Catechist for a one-hour session at their grade level. It is recommended that Parents come into the classroom to meet your child's Catechist after the first session. Also, you might ask the Catechist how you can be of assistance

5th-7th Grade - First Three Wednesdays of the Month at 7:30-8:30pm, September - May
The lectionary-based catechetical process continues with Gospel-centered lessons to prepare young people to live in harmony with the Spirit of Christ, to participate in worship, and actively continue Jesus' mission in the World. The students meet with a volunteer Catechist for a one-hour session at their grade level.

Parent Responsibilities

• Mass: Children are encouraged to attend Mass with their families.
• Prayers: Parents help their children learn their prayers. Praying is a family is recommended.
• Review Class work: Children will bring review pages and activities home. Please be sure to review them with your child and follow the teacher's instructions.
• Make Up Session: Parents are responsible to check with the Catechist regarding work covered. parents are asked to cover the material with their child at home

This program is for students who:

• Have completed one year of Faith Formation
• Are currently attending classes in Faith Formation
• Are in the fourth through eight grades
• Are preparing for Baptism and/or First Eucharist

Parent(s) are required to:

• Attend the parent education meetings for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist
• Attend the first class meeting
• Support their child in their faith journey
• Be present with their child at the Inscription Mass and rehearsal
• Attend Mass on a regular basis with their child

Please Note: RCIC stand for Rite of Christian Initiation for Children. A student is part of this program if they are school-aged and preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. Students (fourth grade or older) attend the Sacrament Preparation classes and additional liturgies and rehearsals scheduled in conjunction with the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. They are initiated into the Church during the Easter Vigil Mass.

SACRAMENTAL CATECHESIS

Baptism

School-aged children who are not baptized are expected to attend Faith Formation sessions for one year before they will be accepted into the Christian Initiation of Children process. This process prepares the child for Baptism as well as any Sacrament offered to their age level.

Reconciliation (Confession or Penance)

Students are to be prepared for this sacrament prior to First Communion. The first semester in the second level of the Faith Formation sessions are designed to prepare the children for First Reconciliation. Preparation for this Sacrament is also offered to older students who have been Baptized and received First Eucharist but have not received this Sacrament for the first time. A review of the Sacrament is offered for those who have already received it. Each child will meet with a Priest one on one to celebrate this sacrament.

First Eucharist (First Communion)

Students preparing for this sacrament must be in their second (or later) year of Faith Formation. Second Grade students without previous Faith Formation instruction will be required to participate in First level sessions. The children are enrolled as candidates for First Eucharist during their Welcome Mass in October. The second semester provides the Catechesis teaching material for this sacrament. Older Students (Grade 4th - 12th) preparing for this Sacrament must attend special sessions, Christina Initiation for Children.

A copy of the certificate of Baptism for each candidate must be presented to the Parish Office of Faith Formation by the end of September. If he/she was baptized at St. Luke, you will need to provide an approximate date. This is a requirement of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Confirmation

Confirmation is offered to students at the nineth grade level. Preparation is over a two-year period. Please contact Youth Ministry Office at 574-9191. The exception is any student participating in the Christian Initiation for Children process.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Registration

The registration forms must be completed by each family and on file in the Faith Formation Office. No child will be allowed in a classroom unless fully registered. The registration forms are available by selecting the button below or at the Parish Office. Both forms must be completely filled out and returned to the Parish Office.

Registration Fee

This fee may be paid at the time of registration or any time before the sessions start. Payment can be made in full, or partial payments may be arranged. You may pay by CASH, CHECK, VISA/MASTER CARD. If the fee creates a financial hardship for the family, please contact the program coordinator.

This money is used to purchase books, Bibles and all other materials used during the year. We welcome any additional donations to the Faith Formation Program. All donations are greatly appreciated and can be TAX DEDUCTIBLE! St. Luke Finance Council budgets for the Faith Formation programs but we ask you to help us balance the budget in the following ways:

• eSCRIP Register your existing grocery/credit/debit/ATM cards. Shop at eScrip merchants using your registered cards. Donation from the participating eScrip merchants are made to St. Luke.
• Participate and support any FUND RAISING ACTIVITIES.
• Use the WEEKLY "SUNDAY OFFERING ENVELOPES".

Volunteers

Catechist: Our entire Faith Formation Program depends on volunteers. All the Catechists and aides are volunteers.

To become a Faith Formation Catechist, NO EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY, training will be provided. All you need is a desire to share the love of God with our children/youth. Volunteering guarantees to make a difference in your life as well as the lives of the children/youth.

To help train and update our Catechists, the Archdiocese provides workshops and sponsors the Religious Education Institute throughout the year. The workshops are open to anyone who is interested. In addition to this, our deanery also tries to sponsor some teacher training. We also offer "HANDS-ON-TRAINING". A new Catechist may be paired with an experienced Catechist. Many of the Catechists are parents of children in the program.

Aide: Parents may volunteer to aide in the classroom. Please ask your child's teacher for ways in which you can help. A few suggestions....help cleaning up at the end of a session, providing goodies for special occasions, or ensuring the safety of our children in the parking lot by monitoring traffic (crossing guard). We welcome dedicated teenagers who could assist in the classroom. Aides check homework and attendance, assist the teacher in projects, and helps maintain classroom discipline.

WE NEED PARENTS TO HELP AT LEAST 5 HOURS DURING THE YEAR! Contribute your ideas and talents by helping with the program in various activities such as fundraising and special events, etc.

Discipline: Students are expected to exhibit self-control and self-discipline. Students who exhibit a lack of control or anti-social behavior detract from the education of all. We have several steps that we pursue with a student who is having difficulty cooperating in the classroom.

First	-	A verbal warning from the teacher.
Second	-	The student will be sent to the coordinator to discuss and resolve the problem.
Finally	-	A parent will be notified to pick up the child immediately if the student is continuing to disrupt the class.

It is expected that the parents will reinforce the expected respectful behavior of each child. An agreement form will be sent home for the Parents to sign and return to the Catechist.

Safety Issues For Parking Area: Whenever there are children and cars in the same place, there is the possibility of danger. We ask that parents please accompany their child to and from the classroom door. Parents should park in the parking lot. Moving vehicles are a danger to everyone. If your car is entering the parking area at the time when there are children present, you must stop and let the children precede you. Drive very SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY when Children are PRESENT.