That was a fast school year! All of a sudden it’s graduation ceremonies, parties and school transitions. It is a lot on your family’s plate. Once all of it is over with, you have eight weeks of warm weather in front of you. How are you to occupy your younger ones until the first day of school, or until you have your summer vacation? It’s easy – Summer Religious Education.

During the school year you have soccer, ballet, gymnastics, tennis and so much more! All the practices and recitals and games to attend; you just need a break from one activity or sport. Many parishes have that answer and it is Summer Religious Education. It’s a great solution when there aren’t enough hours in our day, or days in a week!

So the question is how does it work? Well very simple – you sign your child or children up for an accelerated Religious Education program, and they will complete the course in a matter of weeks rather than months. Some parishes may require one evening a month during the school year, but that’s it!

During the accelerated program grade school aged children and young adults gather with their peers to learn and grow within the church. Church of the Nativity in Fair Haven, New Jersey has their students gather for two weeks during the summer. They meet each morning at 8am for daily mass, and then it is onto classroom instruction. Students are even given a recess and snack break to help breakup the morning. Their day ends at noon, and have the rest of the day free.

Many times these classes are designed for kindergarten and first grade, then third through seventh. Those students in sacrament years (First Communion and Confirmation) often have a larger curriculum to learn from and are not able to teach it in such a short amount of time.

Each year programs like this fill up quickly, and students, parents and teachers really enjoy it. Many agree the online registration created by Parish Giving makes a big difference with the program. It is more efficient and accurate as the RE Coordinator at Nativity, Sue, puts it. The registration makes a big difference for everyone.

If your parish is interested in Summer Religious Education courses like this, feel free to reach out to us at Parish Giving. We can provide the online registration, and help to keep both parents and teachers organized throughout the summer program. Give us a call today, or send an email for additional information. We are here to assist you and your parish!