Volunteer Positions - Faith Formation

At-home Safe Environment Training
Grades 6-8
Grades 9-12
​When training is complete, please complete the Parent Information & Acknowledgement Form and send or deliver it to Victoria Goetz ([email protected]).
Adult Catechists & Co-Catechists: 
A catechist is the teacher in our classrooms. We have two in each classroom so you can learn from each other, be absent at times without needing a substitute, rotate teaching, and co-teach. Catechists commit to being in the classroom every Sunday we have Faith Formation classes, which is approximately 25 Sundays per year. Our schedule is posted on our Elementary Faith Formation website. Of course, we have illnesses and other events that cannot be rescheduled, so having two Catechists in each classroom allows for flexibility. 

Floating/Office Help: 
We have helpers who come every Sunday to our Faith Formation. These helpers will sit in classrooms that need an extra adult, monitor the hallways or work on projects in the office. Next year, we will need an extra hall monitor due to our expanding classes. If there are no classrooms needing adults, we can use your help in the office working on projects like separating Magnifikids, wrapping gifts, folding booklets, making Mass journals, etc. We would love to have a commitment that you will be there for the majority of classes. 

Helping at Home: 
We have many projects like taping together Mass Journals or Stations of the Cross booklets, etc. We can send those home with you or you can work on these in our office at the PMC.  This type of volunteering allows for flexibility with your schedule. We will reach out and ask if we have a project and if it fits into your week you can accept. If you are unable to help that week, we can ask another volunteer on our list. We appreciate your help so much if you are able to do this. 

Youth Classroom Assistant: We like to have 1-2 middle school or high schoolers in each classroom to assist the Catechists on Sundays. These assistants will accompany the students if they need to go to the restroom or water fountain by waiting outside and walking them back and forth. These hours count as volunteer hours for your school or on your college applications or resumes. We ask that these assistants commit to attending most of the Sundays on our schedule so the Catechists know they can count on help in their classrooms. The catechists have offered to allow assistants to co-teach some lessons if they are interested in learning more about teaching.
 
Requirements: 
  • Must be a practicing Catholic and have a desire to share God's love with the children. Must be compliant with the Diocese of
  • Colorado Springs Protecting God's Children program. VIRTUS Safe Training is provided.
  • Must be a member of the parish.
  • You don't have to have a background in theology.
  • You do not need teaching experience to be a catechist. 

FAQs 

​Q: When are classes? 
A: Sunday mornings 9:15am to 10:15am in the PMC throughout the school year. You can find our current schedule on the Elementary Faith Formation webpage.
 
Q: Do I have to know everything about the Catholic Faith? 
A: None of us know everything! We just need to know where to look to answer questions if needed...in the Bible & the Catechism. And feel free to say, "I'm not sure about that, but I'll look it up and get back to you next week" and we can look it up together! You are also blessed to have another Catechist with you so you can work together if you get a tricky question.
 
Q: Do I have to be available every weekend?
A:  We follow the public school calendar and only have about 25 weeks that we have classes. If you are a parent, you should be off when the kids are out of school and for major holidays. The current schedule is on our Elementary Faith Formation webpage.
 
Q: When will we have classes? Where's the schedule? 
A: You can find the schedule on the Elementary Faith Formation webpage.
 
Q: What if I'm sick, my kids are sick or want to take a vacation?
A:  Not a problem! We have put two catechists (and usually 1-2 middle or high school helpers) in each classroom so that you don't need to worry or find a substitute when you are sick or have to stay home with a sick kiddo. Plan ahead for trips with your co-catechist and text us if there is an emergency where you need to be out. We can find volunteers to cover when needed! 
 
Q: What will my kids do while I'm teaching?
A:  You can enroll your kids K-8 in our Faith Formation classes (even St. Peter Catholic School students can enroll or they can use our childcare that we offer for parent coffees).
 
Q: How much time does this require in prep each week?
A:  This will depend on you and your co-catechist as well as the grade level and material that week. We have a new curriculum called Word of Life and it's a good idea to spend 30-60 min reviewing your lesson and preparing before. 
 
Q: Do I need to have a theology degree or special certification? 
A: No! We have an amazing program through Symbolon you can take if you want to get a free certification (paid for by our Diocese). It's 8 hours long and it's just a series of videos (I watched on my phone), and they are full of great information. I learned so much and am so glad I took some spare time here and there to listen and watch...mostly on the go. Also, the Word of Life Curriculum is complete so you don’t need to search for resources to teach. It’s all in there for you.
 
Any questions? 
Contact Victoria Goetz at [email protected]
Feel free connect with other catechists. 
If you need catechist contact info to reach out to for questions, let Victoria know.