Front Row: Sara Monge, Kate Vander Laan, Carla Harris / Back Row: Genevieve Jennifer Ferraez, Joanne Gish, Seraphima Sierra Butler

All of our catechists are trained by the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Each level of certification includes 90+ hours of lecture, presentation, prayer, personal album work, and practicum. Together with clergy and scholars from around the country, as well as several seasoned Formation Leaders from the National Association, our catechists have participated in a lengthy and on-going research/adaptation process to ensure all content reflects Orthodox theology.

Our catechists are under the direction of Fr. Nicholas Speier, himself an educator by training and experience. He is priest-in-charge at St. Athanasius, and is also a parent and grandparent. He holds a Lifetime Teaching Credential in Special Education, a BA in Liberal Arts, and has enjoyed 21 years in the Orthodox faith. We recently celebrated the 16th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

Joanne Gish (jgish@westmont.edu) is the Director of Religious Education for St. Athanasius Orthodox Church and has enjoyed 19 years of working for the parish. She became Orthodox in 1987, together with her husband, and they have raised three children in the Orthodox faith. Joanne has over 20 years of experience working with children in religious education, and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program is unlike anything she has encountered before. For Joanne, studying CGS has been an awe-inspiring journey of personal growth in her relationship with the Good Shepherd. She is a trained catechist for both Level I and Level II, and is Production Manager of our newsletter, The Sheepfold. Her fellow catechists cherish Joanne’s gifts of discernment and loving leadership, as well as her eye for detail in materials’ and publication production.

Seraphima Sierra Butler (seraphima@stathanasius.org) was added to the flock of the Good Shepherd through the sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation in 1997, the same year in which she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance and English. She and her husband, Subdeacon Stephen Butler (website), are the homeschooling parents of five children. Having completed five years of training in all three levels of the Catechesis, as well as a year-long practicum and discernment process, Seraphima is the first and only Orthodox Formation Leader recognized by the National Association for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She serves as a catechist of children ages 3-12; leads formation course for adults; has written articles related to the Catechesis in such publications as The Handmaiden and Praxis Magazine; leads workshops and retreats for adults and children; and speaks at events on the correlation of Orthodoxy and the Catechesis. She also serves as Coordinator of the Catechesis program at St. Athanasius and is the editor of an informative quarterly newsletter, The Sheepfold. Her fellow catechists say they are grateful for her commitment to excellence, attention to detail, forward thinking, and overall love of the work, which has allowed the program to grow at St. Athanasius and beyond.

Genevieve Jennifer Ferraez (on sabbatical) holds a Masters in Social Work (MSW) and a BA in Psychology, with an emphasis in developmental psychology. She is a trained Level I catechist; has worked with children with learning disabilities; has taught special education; and has therapy experience with traumatized children. She joined the Orthodox Church in 1998, and has been an integral partner in translating CGS into the Orthodox experience. Her fellow catechists are tremendously grateful for her research assistance, her skills in observing and interacting with others, and her expertise in the areas of psychology, special needs, and mental health.

Carla Harris (carla@calligraphybycarla.com) currently serves as a Level I catechist and is in training for Level II. She holds a BA in Sociology from Westmont College with an emphasis in elementary education and has over 10 years experience working with young children. Carla was drawn to the CGS program when she first received the Good Shepherd presentation at an informational meeting. There she realized that this was the kind of approach to early childhood education that she had desired for many years. Recognizing that it is counter-intuitive to the educational style that formed her, she finds that it is as much of an education to her own heart as it is for the children she serves.

Carla's unique talents in art led her to establish her own calligraphy business in 1989, and she has recently specialized in framed art from Orthodox Prayers and Scriptures for the purpose of spiritual encouragement. All of the prayer cards in our atria are handmade by Carla, which we hope will become available to other atria in the near future. Carla's ability to bring beauty to every thing we do is a gift cherished by her fellow catechists. She is a woman of deep prayer and thoughtfulness who blesses the community of children and adults.

Kate Russell Vander Laan (kvanderlaan@westmont.edu) is described by her fellow catechists as hard-working and enthusiastic, a person who blesses our ministry with her artistry, practicality, and ability to think "outside the box." For Kate, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd has been a significant means of God's life-giving grace. She was chrismated in the Orthodox Church in spring 2003 and joined the CGS team as an observer soon after. She completed her Level I training in February 2008, and will begin her Level II training in November 2009. As someone who had previously taught high-school English, been involved with Young Life, and led several Bible studies for high-school girls, Kate found her past ministry experience alternately valuable and misleading, and realized that her understanding of early child development needed to grow. This growth has been greatly enriched by her courses in the Catechesis; first-hand experience in the atria; the insights of fellow catechists locally, nationally, and internationally; and further reading of books such as Children Who Are Not Yet Peaceful. She is delighted to be a catechist in the Level I atrium because she dearly loves the essentialism of the 3-6 year-old child and relishes opportunities to listen to the Good Shepherd's voice with these wise, young people.

Shimassa Sara Monge (sjmonge@gmail.com) holds a B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in Bible from Biola University where she also is a perpetual member of the Torrey Honors Institute. In 2003, she was chrismated an Orthodox Christian and also married her husband, Deacon Rico Paul Monge whom she met while both were teaching high school English. In 2005, Sara was immersed in Orthodox culture when she and her husband moved to St. Vladimir Orthodox Theological Seminary. During that time, she taught Sunday School and chanted at the church where her husband was assigned and supported her husband during his time as the coordinator for church school at the seminary. She also participated in the inaugural year of SVS’s Spouses (Wives) Program, which focuses on preparing spouses of seminarians for life as a clergy family. After moving to Santa Barbara, Sara was very impressed when she toured Saint Athanasius’ atrium and was excited to have her son participate. After reading The Religious Potential of the Child, she became interested in becoming a catechist. Now serving in Level I, Sara loves learning from both the children and other catechists during her time in the atrium, and her teammates cherish her steadfastness, gentleness, and observant insights.