Praying With Children ---

Course Summary

Praying with Children involves a general exploration of spirituality within the Catholic tradition as well as an examination of personal spirituality. The course looks the variety of prayer styles and formulas in the Church and reflects upon the nature of spirituality in general. Praying with children needs to be done in a way that is developmentally appropriate for them, so that it fosters a hunger for the divine and a lifelong appreciation of spirituality.

Successful completion of this course earns 2.5 CEU's.

General Course Objectives

• To examine one's personal spirituality and realize the impact it has on the spirituality of those one teaches/catechize
• To explore the implications of one's spirituality for religious education in parish and school programs
• To know the basic levels of faith development in Fowler's theory and be able to apply that knowledge to children in the classroom or faith formation process while at the same time develop a personal understanding of one's own spiritual journey and the dignity to which each human person is called before God.
• To be aware of the tremendous capacity of the child to be open to the sacred and know how to nurture that in the classroom/faith formation setting
• To foster the hunger for the divine through nurturing a sense of wonder, making sacred space in time and praying age appropriate prayers of our Roman Catholic tradition
• To develop, evaluate, and share the structures for fruitful prayer experiences with children

Course Materials

• Required Book: Durka, Gloria The Teacher's Calling, A Spirituality for Those Who Teach Paulist Press, 2002. ISBN: 0809140624; ISBN-13: 978-0809140626
  • Order here

Course Structure and Highlights

• Week 1: Faith Development and the Heart of the Teacher
  • To know the basic levels of faith development in Fowler's theory and be able to apply that knowlege to children in the classroom or faith formation process
  • To develop a personal understanding of one's own spiritual journey and the dignity to which each human person is called before God
• Week 2: Sacred Wonder Celebrated in Prayer
  • To become conversant with the varieties of prayer forms and experiences within the Catholic tradition as seen in Part 4 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
  • To learn some ways to inspire awe and wonder in prayer with children
• Week 3: Wisdom and the Pitfalls in Praying
  • Identify common distractions to prayer and examine time-honored methods to overcome them.
  • Develop, evaluate, and share the structures for fruitful prayer experiences with children.
• Week 4: The Spirituality of the Child
  • Appreciate the tremendous capacity of the child to be open to the sacred and understand how to nurture that in the classroom/faith formation setting.
  • Develop, evaluate, and share the structures for fruitful prayer experiences with children.
• Week 5: Teaching Children to Pray
  • Foster the hunger for the divine through nurturing a sense of wonder, making sacred space in time and praying age appropriate prayers of our Roman Catholic tradition.
  • Develop, evaluate, and share the structures for fruitful prayer experiences with children.

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