Faith Formation

“Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know that I am with you to the end of the world.”
Matthew 28:20

Faith formation is a lifelong process that provides children, youth and adults with the basic knowledge of God, Catholic Christian tradition, Scripture and spirituality. Our goal is to bring everyone into a closer, more loving relationship with God, each other and the community at large. The process includes discernment, formal classes, group discussions, sharing one’s faith with others and learning how to apply Jesus’ message to one’s daily life experiences. St. Charles offers the following programs and opportunities to form our faith:

bible study is an invitation to learn and grow in a deeper understanding of the Word of God presented from the Catholic viewpoint. Each two hour session is unique - offering various presenters, prayer, question and answer time, and small group discussions. The program runs from September through May. It is organized into four, six-week sessions held every Monday from 7:30 to 9:30 PM. Topics and dates are announced in the bulletin. Contact Updating Catholics Coordinator: 447-4549

Bible Study Team Members journey along with the participants into a deeper understanding of God and their faith through this program. The degree of responsibility for team members varies depending on their assignment and comfort level and may include, hospitality, leading prayer, teaching, and facilitating small group discussions. Team members may not be required to participate in all sessions although attendance at a majority of meetings is appreciated to build community. Team members will usually attend one planning meeting for each of the six-week sessions.

small christian communities are gatherings of 6 to 12 parishioners who meet for prayer, on-going learning, faith sharing, Bible study, mutual support and outreach to the community. These small groups usually meet twice a month in a parishioner’s home with an experienced and trained facilitator. Using Quest books, At Home with the Word and other resource materials, group members discuss Scripture in terms of its relationship to their everyday lives. Each community determines its own schedule for meetings, resource materials and formats. Contact Small Christian Communities leader.

Updating or Rediscovering Your Catholic Faith are 13-week programs for people who have been away from the Church for awhile due to some form of alienation. Each 2-hour session is unique – there are guest speakers, question and answer time, discussion and prayer. The topics range from Changes since Vatican II, Reconciliation: How does it work? and much more. Updating Catholic sessions are offered as needed and dates and times will be announced in the bulletin. The Returning Catholics program runs from September through May.

Personal Updating is a one-on-one, pre-scheduled session for individuals to ask questions or get clarification about the Catholic faith or just to talk about their faith, their questions or doubts.