Come and see
RE programme (National Programme).
Come and See is an invitation to exploration and a promise of life for everyone. The invitation is open to all.
In response to the question; ‘where do you live?’ Which was asked by the disciples, Jesus invited them to; ‘Come and See.’ (John 1:39) The disciples went with Jesus ‘and spent the rest of that day with him.’
OUR TOPICS FOR THIS YEAR
Autumn
Domestic Church - Family September - October
Baptism/Confirmation - Belonging October - November
Advent/Christmas - Loving November - December
Spring
Local Church - Community January
Eucharist - Relating January - February
Lent/Easter - Giving March
Summer
Pentecost - Serving April - May
Reconciliation - Inter-relating May - June
Universal Church - World June - July
Suggestions for home activities
Explore the Diocesan website, looking at the number of churches, and finding out about our bishop. www.dioceseofbrentwood.net
Read Bible stories together or encourage older children to read a child’s Bible.
Autumn Term
Theme: Domestic church – family
Topics
Early Years Myself – God loves and knows each one.
Year 1 Families – God’s love and care for every family.
Year 2 Beginnings – God at every beginning.
Year 3 Homes – God’s dream for every family.
Year 4 People – The family of God in scripture.
Year 5 Ourselves – Created in the image & likeness of God
Year 6 Loving – God who never stops loving.
Suggestions for home activities
Make a collage using family photographs of all the significant family members—grandparents, parents, children, aunts, uncles etc. who show God’s love. Write underneath it “We show God’s Love to one another.” Include those who have died
Theme: Belonging – Baptism and Confirmation
Topics
Early Years Welcome – Baptism: a welcome to God’s family
Year 1 Belonging – Baptism: an invitation to belong to God’s family
Year 2 Signs and symbols – Signs and symbols in Baptism
Year 3 Promises – Promises made at Baptism
Year 4 Called – Confirmation: a call to witness
Year 5 Life Choices – Marriage: commitment and service
Year 6 Vocation and commitment – The vocation of priesthood and religious life
Suggestions for home activities
Talk to someone who has been to a Baptism and/or Confirmation about their memories of this celebration.
Theme: Loving – Advent/Christmas
Advent is a time when we appreciate the love in our lives and prepare to celebrate love becoming a reality in the person of Jesus. At Christmas we celebrate the gift of Jesus, given by God as a sign and expression of God’s love.
Topics
Early Years birthday - Looking forward to Jesus’ birthday
Year 1 Waiting - Advent: a time to look forward to Christmas
Year 2 Preparations - Advent: preparing to celebrate Christmas
Year 3 Visitors - waiting for the coming of Jesus
Year 4 Gift - God’s gift of love and friendship in Jesus
Year 5 Hope - Advent: waiting in the joyful hope for Jesus, the promised one
Year 6 Expectations - Jesus born to show God to the world
Suggestions for home activities
Discuss with the children how your family welcomes visitors to your home.
Find out about some Christian symbols for advent e.g. advent wreath, calendar, Jesse tree.
Use the CAFOD or Missio websites to get a religious Advent calendar.
Spring
Theme: Local Church - Community
The experience of community is an essential and enjoyable part of life for people of every age and faith. The cycle of a year and the span of a lifetime contain occasions for regular celebrations as well as unexpected surprises, when people want to celebrate with family, friends and communities.
Topics
Early Years Celebrating - People celebrate in Church
Year 1 Special People - People in the parish family
Year 2 Books - The books used in Church
Year 3 Journeys - Christian family's journey with Jesus
Year 4 Community - Life in the local Christian community: ministries in the parish
Year 5 Mission - Continuing Jesus' mission in diocese (ecumenism)
Year 6 Sources - The Bible, the special book for the Church
Suggestions for home activities
As a family think about which celebrations of community life have you most enjoyed?
How did you celebrate? Who took part?
Which celebration are you looking forward to in the coming months?
How will you celebrate? Who else will take part?
Theme: Eucharist – Relating
When praise and appreciation are experienced, we are able to relate on a deeper level.
Topics
Early Years Gathering – Parish family gathers to celebrate Eucharist
Year 1 Meals – Mass, Jesus’ special meal
Year 2 Thanksgiving – Mass, a special time to thank God
Year 3 Listening & Sharing – Jesus gives himself to us
Year 4 Giving & receiving – Living in communion
Year 5 Memorial Sacrifice – Eucharist as the living memorial of Christ’s sacrifice
Year 6 Unity – Eucharist enabling people to live in communion
Suggestions for home activities
Look through the family photograph album to help the children remember important events and special people in their lives.
Discuss how we come together for special celebrations
Theme: Lent/Easter – Giving
Life, especially family life, or life in school, is full of opportunities for self-giving. Over lent, let us think about how we can give to others.
Topics
Early Years Growing - Looking forward to Easter
Year 1 Change - Lent: a time for change.
Year 2 Opportunities - Lent: an opportunity to start anew.
Year 3 Giving all - Lent: remembering Jesus’ total giving.
Year 4 Self discipline - Celebrating growth to new life.
Year 5 Sacrifice - Lent: a time of aligning with the sacrifice made by Jesus.
Year 6 Death & New Life - Celebrating Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Suggestions for home activities
As a family talk about how you are going to practice self-control and self-giving for the rest of the season of Lent. You may decide to give up biscuits or cakes and donate the money to a charity. If you have an older child provide him/her with an opportunity to take part in The Stations of the Cross. Ask your child/ren how the school is focusing on Lent and self-giving.
Read Bible stories together or encourage older children to read a child’s Bible.
Summer
Theme: Pentecost—serving
Early Years Good News – Passing on the Good News of Jesus
Topics
Year 1 Holidays and Holy Days – Pentecost: feast of the Holy Spirit
Year 2 Spread the Word – Pentecost: a time to spread the Good News
Year 3 Energy – Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Year 4 New Life – To hear and live the Easter message
Year 5 Transformation – Celebration of the Spirit’s transforming power
Year 6 Witnesses – The Holy Spirit enables people to become witnesses
Suggestions for home activities
Talk about good news in your family and how you shared it.
Ask your child to tell you the story of Pentecost and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Theme: Reconciliation—inter-relating
Early Years FRIENDS – Friends of Jesus
Topics
Year 1 Being Sorry – God helps us choose well
Year 2 Rules – Reasons for rules in the Christian family
Year 3 Choices – Importance of examination of conscience
Year 4 Building Bridges – Admitting wrong, being reconciled with God and each other
Year 5 Freedom and Responsibility – Commandments enable Christians to be free & responsible
Year 6 Healing – Sacrament of the Sick
Suggestions for home activities
Talk together about times when you have forgiven and been forgiven.
Discuss the importance of saying sorry. Look for opportunities for forgiveness and reconciliation in the day to day life of the family.
Theme: Universal church—world
Early Years OUR WORLD – God’s wonderful world
Topics
Year 1 Neighbours – Neighbours share God’s world
Year 2 Treasures – God’s treasure; the world
Year 3 Special Places – Holy places for Jesus and the Christian community
Year 4 God's People – Different saints show people what God is like
Year 5 Stewardship – The Church is called to the stewardship of Creation
Year 6 Common Good – Work of the worldwide Christian family
Suggestions for home activities
Together, look through a family scrapbook or photograph album of a visit to a place that is special for your family.
Look at a globe or an atlas. Find a special place and pray for the people of that country.
Discuss how we can look after our world and support our neighbours, near and far.