Journey of Faith for Children, Enlightenment and Mystagogy Leader Guide

Journey of Faith for Childrenintroduces children to the Catholic faith in a way that's easy for them to understand, using an engaging pastoral approach. Based on the ever-popular and long-running adult Christian initiation program from Liguori Publications, Journey of Faith for Children provides a solid catechetical foundation. The warm and engaging style of the Redemptorists speaks to children about faith topics in a way that starts them on a lifelong journey of knowing and loving Jesus.

Journey of Faith for Children, Enlightenment guides children through a period of self-reflection and preparation for the sacraments in a way that's relevant to where they are in their own lives. Children learn about God's mercy and forgiveness, through an introduction to the scrutinies, and the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Children also participate in a group Lenten retreat before becoming fully initiated into the Church. Journey of Faith for Children, Mystagogy leads children, now members of the Church, into full participation with the Church and their parish community. At confirmation, children are given the gift of the Holy Spirit and the mission to evangelize. They learn how to become witnesses for Christ, how to continue the faith formation process, and how to share their enthusiasm for the faith.

This comprehensive Leader Guide gives you everything you need to walk into your OCIA class and start leading--whether you're a veteran OCIA instructor or a first year volunteer. The expanded materials include:

• New, wraparound design that enables you to see what the children see so you can spend more time teaching and growing in faith alongside your group
• Complete instructions for how to use Journey of Faith with an explanation of the lesson plan components including schedule options
• Tips on how to be an effective catechist
• Practical suggestions for teaching in a group setting
• Child-friendly activities and examples to help the catechist teach more complex concepts
• A complete glossary of all new concepts and terms taught in the lessons

The process by which adults are initiated into the Catholic faith throughout the United States is now called the OCIA--the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. "Order" is a clearer translation of the Latin term for the process formerly known as the RCIA--the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. People preparing for baptism and reception into the Church celebrate several rites as part of the order to which those rites belong--an order whose mission is to journey in the faith. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted the name change in 2021, with American dioceses introducing the name thereafter. For more information, please contact your local diocese.