Helping Parents and Children Grow in Faith and Holiness
Saint Ambrose is excited for the pivot from a traditional faith formation program to a family formation approach, where families are nurtured together in faith. We want to support parents in their role as the primary educators of faith for their children. This change will help foster a deeper connection within families and be a great opportunity to walk with other families on this same mission to help our children get to heaven. Our approach will not only prepare children for the sacraments but will also strengthen the entire parish community by reinforcing the importance of momentum in our faith throughout our life.
Families Nurtured Together in Faith
A message from Father Peter on the updates to Faith Formation and the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Family Formation – Foundations
Encounter with Jesus and Each Other: Through retreats we are able to get away and enter in on a new level. When we get away on retreat we give the freedom to Jesus to encounter us and we have the space to encounter Him and hear His voice. We will offer retreat experiences for the whole family.
Individual Family Mentoring: In order to personally guide any individual or family we need to meet. We want to hear your struggles and successes and give you personal guidance to continue to journey.
Culture/Community Creating Experiences: Culture is created within the family unit. We want to help families change and enhance their families culture through daily and weekly habits. We also want to help families encounter other families doing the same thing to help build each other up.
Back to the Basics: We want to get back to the basics of our faith. The truths that connect our head knowledge and our hearts.
Family Formation Foundations is a set of lessons designed as an entry point to family catechesis, which focuses on introducing families to a living encounter with Christ. We invite you to explore the Family Formation website for more information.
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Program Offerings and Schedule
Structure FAQs
While each session may have its own unique elements, the general format will be as follows:
Opening Prayer: We’ll start together in the Church with an opening prayer.
Groups: All children will meet in designated groups (depending on the number of volunteers, children may be divided into smaller subgroups):
- Younger Children Session
- Middle/High School Children Session
- Adult Session: Adults/Parents will remain in the church to hear a talk or testimony.
Prayer Activation: Finally, children will reunite with their parents for prayer activation, where we aim to teach parents how to pray with and for their children.
Each month, families will have either a packet or sheet to pick up with details on the topic for that month. This will be what helps guide and equip parents to talk about our faith with their children and will include reflection questions to help facilitate discussions, activities for younger children, and weekly (fun) family challenges.
Our Family Formation program is geared toward forming all families, whether in Catholic school or not, since formation is lifelong. Attending Catholic School complements but is not a replacement for God’s desire for spiritual formation. Family Formation is required for all children desiring to receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation.
We are thrilled to offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for our preschool families. This is a beautiful program which uses the Montessori method to engage young children in their faith, nurture their relationship with God, and give them hands-on work to connect them to our liturgical life. Learn more about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at our parish and sign up here!
Families are welcome to keep their children younger than preschool in the pew during adult formation sessions. This decision is at the parents’ discretion; some may find it manageable, while others may choose to arrange for a sitter once a month. We hope to offer a nursery for families in the future, but due to space constraints and volunteer availability, this is what we’re able to offer this year.
Family Momentum Retreats
Momentum Retreats are designed to bring families closer to one another and to the Lord. These special weekends are filled with opportunities for prayer, worship, and connection, helping each family member grow in their relationship with Christ. Through meaningful shared experiences, you’ll return home with renewed faith and stronger family unity that continues well beyond the retreat.
Retreat FAQs
While your children are in their formation years, we require a minimum of at least 1 family retreat. Generally speaking, this will be up to each family’s discretion with some boundaries. This means that if you have 1 child, the family retreat should be done sometime before he/she receives their Sacrament of Confirmation. If you have a large family with a 10+ year span, this means your family should plan on at least 2 retreats.
All retreats will take place at Trinity Woods Retreat Center in Trego, Wisconsin, set on 700 acres of beautiful woods, lakes, and rivers. A highlight of Trinity Woods is that families can stay together in resort-style rooms!
Our Family Retreats will be called Momentum Retreats and will be designed to help families support one another in their journey toward the Lord. These retreats will focus on building spiritual momentum, encouraging each family member to grow closer in their relationship with the Lord. Through shared experiences, prayers, and activities, families will strengthen their bonds and deepen their faith, creating a positive impact that carries on long after the retreat. Registration for all Momentum Retreats are now available by clicking here.
If your only or youngest child is in 8th or 9th grade, they are invited to take part in our final retreat designed specifically for these grades. Your family could however do a Family Momentum Retreat if you want. Beginning next year, all Confirmation students will join the Family Momentum Retreats as the standard option.
Registration
We’re excited to welcome your family to grow in faith together! Registration is now open for all of our Family Formation programs for children, youth, and adults.
Complete the online registration forms using the buttons below.
We are always excited to welcome new volunteers to assist in supporting our programs. If you are interested in volunteering, simply click the button below to complete our volunteer form.
Evangelization Team
If you have questions or would like to schedule a meeting with a member of our Evangelization Team, please reach out to the following individuals:
Family Formation
Gretchen Englebretson, Family Formation Coordinator
[email protected]
651-768-3017
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd & First Sacraments
Kathleen Dierberger, Catechetical and Sacramental Coordinator for Children
[email protected]
651-768-3065
Middle School & High School
Bri Barbeln, Youth Ministry & Middle School Formation
[email protected]
651-768-3021
Maria Grismer, Youth Ministry
[email protected]
651-768-3018
Confirmation & Small Groups
Justin Kortuem, Director of Evangelization and Discipleship
[email protected]
651-768-3020