St. Mary's 2016/2017 Religious Education 
Spring Confirmation Program : First Class Bulletin   

February 26, 2017

Your Family's
Starting Point 
for 
Decision Point


This bulletin contains the essential information and instructions on the conduct of a safe and rewarding first day of class for your child and yourself. Please print and review this bulletin with your child. 

Contents

Classes Start on Sunday, March 5
Be Sure to Bring your Decision Point Workbooks 

Sunday Class Time TableClassTimeSchedule

Confirmation 1  

SGLs Arrival: 2:00 - 2:15 p.m.
Arrival: 2:15 - 2:25 p.m.
Class: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. (will start & end promptly)
Youth Mass: 5:00 - 5:45 p.m. (encouraged to attend)
 
Confirmation 2  

Youth Mass: 5:00 - 5:45 p.m. (encouraged to attend)
SGLs Arrival: 5:45 - 6:00 p.m.
Arrival: 6:00 - 6:10 p.m.
Class: 6:15 - 8:15 p.m. (will start & end promptly)


Class Dates and LessonsDatesLessons

Date
Confirmation 1
Confirmation 2
March 5
Lesson 1: Life is Choices
Lesson 7: The Eucharist
March 12
Lesson 2: What's Holding U Back?
Lesson 8: The Holy Spirit
March 19
Lesson 3: The Jesus Question
Lesson 9: The Church
March 26
Lesson 4: The Prayer Process
Lesson 10: Confirmation
April 2
Lesson 5: The Bible
Lesson 11: Made for Mission
April 9
Lesson 6: Relationships
Lesson 12: Holiness is Possible
May 21
Retreat (2:30 - 8:30 pm) *
(Attend Confirmation 1 Retreat if previously missed)

A copy of the complete schedule for the classes and meetings are provided on the Confirmation 1 & 2  webpage on the sidebar.
* Details to be emailed before May 7. 

**Drop-Off and Pick-Up**DropOffPickUp


 
Classes are now held at the Benjamin Franklin Charter School Auditorium


When picking up your child, it is recommended that you wait for your child in your vehicle. 



Other Important InstructionsOther

Group / Table Assignments . On this first day, your child will be allowed to sit at any table of their choosing up until the start of class. There is a limit of 7 students to a table, including the Small Group Leader. Once class starts, the Confirmation Director will direct each child where to sit. RECOMMENDATION: Arrive within the Arrival Period shown in the Time Table above.  

Student Work Books
Confirmation 1 Parents: If you DO NOT have a student workbook AND have registered for the Fall Session, please arrive 1 hour prior to the start of class to receive a program introduction and work book from Roger Gullo, Confirmation Director.
Confirmation 2 Parents: Be sure you child brings their work books provided to them last year.

Unavoidable Absences. We have a 100% attendance policy to all of the programmed lessons. If you have an unavoidable situation where your child cannot attend a particular class, you need to email Roger Gullo, Confirmation Director, with the requested date of absence and reason. He will reply with the make-up date.  

Sponsor & Service Hour Forms. If your child is in possession of these forms (typically just Confirmation 2), please have them bring it to class. Those that do not, these forms will be distributed at class.

Make-Up Classes. If your child has to conduct a make-up class for Confirmation 1 or 2, please have them attend the lesson missed in the class schedule shown above. The Confirmation Director will be sending out a separate email to each parent on the specific lesson missed. 
 
Guest Student Speakers . I am still looking for recently Confirmed speakers that would like to provide a 10 minute witness account on how their Catholic faith has guided them through one or more moments in their lives. There are some extraordinary young teens and adults with some amazing stores. Please have them get in touch with Roger Gullo, Confirmation Director. 

Program Participation for ParentsProgPartParents

If you have not taken the opportunity to start examining, reading or watching the incredible content available to you for free, please start this Sunday while your child is at class. You will be able to read and watch all of this lesson's content in under one hour.  As I only have them for a total of 12 hours this year, your involvement is instrumental. Your goal is to have one 10 minute dialogue with them after each class asking questions that may include:

What did you find most helpful in your lessons tonight?
What did you highlight in your book?
What were the topics discussed tonight?
What did you learn that will make a better version of yourself?  

For those that are learning about this program for the first time, following are some of the insights and remarks by Matthew Kelly and Dynamic Catholic about the  DECISION POINT Confirmation Program -

 

DECISION POINT is a Confirmation preparation program primarily designed for Catholics between the ages of twelve and eighteen. It has been designed to ignite a conversation about the genius of Catholicism between candidates and their parents, sponsors, catechists, teachers, peers, and priests. In fact the materials in the program are something that every Catholic should experience - not just teens preparing for Confirmation.

This is an amazing program. At the heart of it are seventy-two short films, which range in length from three to fifteen minutes and feature Matthew Kelly. The entire
DECISION POINT program can be experienced in 4 ways by Confirmation Candidates, Parents and Sponsors:

1. Hard copies: A workbook will be provided for each individual Confirmation Candidate. Copies will be distributed at the Program Introduction Meeting to be attend by the parent(s) and guardian(s).

2. Online: The entire program is available online to anyone at any time at http://dynamiccatholic.com/confirmation/view-program/

3. E-mail : The program is also be available in an e-mail version, which will allow individuals to sign up and receive the program in bite-size portions each week. Perfect for parents and sponsors. Go to the link www.DynamicCatholic.com/confirmation/for-parents-and-sponsors to sign up on the first day of your child's class so you experience and engage in the program.
4. App: The seventy-two short films and bonus content are also available on an application for smart phones and tablets. Just search for "Decision Point" on your App Store.

Closing RemarksClosing

Thank you for your time reading this bulletin. I hope you have found it informative and  thorough  as it relates to the start of our first class. I look forward to our mutual successes together as we deliver this program to your Confirmation Candidates.  I continue to look forward to your feedback and comments.

We are all so blessed to have our beautiful children in our lives. We can count on the Holy Spirit to continue guiding our lives with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude and piety as we nurture our children into adulthood. Alleluia and Amen.
Faithfully Yours in Jesus Christ,
Roger Gullo
Confirmation Director Religious Education