Submitted by St. Athanasius in Goleta, CA

Proposal:

Part I:  Provide an elegant couples' dinner for parents, wherein we will administer a survey.  Survey will be studied to discern parents' understandings of the importance of sacramental participation and its relationship to religious education, including family priorities and the responsibilities of the parents, godparents, and parish staff to provide such experience and education.  Findings will be used to tailor child religious education and adult religious education with the goal of increasing participation in both, as well as in the sacramental life of the Church.

Part II:  Produce three audio CDs with music and brief narration from our successful education program, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  Each CD will be tailored to the age groups we serve in CGS: 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12.  Children and families will be able to hear snippets of presentations given to the corresponding age group, as well as songs the children sing in the atrium.  Unites the home to the religious education experience of the child while simultaneously educating parents.

Goals:

Child religious education benchmark: 75% of families with children ages 3-18 participating in religious education at least 75% of the catechetical year by Pentecost 2011.  In five years, 90% participation of families with children ages 3-18.

Adult religious education benchmark:  50% of parents with children ages 3-18 participate in religious education at least 75% of the catechetical year by Pentecost 2011.  In five years, 75% of parents participate in seasonal adult education.

Sacramental participation benchmark: 75% of families with children ages 3-18 (adults and children) attend Sunday Liturgy in a timely and complete manner 75% of the year.  In five years, 50% of these families also attend Orthros, Vespers, and/or weekday Liturgies at least 50% of the year.

Implementation:

Survey goal is 100% participation of families with children ages 3-18; benchmark for success set at 75% of these families responding.

CD will be distributed to 100% of families with children ages 3-12; benchmark for success would be 75% of these families using the cd at home/in car by September 2011.

Successful fringe benefit would be two new catechists trained as a result of exposure to program via CDs and/or actual religious education.

Timeline for Implementation:

Part I:  (Dinner and Survey)

March 3, 2011:  Dinner is hosted and survey administered on paper.  

May 1, 2011:  Survey results compiled and reported to Parish Council at their next meeting.

June 1, 2011:  Personal follow-up and gift (See Part II)

Summer 2011:  Individual surveys, as well as statistics, studied by clergy, catechists, and parish council to determine strategies for increasing family participation in sacramental life of Church and religious education.  

August 2011:  Findings implemented, continuing for two to five years, as pastorally discerned.

Part II:  (CDs)

March 1, 2011:  Children's choir organized

May 15, 2011:  CD recordings made

June 1-15, 2011:  CDs distributed

September 2011:  Families surveyed verbally regarding the use of the CDs at home, in car, etc, with invitation to share observations and/or responses of family members.

Part III:  (Survey)

March 2014:  Survey re-administered to same population

May 2014:  Survey results compared with those of the first survey and data reported to Parish Council at their next meeting.

September 2014:  Any additional recommendations regarding children's and adults' religious education implemented.