At Our Lady of the Lake, we love our children! The goal of Child & Family Faith Formation is to offer opportunities to grow the faith of our children (infant-6th grade) and their families. Our programs help encourage children to make Jesus the center of their lives. These programs include Life Kids, the Gratitude Project, Children's Liturgy of the Word, Nursery, and Vacation Bible School. We also provide family-friendly programming and events throughout the year.
Sunday Faith Programs:
Now Enrolling!
Life Kids
Bible Adventure
Life Kids is our in-person, faith formation program for children 3 1/2 years and potty-trained through 5th Grade. These classes meet each Sunday, 10:15-11:00am, from September to May. This year, we will be exploring the Bible through the God's Plan in Scripture program by Ascension Press. Registration is now open. Please read the Life Kids Guidelines document for more information.
The Gratitude Project
New this year! We are teaming with the Gratitude Project founder Sally Fallow to engage families with 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade students in living out their faith through acts of kindness, compassion and service to others. This class meets monthly to explore a Corporal Act of Mercy, meet a community member who lives out this charitable act, and then engages families in a related service project. Registration for this program is now open. For more information, read the Gratitude Project Guidelines document.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word
Children’s Liturgy of the Word is a year-round faith formation program offered during the 9am and 11:15am Masses. Before the First Reading, young children are invited to gather at the front of the church for a blessing and are then led to a classroom for their lesson. During this 20 minute program, they hear Scripture explained in ways that they can grasp. Their learning continues through songs, crafts, and games. After the Prayers of the Faithful, catechists guide them back to the Mass to rejoin their families.
If you would like to volunteer, please email Melissa Hanifan at melissah@ollparish.com.
Nursery
The Nursery is open to children ages 6 months to 3 years on Sundays from 8:45am to 12:15pm. Our loving Nursery staff lead toddlers in Christian songs, Bible stories, crafts, and prayer. Come visit us in the OLL School Building. No registration required.
Safe Environment Training for Volunteers
We love our volunteers! You make our programs possible; thank you for your service.
Click here to access the training portal.
New Volunteers: If you are not yet CASE trained, please sign up here for a class. All classes are 90 min long and must be completed in person.
More about CASE: When it comes to working with minors, the Archdiocese of Portland has training requirements in place for the protection of our children, including Creating a Safe Environment (CASE) training, and a background check. Once the initial training is complete, an online refresher course is required each year to maintain active status. For more information, you may email melissah@ollparish.com or visit the Archdiocese of Portland website.
Questions? Interested in Volunteering?
Contact our Coordinator of
Child & Family Faith Formation
Melissa Hanifan
melissah@ollparish.com
Additional Resources for Faith in the Home
We believe that faith begins in the home. Families are encouraged to eat, pray, and share their faith together. For parents interested in creating or improving their family-based faith practices, below are two additional resources aimed at nurturing faith in your family and establishing the tradition of reading the Bible with your children.
Family Resources
Understanding Sunday's Scripture Readings