Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ is a Religious Education program sponsored by the Catholic Bishops of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories and developed in collaboration with Catholic educators from across Canada.
The program is based on the Catholic Elementary Curriculum Policy Document for Religious Education, Grades 1-8, which has been approved by the aforementioned Catholic Bishops and Regional Assemblies of Bishops. It reflects the content of faith expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and follows the rationale and methodology of the General Directory for Catechesis.
Partnership between Home, School, and Parish
The home, school, and parish are partners in growing the faith of students. Through Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ, the school can assist families in supporting the faith development of their children and help them to nurture an understanding that God is present in the family and the lives of their children. Parents are the most important educators of children, as stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
...“The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute.” The right and the duty of parents to educate their children are primordial and inalienable.
—CCC 2221
Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues...
—CCC 2223
Catholic schools can be a vital link to parents in bringing the faith to their children. They can also be the connection between the home and the parish. Schools should be advocates for the parish and support its efforts to bring the Gospel of Christ to the families it serves. The parish, in turn, can support the efforts of the school in its mission of evangelization by participating in faith instruction wherever possible. Individual members of the parish, both clergy and lay members, can provide valuable lessons in faith and outreach and serve as role models for students.
