Teachable Moments -- New course gives undergraduate theology students a chance to teach the Catholic faith to young people.

Last fall, senior Rebecca Christian left the LMU campus every Sunday for class at St. John the Evangelist Church in Los Angeles. But she wasn’t going there to study; she had a class to teach.

Christian and nine other LMU students were enrolled in “Teaching Religion to Youth,” a new service-learning course in the Department of Theological Studies. The class was taught by Michael G. Lee, S.J., assistant professor of theological studies. At St. John’s, Christian helped 21 teenagers with their Confirmation preparation. They talked about the sacraments and introductory concepts of the Catholic faith. Back on campus, the LMU students met with Lee to discuss theology, education philosophy and teaching methods.

“There is a certain kind of magic to be [seen in] college students, who can use modern language, gestures and expressions to identify and connect with younger religion students,” Lee explains.

Christian plans to be a screenwriter, but she enrolled in the course because she is committed to being a lifelong volunteer in religious education. She had never taught before, but with the help of her director of religious education was able to create a setting in which her students felt at ease sharing their thoughts on ethics, sexuality and liturgy.

“Teenagers know more than we think,” Christian says. “The traditional way of running religious education programs needs to become more dynamic if we want to retain kids in the faith.”

Lee believes his course is an example of LMU’s commitment to the service of faith and promotion of justice, one of the university’s mission goals. In addition to teaching at St. John’s, LMU students worked at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Culver City, Church of St. Mark in Venice and Visitation Catholic Church in Westchester. Not only did the students see firsthand one of the greatest challenges facing the Archdiocese of Los Angeles — its tremendous ethnic diversity — but they also discovered an opportunity to help change lives by participating in what Lee calls “teachable moments.”

“Terri Palmer, who is the director of religious education, Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and faith formation at St. Augustine’s, was in the process of implementing changes in the parish education programs when the LMU students arrived to help this past fall. “It was refreshing to have these LMU students come in,” Palmer says. “By sharing their faith and enthusiasm, they served as an example for our students to follow.”

Now in its second year, Lee has made improvements to the course with the help of his previous students. The service component is now an apprenticeship that will allow each director of religious education to further expose students to all aspects of running a successful parish ministry office, in addition to teaching catechesis. This semester, Christian will return to Lee’s classroom to guest lecture about her teaching experience and the use of media in ministry.

“This course is shaping the future of religious ministry by connecting students to the greater LA community,” she said. “I truly believe that the success of last year’s class is just the beginning of the fruits of this labor.”