Summer faith program

WAYNE  Five-year-old Riley Quinn smiles as she tussles her hair and looks into a little mirror attached to a white paper plate — a craft project that she put together and used markers to decorate with hearts and flowers. She holds the craft by a tongue depressor for a handle and sounds out the words “Who does Jesus love?” that she wrote above the mirror, made of reflective aluminum, before voicing her own emphatic reply: “Me!”

Riley’s grandparents, John and Marguerite Sullivan, laugh after helping their granddaughter make the craft, during a recent session of Learning Faith the Fun Way — a new, hands-on program at Our Lady of Consolation (OLC) Parish here that helps make Jesus more real to the three- to five-year-old children. For six Wednesdays this summer in the Parish Ministry Center, Michelle Pressler, 15, of OLC has been leading sessions with her mother, Darlene, overseeing — singing songs, reading books and making crafts with the children and their parents or caregivers. The teen helped design this unique program, which seeks to assist the children in growing in their faith at an earlier age and getting them ready for OLC’s religious program, when they turn five or six years old.

“This is a lot of fun. I like playing and singing and making crafts. I learn about Jesus and that he loves me,” Riley told The Beacon after the program’s second session.

That morning’s session opened with Pressler leading the kids — dressed up in red, white and blue for the day’s patriotic theme — in praying the Our Father, reciting it slowly from a white board in front of the classroom, which has been holding the program. Then, the five children that day — four girls and a boy — colored a sheet of paper with the words of the prayer. Moving quickly to keep the attention of the little ones, Pressler read a book, “Adam, Adam, What Do You See?” With each page turn, the kids had fun identifying the people in the book, like Noah, and various parts of God’s creation, such as trees, water and giraffes.

“Good job!” Pressler said, encouraging the children after each answer. She helped design and has been presenting the program as a project toward earning her Gold Award for Girl Scouts. She told the kids that everything that populates the earth is a part of the “things that God gave us.”

After, the parents and caregivers helped the children with their first project of the day: coloring two rocks with markers with such decorations as trees, animals, people and rainbows and writing the names of God or Jesus and of loved ones, such as parents, grandparents and uncles, on them. One girl drew an arrow up into the clouds to point out the exact location of God. Sometimes the parents or caregivers helped the kids; other times, the kids wanted to finish the craft on their own.

“All the activities are related to God. The program gives the kids a closer bond to each other and to their faith. The kids also start earlier learning about their faith, which is good,” said Pressler, who developed Learning Faith the Fun Way with Laura Haftek, OLC’s youth ministry director, who also has been serving as her Gold Award adviser.

Pressler led the children in singing the Gospel standard, “This Little Light of Mine.” They all smiled and clapped, singing “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,” as they read the lyrics either off a sheet of paper in front of them or from a video that Pressler showed on an iPad.

During that session, Pressler, with help from Debbie Dericks, OLC’s religious education coordinator, who visited, practiced making the Sign of the Cross. The children also played Show and Tell — talking about their favorite activities, such as sleeping over their grandparents’ house or swimming.

Before the session, Pressler told The Beacon that Learning Faith the Fun Way took months to develop. She and Haftek came up with the idea. Then, Pressler researched religiously-themed activities and crafts online. Each week, Pressler prepares some of the crafts beforehand. The program is free to parents and caregivers, she said.

“I love this program. They are getting to know their prayers and what to do at Mass,” Dericks said. “The kids are learning about their faith earlier and that helps me later, when they get into CCD,” she said.

To help facilitate the program, OLC supplied the classroom, supplies, space in the bulletin to announce it and time for Pressler to speak about it at Masses. The goal of this Gold Award project is to create a sustainable program that can continue for years to come, possibly led by a core group of interested people, Haftek said.

“This unique program bridges the gap of religious education from the baptism of the child to CCD,” Haftek said. “Also, the parents and caregivers can take active participation with their children. So it’s a win-win for them and their kids,” she said.

After the session, Marguerite Sullivan stopped to tell The Beacon that the program is “wonderful.”

“Michelle has produced materials that enhance learning about Jesus — how he fits into the children’s lives and making a connection with him in their lives — and learning to pray and make the Sign of the Cross. They love being creative with the crafts and music and are becoming good friends,” Marguerite Sullivan said.

Barbara Jones noted that her daughter Isabelle, 5, now loves making the Sign of the Cross at any time “almost out of nowhere, which is awesome.”

“It’s a small group, which helps the children pay attention and learn better. Michelle is doing a great job with them,” Jones said.

Standing next to her mother, Isabelle told The Beacon, “I love the arts and crafts and singing about God. I love going every week.”