Discussion-Oriented
36 results
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Friendship and Forgiveness Prayer Space
An activity, including a discussion and a craft, on forgiving friends and family members, based on The Catholic Children’s Bible featured story “Jesus Teaches Us to Forgive”, Matthew 18:21–35.
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Three Renewal Movements
Work with your group to complete the section of this handout that corresponds to your assigned topic.
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School History Scavenger Hunt
Write your name and the names of your group members at the top of this handout. As a group, research the history of our school and complete the following questions. For each answer, note the source of your information. This …
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Creating a Promotional Brochure
Your group has been assigned to create a brochure about one of the two major religious orders to emerge during the Catholic Reformation: the Jesuits or the Carmelites. Imagine that you are members of this new religious order during the …
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Web Quest on Renaissance Culture
Write your group member’s names at the top of this handout, and circle the topic assigned to your group. Use the Internet to locate three reliable sources about your group’s assigned topic in Renaissance culture. Use this handout to organize …
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Challenges to the Papacy
Complete this handout with your group as you review article 21, “Challenges to the Papacy,” in the student book.
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Exploring Religious Orders and Congregations
A research assignment worksheet done in pairs to find important information about different religious orders.
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The Sacrament of Holy Orders Graphic Organizer
A worksheet completed in groups about the symbolic words and actions that take place during the Rite of Ordination, as well as their meaning and effect.
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The Threefold Ministry of a Bishop
This resource is a group activity worksheet that has students list examples of the Bishop’s roles in the areas of teaching, governing, and sanctifying.
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Finding Salt and Light for the World
This worksheet is part of the Living in Christ Series. It helps students reflect on various gifts, skills and virtues they might posesses in order to discern specific ministries they might be good at.
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Sharing in the Ministry of Jesus: Priest, Prophet, and King
This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Groups of students can answer questions about Jesus as Priest, Prophet or King and reflect on models and characteristics of these distinct but related ministries.
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Reflection Questions: The Call to Holiness
This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can reflect on what it means to be holy and how to grow in holiness through these series of questions.
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Heroes of Prayer
This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students are asked to research and answer questions about a "Hero of Prayer", including doubt they experienced and prayers they used.
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Music and Liturgy
This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can reflect on various songs and pieces of music in the liturgy to come to a greater understanding.
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Reflections on Suffering
This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can reflect on their experiences of and response to suffering through this series of though-provoking questions.
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Why We Go to Mass Reflection and Discussion Questions
This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students are asked to reflect on and discuss the significance of the Mass through these questions.
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Using the Lectionary to Understand How God’s Ancient Promises Are Fulfilled in Jesus
This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students can use this handout to explore some Old Testament prophecies that find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
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Where Have Jesus, Mary, the Apostles, Disciples, and Others Modeled the Ways to Discipleship?
This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students are asked to reflect on the discipleship modeled by Jesus, Mary, the Apostles, and others.
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Leadership Statements
This worksheet is part of the Living in Christ Series. It includes several statesments about leadership in the Bible, including who's called, what skills are necessary, and what it takes to be a good leader.
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What Kind of Leader Is Moses?
This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students are asked to look up verses and make assessments about Moses' leadership in the Old Testament.
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Interview Questions: Personal Relationship with Jesus
This activity is part of the Living in Christ Series. Students are to interview an adult in their life whom they know that has a personal relationship with Jesus.
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Let Your Light Shine: An Overnight Retreat on Self-Esteem
This overnight retreat on self-esteem invites the young people to explore their own personal gifts and encourages them to share those abilities with others. The retreat emphasizes the light of Christ in our Life, the special people who bring us …
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Paul: A Unique Person
Background for the Teacher Saint Paul has fascinated Christians throughout history. The combination of his Jewish upbringing, his exposure to Greek culture, his fiery personality, and his openness to God's grace uniquely prepared him to spread the Gospel. This session …
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Leader's Guide for Coyote Meets Jesus
Stories are not just for young children. Everyone loves a good story and good storytelling is a useful tool for teaching. Using folktales as a teaching tool in a catechetical setting or a religion class can help teens understand the …
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Peace Creed
Writing a Peace Creed (15 minutes) 1. Tell the young people that as much as we might want peace to become a reality in our world, being a peacemaker takes a lot of hard work. The first steps are to …
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Family Relationships
Scripture Passage Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"-- this is the first commandment with a promise: "so that it may be well with you and you may live long on …
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Reflection Exercise: My Least Answerable Questions
(5 minutes) 1. Introduce this exercise by reiterating the idea that death is mystery and that since the beginning of time, people of all ages, cultures, and races have asked tough questions about death. Jesus himself struggled with such questions. …
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The Power of Song
(25-35 minutes) Preparation Bring in a recording of an African American sacred song, or invite a local gospel choir or your school or parish choir to come in and perform such a song. A good resource for music is Lead …
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Advent: Saint Joseph and Jesus
This can be easily adapted to a video call. 1. Gather the group in a circle for a moment of silence. Light the candle and read these passages about Joseph in the Gospel of Matthew (1:18-21 and 2:13-15). Ask the …
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A Listening Session for Teens on the Mishandling of Sexual Abuse by Clergy
Materials Needed * a 3-by-5-inch index card for each young person * a pencil for each young person * prayer materials (Select one of the "Options for Ritual Actions" below.) * 3 readers for the closing prayer * handouts …
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The Meal Ministry of Jesus
Ask the students to recall their favorite meal celebration. What made it so special? What was the occasion? Where were they? Who was present? What did they eat? What else happened there? Invite them to share with the class the …
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The Color Purple
A CAUTIONARY NOTE: One of the criticisms of The Color Purple is that it depicts the men in the story as primarily abusive. Also, this movie is PG-13, mostly because of the violence and strong language. We recommend the movie …
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Building Faith Community in the High School
In a workshop entitled "The Catholic High School as Faith Community," religion teachers, campus ministers, and school administrators discussed, among many things, the obstacles they face in trying to build faith community in their school. One obstacle they addressed was …
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Questions for God
In a course on faith that he teaches at De La Salle Academy in New York City, David Detje, FSC, uses the film Oh, God! to shake up the students' notions of what God is like. He has gotten some …
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Praying the Psalms
Remember the television show from the late 80's called "Doogie Howser, M.D.?" At the end of every show, Doogie would sit down at his computer and write a 2 or 3 sentence "blurb" that perfectly summed up his day and …