No matter how perfectly planned a parish school program is, there will always be those for whom it will not work. Schedule conflicts with school, work, sports, and other extracurricular activities are impossible to fully mitigate; and these are more important than ever for children’s future success (we cannot simply brush them off because they are not of “ultimate value”). The reality is that families will find a way to work around schedule conflicts even if it means going to another parish or dropping out of Catechism for a season. Neither of these alternatives should be acceptable to a parish committed to its parishioners.
Moreover, parish models cannot always account for the needs of every family no matter how flexible their schedules are. Some children are just not mature enough to handle Catechism classes. Home school families may not wish to relinquish their kids to programs designed for the general parish population. Families with special needs children may not be able to find a good fit in a program lacking qualified volunteers or the necessary materials.
There are a multitude of legitimate reasons why a given parish family cannot be served by any single program. So, even if a parish wishes to retain the classroom model for those who desire it, Family Faith Formation makes for an excellent backup plan.
Moreover, parish models cannot always account for the needs of every family no matter how flexible their schedules are. Some children are just not mature enough to handle Catechism classes. Home school families may not wish to relinquish their kids to programs designed for the general parish population. Families with special needs children may not be able to find a good fit in a program lacking qualified volunteers or the necessary materials.
There are a multitude of legitimate reasons why a given parish family cannot be served by any single program. So, even if a parish wishes to retain the classroom model for those who desire it, Family Faith Formation makes for an excellent backup plan.