GS and Child Podcast | Season 1

Episode 41 – The Elementary Aged Child: Ch. 3 of Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues with Anna Hurdle

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” John 15:11

“It is possible to see a clear analogy between the mission of the Shepherd in the Church and that of the prudent and generous educator in the Montessori method, who with tenderness, with love and with a wise evaluation of gifts, knows how to discover and bring to light the most hidden virtues and capacities of the child.” Pope John XXIII

Anna Hurdle join us today to dive into the mystery of the second plane child, the 6-12 year old.  We break open who this child is, what face of God they need, and how we can respond to their developing capacities.  This episode goes with Chapter 3 of Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues by Rebekah Rojcewicz.

Anna is a practicing Montessori teacher (AMS 6-12) in a public Montessori school. She is Director of Children’s Formation coordinating Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in her parish, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, where she also serves as a catechist. Anna serves as a formation leader at three levels offering courses in the U.S. and Canada. She frequently serves on national CGSUSA formation teams. In addition, Anna is a member of the CGSUSA Episcopal Committee and the Formation Committee.

Purchase Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues from the CGSUSA online store today.

For information on the Life in the Vine Book Study, please take some time to read more today.  The Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues Level II Book Study is a wonderful opportunity for catechists to gather in person or via Zoom, at the parish level, by region, or as a way to reconnect with fellow catechists from your time in a CGSUSA formation course.

We are grateful to Joann Terranova, Maria Muscado, Connie Moretti, and the catechists in the Sheepfold Regional Group in the state of WA for developing this process and sharing it with CGSUSA, and also to board member, Sussan Stuhhlsaaatz-Reese, who piloted a Zoom Book Study group this spring using this study.  What you will find in this book study is an opportunity to read and share, to reflect on what resonated with you, and to ask questions and discuss the rich themes found in this text, alongside the child’s expression of those themes. For each chapter, samples of the child’s artwork will be shared, so that you may go deeper still to reflect upon the Mystery of the God and the Mystery of the Child.

Listen to Episode 33- Chapter 7 – Moral Formation with Rebekah.

 

[content_modules]

Follow Us

Formation for Adults

Adults are given the opportunity to embrace a method of religious education that will deepen one’s relationship with God.

Recent Updates from CGSUSA

Welcome to CGSUSA

We believe God and the child have a unique relationship with one another. Children need their own place to foster the growth of that relationship. The growth of this relationship is assisted by the adult, but is directed by the Spirit of God within the child.

The CGS Approach

Find an Atrium

CGSUSA
CGS in the Home
CGS in the Parish
CGS in the School

Discover CGS

What is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd? The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was born from the joy of the children’s encounter with God. It has been observed that children of the same developmental stage, even those from widely varying cultural backgrounds, respond to elements of the Christian message in the same way.

CGS in the World
CGS and Ecumenism

Roman Catholic Tradition

Episcopal Tradition

Orthodox Tradition

History
32 Points of Reflection
CBP en Espanol
Children with Disabilities
Justice and Solidarity

Learn with CGS

In Catechesis of the Good Shepherd adults are given the opportunity to embrace a method of catechesis (or religious education) that will deepen one’s relationship with God. Catechist formation in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is both instructive as well as experiential. It captivates both the head as well as the heart.

Courses for Adults
Host a Course
Register a Course
Scholarships & Grants

Becoming a Formation Leader

Good Shepherd and the Child Podcast

The Journal
Document Library
Resources

Connect to CGSUSA

We read in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs, two by two; the journey was not meant to be a solitary one. It is essential for us as catechists to support one another as we prepare materials, work in the atrium, and observe the child. We come together in unity, as members of CGSUSA, to share the joy of this work.

Become a Member
Member Benefits
Individual Membership
Organization Membership
Regions & Regional Groups
CGSUSA Leadership: Staff & Board

40th Anniversary Celebration Event

CGSUSA Vendor Members - Digital Source List

Support CGSUSA

Through their joy, their wonder and awe, their capacity for love and prayer, and their radical simplicity, children offer us adults a glimpse of what it means to fall in love with God. This has been the work of CGSUSA for over 30 years: to advocate for the child’s joy.

CGSUSA
Leadership: Staff and Board of Trustees
Advocacy

Giving to CGSUSA

Donor Stories

Annual Appeal

Ways to Give

TLM Memorial Fund
Tribute Gifts
Sustainable Giving