Life Kids is our Children’s Faith Formation Ministry for children ages Pre-K (age 4) through 5th grade. Our goal is to bring kids closer to Christ and pass on our faith in relational, small faith communities within each age group. Join us anytime throughout the school year.
Life Kids for the 2018-2019 School Year
Life Kids sessions will begin September 30, 2018 and end on May 5, 2018. Sessions are Sundays from 9:30 – 10:45 am, in between the Masses. Life Kids also includes preparation for Reconciliation and First Communion (in the 2nd grade). First Reconciliation take place in December and First Communion takes place in May. If your child is older than 2nd grade but wanting to receive First Communion, please contact the Children’s Faith Formation Coordinator and we will make arrangements for you.
Contact Ann Barba, Children’s Faith Formation Coordinator at (503) 638-1579 ext. 123, email abarba@rcparish.org.
About Catechists & Core Teams: Join Our Team!
What makes Life Kids meaningful for kids is when adult leaders are committed to developing personal connections with the children in their classes. Children build a relationship of trust with these adults that facilitates a rich environment for learning and for faith discussion. This creates a sense of community within each class, which is so valuable to all of our faith journeys. This “mini community” is unique from all other groups such as sports teams, schoolmates, etc., because these kids will grow in their faith together and establish a sense of stability in a parish they can always call their home. Our goal for Life Kids is to build core teams of 3-4 adults for each class. This would result in:
- Less pressure on each core team member to show up at every session–This is the most common comment I get from parents who are more than willing to help but can’t do it every week.
- Children being able to build relationships of trust with the adults and other members of their class
- More parent involvement in sharing the faith with their kids
- Adults learning each child’s name and face and personally acknowledging them.
- Team members growing in relationship as a team and as a small faith group
- Ability to share ideas and share responsibilities
- Less pressure on the coordinator to make sure classes are “covered” each session
This model of leadership has been used successfully for many years with our high school ministry and is also being implemented with our middle school ministry. I’m excited to have it be a part of our children’s ministry as well. If you feel that you feel called to be part of our Life Kids Core Team, please contact the Children’s Faith Formation Coordinator.
Volunteer Information
Life Kids takes a lot of people and effort to run smoothly. We very much encourage and appreciate the generous gift of your time and talent for our children. Please read thoroughly the Volunteer Requirements. Thank you in advance for investing in our children’s faith journey and sharing your time and gifts. If you have any questions about different volunteer roles, please contact the Children’s Faith Formation Coordinator.
Volunteer Requirements
1. Called to Protect In-Person Training
Called to Protect is the safe environment/child safety course required by the Archdiocese of Portland for all employees and certain volunteers of parishes. As a volunteer at Resurrection, if you work with children four times per year or more, you are required to complete the Called to Protect in-person course, which takes about 2 1/2 hours and is offered at the Portland Pastoral Center, as well as several parishes and schools throughout the year. The Called to Protect course must only be completed once; it does not have to be renewed. The archdiocese also highly encourages (but does not require) anyone who works with minors even one time to take the course. The course is offered free of charge, but you must pre-register for it. The archdiocese recommends that all individuals starting in the fall complete this in-person course before Dec. 1st.
Called to Protect Training here at Resurrection:
- Saturday, April 14, 2018 at 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM in the Moisant Center. Refreshments provided by the church. Please email your RSVP to abarba@rcparish.org.
Additional Archdiocese-sponsored Trainings:
These are located in the Archdiocese of Portland Pastoral Center- 2838 E. Burnside St. Portland, OR 97214. Please RSVP to Margie Workinger at acp@archdpdx.org and copy Ann Barba in the cc line at abarba@rcparish.org.
- Wednesday, April 11, 2018 – 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
- Tuesday, May 15, 2018 – 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- Tuesday, June 12, 2018 – 1:30PM – 4:00PM
2. Criminal Background Check
Archdiocese policy states: “Service in any activity involving direct personal contact with minors requires a background check.” To run a background check, we need two things: your full legal name, and your valid email address. Once we order the background check, the company who we partner with will email you a link. You will need to click on that link and complete the online form, including your social security number. Please rest assured that your sensitive information is secure in this online platform. Your background check must be renewed every 3 years.
- Instructions for completing your volunteer background check
- Relevant information: Link to the Archdiocese of Portland Office of Child Protection & Victim Assistance
3. Annual Online Safety Trainings
To keep everyone informed and up-to-date, the Archdiocese of Portland requires all volunteers and employees to complete an online video training module every year; each year focuses on a different topic. They typically announce the training they will be focusing on each fall. For 2017-2018, we completed “Safe Haven” video training.
Adult Volunteer Opportunities for Life Kids
We would love some extra help in and out of the classroom. Please contact the Children’s Faith Formation Coordinator to see if there are any current needs.