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[Conversations about L.I.F.E.] Conversations about L.I.F.E. / Conversaciones acerca de L.I.F.E. (eResource): Family Life & Safe Environment Program

Conversations about L.I.F.E. Conversations about L.I.F.E. / Conversaciones acerca de L.I.F.E. Family Life & Safe Environment Program

$1.00/child
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Minimum Purchase:
20 units
series:
Conversations about L.I.F.E.
title:
Conversations about L.I.F.E. / Conversaciones acerca de L.I.F.E.
subtitle:
Family Life & Safe Environment Program
eresource:
true
per:
child
pricing:
$1.00/child

A Whole Family Program to Guide Discussions about Loving Relationships & Safe Environment

This once-a-year program gives parents and guardians the tools they need to help their children—from pre-school through high school—to understand and navigate the ever-changing world of relationships. It empowers families to talk about relationships, sex, and sexual abuse in an easy-to-implement, ongoing educational program that addresses critical life issues.

VIEW INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM

Why Conversations about L.I.F.E.?

  • It fulfills church mandates (including the USCCB 2002 Charter and 2008 Chaste Living document) for safe environment and chastity education, all in one program.
  • It fits easily into any faith formation system: a parish school, religious education program, or youth ministry.
  • It is family-based, putting parents at the center of the process and encouraging parent-child discussions.
  • It takes a healthy, integrated approach, covering positive and negative relationships in the context of Church teaching in a way that will not turn off skeptical families.
  • It works. It has been tested for more than a decade across the country.
  • It is approved. It has received a Nihil Obstat, and was found free of doctrinal and moral error by +Jerome Listecki, the Archbishop of Milwaukee (downloadable resources are not eligible to receive Imprimaturs).
  • It is in English & Spanish.

Program Components

The program consists of one parent-child session per grade level from preschool through high school, plus a single all-ages introductory session. A facilitator leads families through age-appropriate activities and discussions. A classroom adaptation can be used if parents are unable to attend.

Each session includes:

  • A colorful PowerPoint that accompanies and directs the lesson.
  • Talking points and easy-to-follow instructions for the facilitator.
  • A reproducible parent-child Activity Book for use during the session.
  • A reproducible follow-up at-home session for use with the classroom adaptation.

Children and teens who complete all of the Conversations about L.I.F.E. yearly sessions with their parents benefit from a program that:

  • Presents Authentic Love as the goal of sexuality education
  • Promotes positive loving relationships in family life, friendship, and marriage
  • Emphasizes sexuality as a gift — to be shared only in marriage  (“self-giving love”)
  • Defines chastity as the power of authentic love to channel and control sexuality
  • Facilitates the partnership of parents and catechists in the formation of children for chastity
  • Promotes the ongoing cultivation of the virtues (character strengths) needed to support chastity formation
  • Spans pre-school through grade twelve that is taught in age-appropriate stages
  • Includes education on identifying exploitation and sex abuse

Purchase and Pricing

  • Pricing is a one-time, lifetime charge of $1 per child in your program (minimum of $20). There is no charge for future years unless your enrollment grows significantly.
  • If your program grows by more than 10%, you are required to upgrade your license to cover the additional children.
  • Contact us for discount diocese-wide pricing.
This downloadable, reproducible product is sold with a LIFETIME license of $1 PER CHILD. Please read the full license terms below.

Product License

This reproducible eResource is sold with one-time, lifetime license of $1 per child in your program. Once you purchase this license, you may continue to use the materials yearly without additional cost unless your participant count grows by more than 10%. You are allowed to make copies of the materials or email them to participants in your program. You may not post our eResources to any public web site without explicit permission to do so. Please contact us if you have any questions. Thank you for cooperating with our honor system regarding our product licenses.

Format: eResource
Product code: LIFE100
Dimensions: 8½" x 11"
Publisher:
The Pastoral Center
Written by Dr. Kathie Amidei and Sr. Kieran Sawyer

Praise

In the hypersexualized culture created by the sexual revolution, what could be more important that giving parents and teachers the tools to talk with our children about authentic love? No virtue is more countercultural than chastity, no character strength more essential for growing in goodness and closeness to God. God bless Kieran Sawyer and Kathie Amidei for giving us a fresh resource for tackling this crucial challenge.
Thomas Lickona, Ph.D., developmental psychologist, director of SUNY Cortland’s Center for the 4th and 5th Rs, and author of Character Matters and How to Raise Kind Kids

Author

Dr. Kathie Amidei has served for many years as Pastoral Associate at St. Anthony on the Lake Parish in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. Before that she was the associate director for Catechesis and Child Ministry for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and served in a number of parishes as primary teacher and director of religious education. She holds a B.S. in Education, an M.A. in Theology, and a Doctorate in Education and Leadership. A national speaker and writer, she offers many presentations and workshops for catechists and catechetical leaders in parishes and dioceses.

Kathie is a wife, mom, and grandmother. She lives with her husband, Jim, in Nashotah, WI. She enjoys being with her family, exploring how people learn, and encouraging growth in faith. Her passion is to help families engage in their journey of faith in meaningful and practical ways and to infuse parish catechetical ministry with effective and relevant programming.

She has written or contributed to: 

  • Forming Families: a Faith Resource on Catholic Identity (OSV, 2019)
  • From Generation to Generation: A Case Study on Factors in Faith Community Impacting Faith Development, (Doctoral Dissertation, 2012)
  • Generations Together: Caring, Praying, Learning, Celebrating and Serving Faithfully (Lifelong Faith Associates, 2013)
  • The Journey: A Guide for Persons, Partners, and Parents (R&R Communications, 2013)

View all resources by Dr. Kathie Amidei

Sister Kieran Sawyer, SSND, is nationally known for her creative work in youth ministry and catechesis. She is an acclaimed author and lecturer on youth ministry and character formation, with a special focus on chastity education. Over the years she has taught religion at all grade levels in Catholic schools and in religious education programs, and has presented workshops and programs for religion teachers and youth ministers across the country and abroad. Her theological degrees are from Marquette University, St. John’s University in Collegeville, and Catholic University

Sister Kieran was the founder and director of the TYME OUT Youth Center in Stone Bank, Wisconsin, where for many years she directed retreats and character education programs for the teens and pre-teens of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Her current ministry includes promoting family-based chastity education and abuse prevention programs and conducting training workshops for catechists, youth ministers, and L.I.F.E. facilitators. She was honored by the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry as a recipient of the 2006 National Youth Ministry Award.

Sister Kieran is a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province.

She has written and contributed to many published works, including:

  • LoveEd (Saint Benedict Press, 2018.) A video-discussion series on puberty, sexuality, and pregnancy.  Sister Kieran worked with author Coleen Kelly Mast to create the videos and parent-child discussion materials in this program.
  • Sex and the Teenager: Choices and Decisions (Ave Maria Press, 1990, 1999, 2008), a teachers’ manual and student text on adolescent relationships and sexuality.
  • Confirming Faith (Ave Maria Press, 1980, 1994) Teacher’s manual and student book designed to prepare high school students to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation.
  • Youth Ministry Access (Center for Ministry Development, 2009 to present) Lesson plans for middle school and high school youth ministry programs.

View all resources by Sr. Kieran Sawyer, SSND