By Anne Marie Amacher
Tricks, gimmicks and techniques for making faith formation engaging and at the same time a learning experience will be the theme of this month’s program for ministers of religious education.
This catechist in-service is open to all catechists from 6-8:30 p.m., Oct. 20, at Our Lady of Victory Parish Center in Davenport. It is sponsored by MORE (Ministers of Religious Education) in the Clinton and Davenport deaneries.
The presenter will be Lee Nagel, executive director of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership in Washington, D.C. Nagel has been in the Diocese of Davenport before, said MORE’s Roberta Pegorick, director of religious education at Holy Family Parish in Davenport and Our Lady of the River Parish in LeClaire.
The in-service will include ideas for making faith formation engaging while learning, creating community, and providing a sense of belonging. These ideas can help in forming youths as disciples, Pegorick said.
According to a flier for the event, “A good magician knows where to focus your attention. A good salesperson uses gimmicks to keep you interested, but always wants to fill your needs and make the sale. Good catechists have lots of techniques up their sleeves for engaging their students.”
“Lee is very entertaining. Catechists will walk away full of ideas,” Pegorick said.
MORE typically has put together an event every other year for the two deaneries. But Pegorick said MORE members are working to do something yearly. “We’d like to have a speaker one year, then have breakout sessions the next year.”
The cost to participate in Tricks, Gimmicks and Techniques is $75 per parish. Catechists will receive credit for methodology for certification.
For more information, catechists should contact their parish’s director of religious education.