Mission Statement

St. John the Baptist’s Children’s Faith Formation programs strive to provide an atmosphere where families—parents, children, and youth can experience God’s love and Word so that faith may become living, conscious, and active.  St. John’s Community looks to the family, the “domestic church,” as the most important Christian influence since it is in the home that a child learns that faith.  Religious formation classes reinforce the traditions of that faith and each child’s Roman Catholic identity, while the parish supports the child in learning to celebrate that faith in community.  St. John’s family faith formation commits itself to a close collaboration with the family and the parish community to fulfill this mission.

2018-2019 Children’s Faith Formation (CCD)

There are two programs offered in the parish for children for Fall Registration.

Sunday weekly program  is based on the Sunday readings with doctrine taught in addition to working with applying the scriptures to our everyday lives. Children receive a book to take home and weekly bulletins. Parent meeting is on Sunday, Sept. 16 @ 11:00am in the parish center. Classes will begin on September 23 and end in April, 2019. Classes begin with Mass at 10:00 AM. Parents sign their children in on the way into Mass. The children go to Liturgy of the Word for Children during the Mass. After Mass ends the children are dropped off in the classrooms in the academy. Dismissal is 12:00pm.

Family Home Study program one parent from the family attends an initial meeting on Monday, Sept. 16 or Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7:00pm in the parish center. Parents receive their children’s books, Alive in Christ by OSV, with the schedule of lessons to be completed at home and gathering dates once a month from October through April. The gatherings are lessons taught by the Pastoral Associate and other catechists to parents and children who sit together. At least one parent is to be with their child for each gathering. Homework is collected and previous work done is returned after the initial gathering. Grade 2 children are asked to be enrolled in either the Sunday or Summer program due to the preparation for First Communion.

Junior High Special – A Home Study option for Grades 7 and 8 At the initial meeting in September our 7th and 8th graders are given an option for Home Study. They may come separately 4 to 5 times during the year as scheduled with a parent for a review of one of the books with follow up homework. There are seven books in the Junior High program with the seven themes found in the Alive in Christ program. This year all Jr. High students in the Summer and Home Study will be taking the following topics: Revelation, Trinity, Jesus Christ and Kingdom of God.

Mass attendance is part of the program and one Mass a month during the year at 10:00 am is assigned for Home Study students and parents.

Any questions or concerns about registration you can contact Kathy Breitenbach, Registrar/CCD Program Administrator at kbreitenbach@stjohnhillsdale.com or Cathy Wollyung, Pastoral Associate at cwollyung@stjohnhillsdale.com