OCIC Content - Everything you need to support your child.

Each BLAZE Night includes activities for your child with a formator (teacher of the Faith) in class AND activities for your family to do together at home which we call BLAZE AT HOME until your next BLAZE Night.  
 
BLAZE and FIRE Nights are Family Faith Formation. That means that we give you everything you need in order to teach the Catholic Faith to your children with confidence and joy. Your child will have some assignments that help him or her make the most of each BLAZE session. Here's what we ask of you:

1. SHOW UP AND BE PRESENT.
   Every great kid needs and deserves a great support network. Faith starts with a lot of love and a great role model (even if we're not always the parents we want to be, we can grow with God's help!) Come to all the FIRE and BLAZE nights with your child, and read your materials each month. (Hey, we know you're busy, so we make them interesting and easy to use!)
   
   
2. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
   The hardest thing to teach a child is that it's absolutely okay to NOT know everything: that's what learning's all about! If you have a question about the topic, it's okay to shoot us a question when you need to! And encourage your child to participate in the learning with you.
   
   
3. WRITE YOUR CHILD A NOTE EACH FIRE and BLAZE NIGHT:
   We give you a space in your child's book to add your own personal reflections on how he or she is growing and how they matter to you. Love notes help your child see that you're proud of the growth they're showing and that faith is important to you.
   
   
4. PRAY TOGETHER AS A FAMILY.
   If you haven't started a prayer habit as a family, this is the best time to start. A quick blessing ("Lord, please bless us as a family as we start this busy day, and help us to see you in everyone we meet! Amen!") before the beginning of the day, before meals, "Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen!") and at bedtime can help you feel connected to God and one another. Start a rosary together! It can be just a decade at first. BUT DON'T GIVE UP! Prayer helps us become the people we want to be by rooting us in Christ.
   
   
5. EACH NIGHT'S FORMATION SUPPORT IS BELOW!

• YOUR SLE OCIC Book
  We've tooled everything in your Family OCIC Book to help your child grow in the Faith and prepare for the Sacraments. Make sure to work on the assignment for BLAZE AT HOME every month. It helps your family hold on to the ideas that your child receives at BLAZE nights and learn something even deeper.
  
  
• A Catholic Bible
  The Bible has 73 books and is the fullness of sacred Scripture. If you would like to follow along with the Mass readings, you can find an online version at the website for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. 
  If you would like a study Bible which will help you to learn Sacred Scripture even more deeply, you can find an online version of the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition.
  +  If you would like to purchase a copy of the New American Bible (NAB and NABRE), you can find some here.
  + If you would like to purchase a copy of the Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition, you can find some here.
  
  
• A Catechism of the Catholic Church
  Consider this the handy manual for all things Catholic! There are great things to learn along with a powerful index to cover all the best ways to handle life questions. There's an online version here.
  + But if you would like to purchase your own paperback adult version, you can find one here.
  + There is also a teenager's version here.
  
  
• A rosary or two or three (one for each member of your family
  + Why pray the Rosary as a family?
  
  + Don't give up ~ Here are some great ideas for praying the Rosary together  
  even when it's a little chaotic! Ken and Janelle Yasinski
  
  + Here's HOW to pray the Rosary. Bishop Robert Barron
  +  Here are the prayers.
  
  
• A FORMED.org account
  Here's how to login FOR FREE! (YAY!) Thanks to a generous donation from our Saint Luke Men's Club.

• BLAZE AT HOME 
  (1-2 assignments per month for you and your child that take about 45 minutes total [or less] to complete) AND background information for you to know exactly what you need to so that you can answer your child's questions with joy and confidence, and to build up your own Faith.
  
  These are activities that allow your child to learn a complex idea in a current BLAZE session or to prepare for a coming BLAZE session. It's important to do them with your child so that you both see the progress you're making.  If a BLAZE AT HOME Assignment needs answers, you can check here below in the JUST FOR PARENTS section for each date. We also provide links for videos that help your child learn more about the topics we cover.
  
  

• JUST FOR PARENTS:
  (Interesting and informative videos that take about 30 minutes [total] and other resources to help your child)
  
  We've added this section to help you share your faith with greater confidence with your child and ponder faith questions of your own. We also include any answers for a BLAZE AT HOME activity if they are needed.