Gospel Weeklies

St Bernard Church > Gospel Weeklies

32 week program with ½ the lessons taught in-person in a class taught by a volunteer Catechist and the other ½ of the lessons led by parents with at home instructions with support from the Faith Formation Office 

IN-CLASS LESSONS – This is a 15 week in-person class schedule of Catechist led in-person instruction. Classes are held on Sundays after the 8:30am from 9:25-10:25am (ADJUSTED TIME) The expectation is that families attend Mass prior to class so that the students listen to the Gospel and then attend class to learn more about it.

AT-HOME LESSONS – On non-in-person class Sundays, students will be required to complete the Gospel Weeklies for that Sunday Gospel at home and return it to the next In-person class. Families will receive an At-Home kit including all the necessary Gospel Weeklies for that Unit at the first In-class session prior to the beginning of the Unit. Parents and/or other family members are encouraged to share the Gospel Weeklies for these lessons to continue the faith building at home together. These lessons are meant to be completed on a weekly basis to have the most impact because they connect the everyday to the weekly Gospel.

Schedule of dates

Grade 1: Promise Program

The Promise program is designed to prepare children to hear the Gospel message, and help them to understand how it relates to their lives. It will help them begin to participate in Sunday Mass with an active understanding.

Child Development Levels

  • Hands-on learners
  • Full of wonder / energy / noisy
  • Share family faith
  • Abstract thinking

Promise helps catechists and families present the Gospel stories in a loving atmosphere and use hands-on ways to involve the children in those stories.

Here is a link to the Gospel Weeklies “Promise” program

What the Church Believes and Teaches Student Handbook and Gospel Weeklies Student Online Version will be available here once we have virtual access.  

Grade 3: Good News Program

The Good News program is designed to guide children to more involvement in Sunday Mass as they see how the Sunday readings tie to their own lives. Realistic stories and Gospel narrations—plus fun-to-do, hands-on activities—support formative learning.

Child Development Levels:

  • Concrete thinkers and learners
  • Storytellers
  • Sensory driven

Good News for Children helps 2nd and 3rd graders hear and retell the Gospel stories and use their senses to learn about their world.

Here is a link to the Gospel Weeklies  “Good News” program

What the Church Believes and Teaches Student Handbook  and Gospel Weeklies Student Online Version will be available here once we have virtual access.  

Grades 4-5-6 Venture

The Venture program is designed to lead 4th to 6th graders in making moral choices and exploring and expanding their faith. Dramatizations, current events, and original stories link the Sunday Gospel to kids’ own lives. Lives of saints (illustrated as comics) and imaginative activities demonstrate applications of the Gospel message.

Child Development Levels:

  • Industrious data-gatherers
  • Concrete thinkers who can connect the dots
  • Sense of moral reasoning
  • Developing historical sense
  • Enjoy doing projects together
  • Able to use symbols

Venture works with the abilities of middle level thinkers, who still process concretely but love to work together on group projects.

Here is a link to the Gospel Weeklies “Venture” program

What the Church Believes and Teaches Student Handbook  and Gospel Weeklies Student Online Version will be available here once we have virtual access.  

Grade 7: Visions Program

The Visions program is designed for pre-teens and teens in that it emphasizes social justice, moral reasoning, and service through current-interest articles, life-dilemma stories, and real Christian life examples. Discussion starters help young teens explore links between today’s issues, the Sunday readings, and their own lives.

Child Development Levels:

  • Emotional and social development
  • Maturing physically
  • New thinking capacity
  • Wanting to belong to groups and make lasting relationships

Visions lead junior and senior high students to stretch their developing abstract thinking skills and to apply them to going beyond the literal level of the Scripture stories.

Here is a link to the Gospel Weeklies  “Visions” program

What the Church Believes and Teaches Student Handbook  and Gospel Weeklies Student Online Version will be available here once we have virtual access.