None of this happens without our Formation Leaders – the volunteers who prepare rooms, tell the stories, and accompany our children and teens week to week. No experience is required, only a willingness to wonder and learn alongside them.
Class Structure
A Few Terms You'll Hear
We use Atrium rather than “classroom” - it's a sacred space for religious experience, not a lecture hall. Think Proclamation/Presentation, not “lesson”: trust is placed in Christ, who is recognized as the only teacher in the room. We all are still learning. A Catechist is a staff member or trained volunteer who leads Atrium presentations; an Atrium Assistant supports the Catechist and children in the room; and Formation Leader is the term we use for volunteers leading Middle and High School sessions.
Volunteer/Formation Leader Orientation
September 20, 2026, 10:15 am
Recommended Reading for New Leaders
Below is a short library on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd approach - including pieces from America Magazine on Montessori-based religious education and the CGS movement, and Sofia Cavalletti's foundational text The Religious Potential of the Child. New leaders are welcome to browse before their first session.
• Introduction to CGS for potential formation leaders- CLICK HERE
• The Faith of a Child: An increasingly popular approach to teaching young people the faith – CLICK HERE
• Religious education is broken. It’s time to fix our Sunday school culture – CLICK HERE
• Montessori schools are exceptionally successful. So why aren’t there more of them? – CLICK HERE
• The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey – CLICK HERE
• The Religious Potential of the Child (chapters 8-10) by Sofia Cavalletti – CLICK HERE
• National Organization of CGS information – CLICK HERE
To volunteer, contact Lisa Brown, Associate for Children, Youth & Family, at lbrown@christchurchgp.org.
Class Structure
- Atrium I: Pre-K – Grade 1
- Atrium II: Grades 2 – 4
- Middle School: Grades 5 – 8
- High School: Grades 9 – 12
A Few Terms You'll Hear
We use Atrium rather than “classroom” - it's a sacred space for religious experience, not a lecture hall. Think Proclamation/Presentation, not “lesson”: trust is placed in Christ, who is recognized as the only teacher in the room. We all are still learning. A Catechist is a staff member or trained volunteer who leads Atrium presentations; an Atrium Assistant supports the Catechist and children in the room; and Formation Leader is the term we use for volunteers leading Middle and High School sessions.
Volunteer/Formation Leader Orientation
September 20, 2026, 10:15 am
Recommended Reading for New Leaders
Below is a short library on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd approach - including pieces from America Magazine on Montessori-based religious education and the CGS movement, and Sofia Cavalletti's foundational text The Religious Potential of the Child. New leaders are welcome to browse before their first session.
• Introduction to CGS for potential formation leaders- CLICK HERE
• The Faith of a Child: An increasingly popular approach to teaching young people the faith – CLICK HERE
• Religious education is broken. It’s time to fix our Sunday school culture – CLICK HERE
• Montessori schools are exceptionally successful. So why aren’t there more of them? – CLICK HERE
• The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey – CLICK HERE
• The Religious Potential of the Child (chapters 8-10) by Sofia Cavalletti – CLICK HERE
• National Organization of CGS information – CLICK HERE
To volunteer, contact Lisa Brown, Associate for Children, Youth & Family, at lbrown@christchurchgp.org.
All volunteers who work with children must complete safe church training.
- Fill in your contact information including First Name, Last Name, Email Address, and desired Password.
- Enter the registration code forChrist Church Grosse Pointe (reg-episdiomi-313-ccgrossepointe)
- Click Validate to confirm registration code.
- Click the checkbox to agree to the Terms & Conditions.
- Click Redeem.
- Write down your user login and password for future reference.
- Answer the Registration Questions about your status and role within the organization.
- Click Save & Continue.
- To begin taking training immediately, scroll down and click a course to start the content.
