Overview

Meet the Gentle Jesus: First Communion Catechist Guide is a comprehensive teaching guide with lesson plans to help you prepare children for First Holy Communion. It includes a lesson plan scope and sequence. The wraparound design enables you to see what the children see. Child-friendly activities and examples help you teach more complex concepts. The material integrates with A Child's First Communion...And So Much More! DVD featuring Fr. Joe Kempf so you know when to play each section of the video to children or to parents. The Catechist Guide front matter helps you plan your program, organize meetings with parents, and prepare for the celebration of the sacrament. The back matter includes a complete glossary of all new concepts and terms taught in the lessons, blackline art for handouts, and weekly sample emails to send to parents. Meet the Gentle Jesus: First Communion is a complete curriculum and includes: First Communion for Children, which inspires youngsters to take a lifelong journey of knowing and loving Jesus, and to become missionary disciples Catechist Guide (this book) Family Guide, which explains the sacrament, and provides weekly activities for the family to share their faith A Child's First Communion...And So Much More! Meet the Gentle Jesus: The Mass for Children, a take-with booklet on the Mass The charming, colorful illustrations by renowned artist Jeff Albrecht engage children and help make the doctrine understandable to them. Meet the Gentle Jesus: First Communion has been reviewed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

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9780764828058

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Reviews

Both new and experienced catechists will benefit from the comprehensive Catechist's Guide for the Meet the Gentle Jesus first communion program. Catechism references, lesson objectives, and background preparations are introduced on the first page of each lesson. Additional directions and practical hints are featured in a wrap-around design for each page of the child's book. The lessons provide a step-by-step walk through the Mass, which is easy to follow and grounded in Scripture to help the child make a meaningful connection to each part of the Mass. The Scripture readings are adapted from the Bible, making it easier for the child to comprehend. Each lesson closes with two unique features, Your Faith at Home and Community Time, that send the message and lesson objective into the home for further discussion including hands-on suggestions. -- (06/15/2021) The Meet the Gentle Jesus program is so incredibly well-thought out and comprehensive, while at the same time being gloriously down to earth, wonderfully relational, and theologically solid. More than a program, it is a joyful sacramental journey of discovery for all who participate in the process. It has all you will need to lead the children in your care to that wonderful day when they will experience Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time! As a former DRE I have used and created sacramental preparation programs and worked to draw families and the parish into the experience of the journey that is the celebration of the Eucharist. This program is by far the best I have seen. Nothing is left out of this comprehensive faith-filled process of catechetical instruction and experiential learning. The lessons integrate Scripture, Church teaching, relational ministry, and liturgical experience into one wonderful journey of spiritual growth and discovery. -- (03/12/2021)

One of the most joyful catechetical tasks for the Church is preparing children to receive Holy Communion for the first time. The Eucharist is the heart of who we are as Catholics, and the Meet the Gentle Jesus First Communion preparation program offers a complete soup-to-nuts process for communicating a thorough understanding of the centrality of what it means to participate in the Mass each Sunday and carry the Gospel to the world through all we say and do. The key to the Meet the Gentle Jesus program is how it ties together all the elements of our Eucharistic faith, bringing the children, their families, and the entire parish into the experience. It imparts the Church's teaching on First Communion while highlighting the faith of all who are joined together in the sacrament we celebrate each time we gather together for Mass. This comprehensive, practical guide provides a clear, well-designed blueprint that maps out the glorious journey of salvation we experience in the Eucharist. The scope and sequence of the program cover essential scriptural foundations, worship rituals, liturgical practices, and Church teachings in order to show how the Eucharist is our communal meal of salvation and the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ that takes away our sins. Every aspect of the program is intimately knitted together to show the meaning behind the Mass as it draws the children into the process of understanding what it means to receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ in the bread and wine of Communion. The eight in-depth sessions take the participants on a joyful journey through the Liturgy, from the opening rites to the final sending forth, demonstrating the biblical roots and catechetical basis for our rituals in a way that is easy for children to understand and integrate into their lives. Each lesson builds on what has come before, using props and prayers to help the participants become more and more a part of the celebration of the Eucharist. The entire process builds anticipation for the day when the children will receive Jesus for the first time, beginning a lifelong journey of faith that will lead them ever forward into the Kingdom of God. Each Scripture story presented is connected to a part of the Liturgy and reinforced by practicing the prayers and rituals that take place in the Liturgy. As the catechist shares his or her faith, asks thought-provoking questions, and explains the meaning behind the celebration of the Eucharist, the children come to see that the Mass is not only a re-presentation of the salvation won for us by Christ at the cross, but our own willing offering as a body of believers to be broken and poured out before the throne of heaven. The true power of the program lies in how the process itself becomes a prayerful experience of becoming, as the children walk the wondrous path to the day of their First Communion. The Leader's Guide leaves nothing to chance, spelling out the foundational aspects of the program and addressing every concern in a clear and concise way. The background information gives the reasons for the methodology and outlines clear-cut goals for carrying out the process. The guide also offers a number of options for dealing with different logistical concerns and working with children with specific needs. The appendix provides a wealth of additional information to round out the program, including sample email templates, a glossary of terms, reproducible art, supplemental materials, and outside resources for further study. The Catechist Guide offers complete step-by-step instructions for teaching the lessons that allow even the most inexperienced adult helpers to feel comfortable exploring their own understanding and experience of the Eucharist while going through the process with the children. Woven into the lessons are ways to include the parents/guardians at the beginning and end of the teaching time to pray together with their children and to help them become more actively involved with the entire process. The Family Guide materials help to continue the learning at home. These simple, thoughtful exercises help the parents/guardians encourage their children to further integrate the lessons into their lives by reflecting on the learning and expressing these new ideas through fun artistic projects. In this way, the parents/guardians are called to examine their own connection to the Eucharist and to strengthen their faith and the faith of their entire family. All in all, the Meet the Gentle Jesus First Communion preparation program gathers together catechetical understanding, experiential learning, and relational living into a powerful sacramental process that brings each person it touches to a level much deeper than simple Sunday school studies. It calls forth the participants, immerses them in a journey of wonder and discovery, and challenges all involved to become broken bread and poured out wine to a world in need of the power of the Eucharist. --Mark C McCann, Author and Ministry Consultant (03/12/2021)

The Meet the Gentle Jesus program is so incredibly well-thought out and comprehensive, while at the same time being gloriously down to earth, wonderfully relational, and theologically solid. More than a program, it is a joyful sacramental journey of discovery for all who participate in the process. It has all you will need to lead the children in your care to that wonderful day when they will experience Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time! As a former DRE I have used and created sacramental preparation programs and worked to draw families and the parish into the experience of the journey that is the celebration of the Eucharist. This program is by far the best I have seen. Nothing is left out of this comprehensive faith-filled process of catechetical instruction and experiential learning. The lessons integrate Scripture, Church teaching, relational ministry, and liturgical experience into one wonderful journey of spiritual growth and discovery. -- (03/12/2021)

Author Information

A Redemptorist Pastoral Publication is written and edited by multiple authors and produced by Liguori Publications, a leading provider of award-winning Catholic publications for parishes and individuals in every stage of faith and life. A ministry of the Redemptorists, Liguori publishes inspirational and educational print and digital books, catechetical and faith formation programs, newsletters, pamphlets, Vacation Bible School programs, and parish bulletins. Our flagship magazine, Liguorian, communicates a timely pastoral message to Catholics on matters of faith and has been a cherished companion of Catholics for more than 100 years. Jeff Albrecht has illustrated for Disney, Warner Bros., Marvel, DC Comics, and other entertainment companies. His animation has been seen on Cartoon Network. His Christian illustration credits include Master Books (A is for Adam, N is for Noah) and Living Faith Kids. He enjoys working in different styles from his studio in the St. Louis area.

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