Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

When I was 14 years old, I started volunteering in the nursery and then, a year later, became the assistant teacher in a PreK. I have been volunteering in children's ministry ever since—serving in many churches and teaching various types of children's curricula. Fast forward to four years ago: Steven+ asked me to become Incarnation's Children's Minister. When we first met to talk about our curriculum, he was very open to me searching for whatever was the best fit for Incarnation and suggested that I look into Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) during my research. I had never heard of it but was willing to look into anything! I took to the internet and read what I could. I learned that CGS is a Montessori-based faith formation program, but couldn't find a lot of information online. I reached out to the Lead Catechist at Church of the Redeemer in Greensboro (they use CGS) and asked if I could meet with her. She eagerly agreed, and I drove down to meet with her. 
 
When I walked into the space (called the Atrium), I knew I had walked into a sacred space. The primary goal of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is to "foster the child's relationship with God and to prepare them for greater participation in the life of the church." That's what I saw when I walked into that Atrium; I saw a place where children could come to encounter God on their own terms. It was a sacred space, prepared specifically for children at their developmental stage, a space where children could come to understand both scripture and liturgy. This is something I see every week in our Atrium—children encountering God and growing in love and understanding for Him. It is such a gift to be present for these moments and to be a vessel the Holy Spirit uses to draw the children to the Good Shepherd. 
 
CGS was created in Italy in the 1950's by two women, one who was a theologian with her doctorate in Hebrew and the other who had worked with and studied under Maria Montessori as she developed the Montessori Method of education. CGS gets its name from the parable of the Good Shepherd in John 10, where Jesus says that he is the Good Shepherd and calls his sheep by name and they respond to him. This is the core of CGS—with each scripture reading the children receive, they are called to listen to God's voice and then to respond to him. Each lesson, we declare God's words, relying directly on scripture and expecting the Holy Spirit to be the true Teacher. We declare the word to children, as it is written, giving them what is most essential. Next, we provide physical materials that correspond with the child's developmental stage. Sometimes these look like dioramas, a miniature altar, matching cards, or large timelines. The materials vary greatly, but are always meant to provide what is essential for the child. These materials become tools for prayer and contemplation, and the children return to them often, contemplating the scripture and coming to know Jesus better.
 
Serving in the Atrium has been a gift to me and the other catechists. We have each seen our own understanding and relationship with Christ deepen through this work. The Atrium truly is a sacred space, a place where all who enter are called to a deeper relationship with the Good Shepherd. Incarnation currently offers Level I (3-6 year olds) during the service every Sunday (until the Passing of the Peace) and Levels II and III (6-9, and 9-12, respectively) during the Sunday School hour. Please don't hesitate the reach out to me if you are curious about CGS, I love talking about this! 
 
Katherine