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Tag Archives: Scripture
Blog
5 Things That Teens Are Counting On
In the Northern Hemisphere, Teens will be heading back to school and heading back to a parish this fall. As a companion of teens on their faith journey, there are some basic things that teens are counting on you doing and being. Here are 5 things that teens are counting on from you.
Blog
Are You a Bringer?
In the Catholic youth ministry world, there's often a big difference between the bringers and everyone else. The bringers carry somebody or something. They seek or form community and make things happen. It's not unusual to go to the smallest parish and find someone serving teens there who isn't small at all. Sometimes, this is an unpaid servant, someone that's inherited or acquired their mission out of necessity. Anyway, you can't just say you're an bringer and be one. It takes a lot of prayer and surrender to be a real bringer!
Blog
Stuff – In the Best (Catholic) Sense of the Word!
Let's face it - teens like stuff! Teens lives are filled with "Stuff" - but is it the best stuff or stuff that merely clutters an already busy life? Teens want the fullness of our faith and one of the treasures the Catholic faith offers are rich traditions and symbols. Make sure that you fill your youth rooms and retreat centers with Catholic items. Items like rosaries, prayer cards and Saint Medals all reinforce the faith for young people. If you can, try to incorporate giving teens religious items when you can. It's graduation and Confirmation time for many of us so here are some keys to gifts that can transform!
Blog
If You Expect A Lot – You Will Get A Lot!
In my years of Catholic Youth Ministry I have embraced the concept of having high expectations of the young people we are trying to lead closer to Christ! As leaders we can't sell young people short and expect less. Yesterday at a Catechetical Symposium I helped lead in the Archdiocese of Boston there was a fishbowl sharing experience that included some college students. At the end we asked them to give the youth leaders, DRE's and Catholic school teachers present a word of advice. One young man simply said "If you expect a lot - you will get a lot!"
Blog
Finishing Lent Strong – How to “Crush It” All Holy Week Long!
I noticed that my two middle school aged sons had transformed the palm leaves handed to them when entering Mass into "Palm Crosses." I asked why they always make crosses out of the palms on Palm Sunday? The reply was one that got me thinking about Holy Week. They looked at me and said, "Dad, we take the crosses home and put them up on our bedroom wall so we can remember Jesus every day." Ah, the simplicity of the answer reminded me of what Holy Week is supposed to be about--contemplating Jesus and His Passion!
Edge Night
FAQ: The Holy Bible
Keywords: Anagogical | Historical | Holy Bible | Holy Spirit | Inspiration | Literal | Moral | Poetic | Prophetic | Salvation History | Scripture
Goal of the Edge Night The middle school youth will learn about how the Bible was written and our approach when reading Scripture. The youth will also explore how the Bible can be read in different ways: literal, allegorical, moral and anagogical. Edge Night at a Glance This session tells the story of how the [...]
Edge Night
Secret Admirer: Revelation of God
Keywords: Creation | Revelation | Scripture | Tradition | Unconditional Love
Goal of the Edge Night The middle school youth will understand that we can know God because He has revealed Himself to us. God’s revelation was fully given in Jesus and passed on to us through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Edge Night at a Glance This night will help to set up the semester [...]
Edge Night
Edge Semester Planning Guide: Scripture
Keywords: Scripture
This current book covers Sacred Scripture. In this semester, we are presenting an overview of the books of Scripture, how they were written and how to read it. The middle school youth will have the opportunity to become familiar with the Bible and be exposed to several ways of praying Scripture. We strongly recommend that you have the youth bring a Bible each week or find a ministry at your parish that may be willing to purchase a Bible for each youth. Our hope is that by the end of this semester, your middle school youth will feel more comfortable with reading the Scriptures frequently.
Bible Trivia
Keywords: Bible | Bible Trivia | Game | Read the Bible | Scripture | Trivia
Goal for this game: Have the teenagers work together to find specific answers in their Bibles. Ministry Applications Reading the Bible can be fun. We need God’s word in our lives on a daily basis. We can learn more about ourselves and Christ through Scripture. Bible Trivia
Blog
Inserting Teens Into the Mystery of the Gospels
In my last blog, I covered how the Church wants us to use the baptismal catechumenate as a model for all catechetical activity, and within the catechumenate is a period of formation called mystagogy. In mystagogy, we want to focus on three things: the Word of God, the sacraments, and community. Today I wanted to focus on the first goal of mystagogy, inserting teens into the mystery of God’s Word, especially as it is given to us in the Gospels.
Blog
Teens bored by the Bible? 10 questions to ask yourself
Over the past almost 20 years I’ve had enjoyed countless glorious failures (and some graced successes) when opening God’s Word with young people and the one thing I know for a fact is this: teens do care about the Bible. Teens actually love the Scriptures when they are unpacked and taught well.
Life Night
Kingdom Come: Miracles and the Kingdom of God / Gospels of Luke & Matthew
Keywords: Luke | Matthew | Miracles | New Testament | parables | Scripture
Goal The goal of this night is to help the teens see how the Kingdom of God is proclaimed by Christ in His words (parables) and His actions (miracles), specifically in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The teens will see how miracles are still happening in their own lives and be given practical ways [...]
Life Night
I Told You So! Old Testament Prophecies / Incarnation
Keywords: Adoration | Incarnation | New Testament | Scripture
Goal The goal of this night is to help the teens understand that the coming of the Messiah was prophesized more than 700 years before His birth. This night will also help the teens understand that the Incarnation is the lynchpin of Scripture and the story of salvation. Finally, the teens will be challenged to [...]
Life Night
I Swear: A Life Night on Covenants
Keywords: Baptism | Covenant | Promises | Salvation History | Scripture
This Life Night will give the teens an introduction and overview of the Old Testament covenants God made with His people. This night will cover the signs and promises of each covenant and how the Israelites chose to follow (and not follow) God’s covenants. Finally, this night will give the teens an opportunity to look at the covenants between themselves and God.
Life Night
The Feast: Book of Revelation
Keywords: Litany of Saints and Angels | Mass | New Testament | Revelation | Scripture
Goal The goal of this Life Night is to help the teens understand that the story of Salvation ends where it began—with God in heaven. Using the book of Revelation as a basis, this night will show how the “heavenly banquet” is a vision of the earthly Mass and how they are invited to participate [...]
Life Night
Time to Be Bold: Acts of the Apostles / Early Church
Keywords: Acts | Apostles | Early Church | New Testament | Scripture
Goal The goal of this night is to help the teens understand the beginnings of the early Church as the early disciples learned to be Christians. The night will also address the beauty in suffering for Christ and the importance of living witness. Finally, the teens will have an opportunity to share their own journey [...]
Life Night
Life Teen Curriculum Guide 09: Sacred Scripture
Keywords: Scripture
This book covers Sacred Scripture. In the first Curriculum Guide on this topic, we presented an overview of the books of Scripture, how they are written and how to read them. In this second Curriculum Guide on Scripture, you will find Life Nights that focus on the story of salvation history found in Scripture. When [...]
Life Night
Big Mouth: The Law and the Prophets
Keywords: Lectio Divina | Mosaic Law | Old Testiment | Prophets | Scripture
Goal The goal of this night is to show how the Law of Moses (Ten Commandments) was the cornerstone to the messages of the Old Testament prophets, the “mouthpieces” of God. This night will also challenge the teens be modern-day prophets by proclaiming the Good News in their everyday lives. About this night The prophets [...]
Blog
The Bible: God’s Original Text Message
Many adults today tell me that the “average teenager” couldn’t care less about the Bible. Extensive firsthand experience, however, demands that I humbly reply, “LOL” (“laugh out loud” in text-happy vernacular). I led my first teen Bible study almost 20 years ago and, while teen culture has dramatically changed, their desires have not. Teens want truth, and the Catholic Church has it.