Correlation to the Weeklies

Using Together in Jesus with Good News for Children

Click here to view the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Correlations to Sacramental Preparation Programs for 2022-23.

Pflaum publishes both Together in Jesus and the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Faith Formation Program. For second and third graders, Good News for Children is Pflaum’s liturgically-based weekly. For each of the Church’s three Lectionary cycles, Good News offers 32 lessons that help children respond to what Jesus asks of them in the Sunday Gospels and provide broad background for First Eucharist preparation. Check each year’s Good News Scope and Sequence for lessons that pair especially well with your sacramental preparation efforts.

Through stories, dramas, prayer services, and hands-on activities, each Good News weekly lesson invites young children to connect their evolving life story with the Gospel and its relevance to the purpose of their lives. By making the Gospel message their own, children grow in their ability, not only to participate in Sunday worship, but also to respond to Jesus’ challenge to love others and help people in need.

Faith Formation/Home Study Model

Parishes can substitute First Reconciliation and/or First Eucharist lessons for Good News lessons and send Good News home for parents to use with their child. Parishes can also take the opposite course, directing parents to do Together in Jesus with the child at home while the parish liturgical-based program using Good News continues. Both publications have a four-page lesson format that makes them easy to intersperse.

Faith Formation/Sacramental Prep Sessions Model

Some parishes tie both their faith formation and sacramental prep efforts to the Sunday Gospel and liturgical year. They use the Good News opening activity and then work the Sunday Gospel and a reflection into the opening prayer. The type of reflection depends on the length of the session. They continue the session with their sacramental prep materials and then suggest one thing from Good News for the children to do at home.