G.I.F.T. - Growing In Faith Together
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"Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me" - Matthew 25:45 G.I.F.T. 2011-2012
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Faith is our relationship with God. Since the time of Jesus, Christians have discovered the value of coming together in communities of faith (Church) in order to learn about, live and mature in their faith. At Sacred Heart Parish we believe that this process is life-long and that it takes place within the family and within the parish community.
Our parish community serves as a resource for the growth in faith of parish members of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances of life. The faith formation process is not directed primarily to children nor is it a purely academic process. It involves the individuals immersion in the life, prayer and ministry of the community. In fact, the process we use here at Sacred Heart is a form of Whole Community Catechesis that we call Growing in Faith Together or G.I.F.T. While our participation in our parish liturgy, ministry and community life all play an important part in forming us in our faith, we offer a program formally structured around specific events of our faith and liturgy.
- During our first year, we focused on 5 church events: All Saints/All Souls, Christmas/Holy Family, Lent, Triduum, and Pentecost.
- Our second year Following Jesus we focused on discipleship and what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
- In year three the study was Celebrate the Sacraments and learned how these gifts of Gods Grace relate to our lives and our Catholic identity.
- In year four we learned about "Professing Our Faith" an in depth look at The Creed and what we believe as Catholic Christians.
- In year five we focused on Morality and moral decision making as Christians: Love of God and Neighbor, Respect for All Life, Being Good Stewards, Living Faithfully, Being Truthful, and Mercy and Forgiveness.
- In year six, our focus was on responding in prayer as an active means of developing and deepening our relationship with God.
- This year, our learning sessions will be devoted to "Acting For Justice" as we strive to live out our relationship to God and all of his creation in real and meaningful ways.
G.I.F.T. participants are people of all ages who gather at our church for one of the five offered days and times for each of the six sessions, to learn and prepare for the upcoming celebration of these events. Each G.I.F.T. session:
- lasts two and a half hours
- includes a meal, an opening all-ages experience, an in-depth learning experience in age specific breakouts, and an all-ages intergenerational closing session.
- provides a home packet with resources, activities, prayers, rituals, and service ideas for each household.
- connects to an upcoming liturgy, church event or Sacrament
G.I.F.T. Registration and Resources
Registration InformationVirtual Home Packets
Faith Formation Office Hours
9:00 AM 4:30 PM Monday through Thursday, or by appointment.Contact Ami Conlan at 203-264-5065 for further information.