Children, Youth, Young Adult & Adult Resources

GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPING FAITH FORMATION PROGRAMS

The Office of Evangelization and Catechesis and the Office of Youth, Young and Adult and Campus Ministry have been working together to develop guidelines for parishes as you begin to plan faith formation programs for the upcoming school year. It is our hope that these guidelines will help you to form a clearer vision of what your program might look like in the coming months. 

Please take a moment to read the memo outlining these guidelines. 

Faith Formation Guidelines

PRE-K & KINDER

ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL

HIGH SCHOOL

YOUNG ADULT, ADULT & CATECHIST FORMATION

FAMILY FAITH RESOURCES

VIRTUAL GATHERINGS

OTHER HELPFUL INFO

Diocese of Austin Guidelines and DRE Manual 
Office of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry
Spanish Resources
Pastoral Juvenil
 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARISH DIRECTORS

Guidance for Developing Faith Formation Programs for the 2020-2021 School Year
Temporary Protocols for First Communion (Covid-19)
USCCB Guidelines to Ministering to Minors Online

 
EIM / SAFE ENVIRONMENT ONLINE

There is not really an “approved” messaging app, but keep in mind that you want to have as much transparency as possible, and have parents connected to any communications.

As far as conferencing, Zoom or a similar platform are along the same lines. As far as safe-environment, you will want two EIM-compliant adults on any conferencing that you do. You do not need to worry about additional ratios, as this is not an in-person chaperoning situation. If you do a chat or anything like that, you may want to have additional adults moderate that. You will also want to record the presentation.

If there will be shared cameras with the teens, you may want to ask them to sit in a neutral location in their house, as well as seek parent permission for filming, if you don’t already have it on file. I would then make the recording available to your pastor and parents, if they would like to see it.