Gather Us In • Gather Us In

Full Resource in a Single File

Bring families of all ages and backgrounds together through play, learning, and prayer! If you're looking to strengthen your parish community—to encourage families to work and play together while sharing and living out their faith—the tools in this resource will make it easy. This extensive toolkit offers a wealth of fun and thought-provoking suggestions for jump-starting the process, drawn from Kathleen O'Connell Chesto's decades of experience leading whole family catechesis. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Becoming Community • FIRE

Becoming Community is year one of a five-year intergenerational program. Sessions within the program can be used independently from the whole. This year's sessions focus on revelation: the ways in which God "speaks" to us, and the God who is revealed. Each session includes a Background page for facilitators and a Take Home sheet for participants. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Celebrating Community • FIRE

Celebrating Community is year two of a five-year intergenerational program. Sessions within the program can be used independently from the whole. The theme for this year is sacraments as our celebration of, and response to, God's revelation. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

The Responding Community • FIRE

The Responding Community is year three of a five-year intergenerational program. Sessions within the program can be used independently from the whole. This year's sessions stress the period from the patriarchs to the establishment of the kingdom. It is this period that lays the foundation for the faith of Israel. It is to this period that we owe many of our Judeo-Christian traditions and much of our Christian symbolism. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

The Believing Community • FIRE

The Believing Community is year four of a five-year intergenerational program. Sessions within the program can be used independently from the whole. This year's sessions focus on what we believe by examining the Creed. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

The Living Community • FIRE

The Living Community is year five of a five-year intergenerational program. Sessions within the program can be used independently from the whole. This year's sessions focus on the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes as guidelines for Christian living in the context of Christian community. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

An Introduction for Parents • FIRE

An overview of the FIRE program for parents.

For the Director • FIRE

An overview of the program for church leaders. This resource offers guidance on how to start a FIRE program in your church and includes the Pilot Group Sessions which are used to train your leadership team. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto

Playing, Learning, Praying • FIRE

Parish Tools for Gathering Families

This is a collection of large group activities to use in conjunction with the FIRE program. They also serve as stand-alone activities. It includes social activities, service activities, family day events, and prayer services. • By Kathleen O'Connell Chesto