SANDY SPRINGS--"The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd," a program designed for three- to 12-year-old children, is being used for the first time in the archdiocese at St. Jude the Apostle as an alternative to traditional Sunday school.

The program, which takes place Sundays from 10-11:30 a.m., was chosen because it provides children with an opportunity to have a personal faith experience through the use of Scripture and hands-on material. The first stage, designed to serve children from three to six years old, was implemented in late September 1996 and will run through mid-May.

The program takes place not in a traditional classroom but in an atrium, a place of work and prayer where the child is prepared for involvement in the larger worshipping community. Materials in the atrium are attractively displayed inviting children to explore at their own pace as they are initiated into the liturgical life of the church. Educational materials on the life of Christ and his teachings help make the mystery of God concrete for children.

"The kids are having a blast," said Elizabeth Piper, director of the St. Jude's program. Catechists present material to the children in an effort to "call forth" a child's response rather than just "pour in" information.

For example, over a three-year period the Good Shepherd program breaks the Mass down into small steps. Through the arranging of the chalice, paten, altar cloth, candles and crucifix, children become familiar with articles used in the Mass and their names. Students also act out different parts of the Mass as they try to gain an understanding of what is occurring. Role playing also helps them learn the meaning of gestures used during the Eucharist such as the offering of the gifts and the exchange of the sign of peace.

Selected parables serve as keys to unlock the mystery of the kingdom of God and to nurture the child's natural sense of wonder and discovery. After learning about the parable of the mustard seed one four-year-old child said, "God must really love that seed to make it grow so big."

Geographical materials help establish Jesus as a real person and Israel as the land through which God realized salvation for all people. Infancy narratives announce the Incarnation with the words of Scripture, moving from the annunciation, to the birth of Christ, to the flight into Egypt. One three-year-old commented that Mary and Joseph must have been very tired after walking all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem. He spent the next few minutes running his fingers over the map as he tried to find an easier route around Samaria.

The liturgical colors and calendar situate the child in the church year, expressing the Paschal Mystery in the words, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again." A prayer corner also reflects the liturgical cycle with appropriate colors, prayers, songs, banners and readings to enhance the rituals and celebrations of the seasons.

Using Montessori principles, Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi developed the program in 1954 for the Catholic Church in Rome.

"If we want to help the child draw nearer to God, we should, with patience and courage...seek to go always closer to the vital nucleus of things," Cavalletti said. "This requires study and prayer. The child himself will be our teacher if we know how to observe him."

The program has been successfully used in the U.S. for over 25 years. In it the Montessori principles of self-teaching, concentration, responsibility and independence are combined with the theological moorings of Hebrew scholarship, scriptural studies and Roman Catholic liturgy and doctrine.

The Association for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was formed in North America in 1984 with its main aim being that of "involving adults and children in a common religious experience in which the religious values of childhood are predominant."

St. Jude Parish also offers a "Liturgy of the Word for Children" during the 11:30 Mass on the last Sunday of every month. During the seasons of Advent and Lent this Mass is celebrated every Sunday. Children ages three to eight are dismissed after the opening prayer to attend their own age-appropriate Liturgy of the Word. They then rejoin their families at the Offertory when the gifts are presented.

For more information about the Good Shepherd program or the "Liturgy of the Word for Children" call the religious education department at St. Jude the Apostle Church at (770) 394-4588.