FLAME 2, Grade 9 &10 (Confirmation)

March 18th & 21st, 2018

Chosen Ch. 23: “How do I build the kingdom?”
Session Goals: To empower the students to know that spreading the kingdom of God – through words and actions – is a mandatory part of the Christian life, NOT just for priests & religious; to discuss the communion of the saints, & the fact that the Church spans the entire globe and the centuries; to teach that we will be called to account for what we do – or do not do – for the “least of our brothers” in our lives; to address any last concerns they have about Confirmation; to review some material prior to the ACRE exam next session

  1. Step 1: Welcome/Lenten Check-In/Review:(5 mins.)
    p. 215 – As the teens enter the room, ask them to start thinking about how they would describe their week in five words or less. Once everyone has arrived, have the students go around to share, letting them elaborate a bit as needed.

Check in with your students about how their Lenten goals have been going so far. Have them refer to their paper where they wrote their Lenten goals and have them re-read them, and encourage them to persevere in the sacrifices to which they’ve committed themselves!
Then, play the Review Game.

  1. Step 2: Opening Prayer & Bible Review: (10 mins.)
    p. 215 – Before you start this prayer, hand out the Bibles and have each of the youth look up Matthew 25:34-40. Assess how comfortable each youth is with looking up Scripture passages in the Bible. If several of them don’t know where to start, take additional time to assist them and to review the Bible with them. We want each of our students to be comfortable looking up Scripture passages, so use some of the extra verses below as practice if needed.Remind them that knowing Scripture and being familiar with the Bible is an essential part of what it means to be Catholic!
    Isaiah 53:4 Deuteronomy 8:3
    1 Peter 5:10 Romans 5:3-4
    Philippians 1:29 Psalm 34:19
    2 Timothy 1:8 Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
  2. Step 3: Dive In:(5 mins.)
    p. 216 – Have volunteers read this section aloud. I will also have some photos of St. Peter’s available for you to pass around.If you are lucky enough to have visited St. Peter’s, please share your experience and memories with the youth! Those stories make a big impact on them.
  3. Step 4: Watch It!/Small-Group Discussion: (25 mins.)
    p. 217 –After Segment 3, focus in on the first discussion question: “Chris talked about getting out of our comfort zones. What does he mean, and how can we do that?” Add the further question, “So what’s your plan for after you get confirmed? How are you going to keep living and practicing your faith?”
  1. Step 5: Post-Confirmation Pledge(5 mins)
    Pass out the notecards provided, and have the students fill them out. On these cards, they will write down the ways that they plan to continue to grow in faith and serve our community after they are confirmed. They will turn these pledge cards in when they are finished!
  2. Pgs. 218-219(10 min): Read aloud, (or have the students read quietly if that is better for your class) then discuss the question in the red box on p. 218.
  1. Please remind the youth that their next class (April 2nd and 5th) is the ACRE assessment. This is a mandatory “exam” from the Madison Diocese for 10th graders, and attendance will be taken. 9th graders will meet separately for classwork.Use the attached worksheet to play an ACRE review game with the class.
  2. Step 9: Reminders & Closing Prayer: (5 mins)
    Have everyone end by saying the Closing Prayer on p. 221.

REMINDERS:

Please remind them that they are required to complete a Confirmation Interview prior to Confirmation! They have received an e-mail link to the Sign-Up Genius and there are several dates and times available.

HS Drop-In:The next one isn’t until April 8th!

ACRE Assessment Review
Some of these are very tricky! The goal of this review is to help remind the students that learning about our faith does NOT end after Confirmation. We ALL still have so much more to learn, and need to continue to grow in faith for the rest of our lives!
Think about it. Would you ride on a plan constructed by someone with a 10th grade math education? So why risk your soul on a 10th grade religious education?! This is your life we’re talking about, and your hope for a life in Heaven. So never stop seeking the Lord!

  • Who initiated the Protestant Reformation?
    Martin Luther
  • What happened in the Protestant Reformation and why is it significant?
    The Reformation was in the 16th century, and was a movement where reformers broke off from the Catholic Church. This was a major splintering of what had previous been a unified Church since the time of Jesus, and since then countless Christian denominations have been created as a result. We still believe the Catholic faith is the one true faith.
  • What does it mean that Jesus was “incarnate of the Holy Spirit and became man”? In other words, what does the Incarnation mean?
    That Jesus, the Eternal Son of God, took on a human nature. He was both true God and true Man – the Father, Spirit, and Son, three in one in the three persons of the Holy Trinity.
  • Who was the first American-born saint?
    St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
  • What does the rainbow in the story of Noah signify?
    God’s covenant to His people – His promise to never destroy the earth again.
  • What is the main story of the Acts of the Apostles?
    The disciples spreading Jesus’s message just after his Ascension into heaven (their miracles, their evangelization, and their witness in building up the early church).
  • When were the gospels written?
    In the 50 year period following Jesus’ death, in the first century AD (likely around the years 70-90)
  • Some people call St. Paul “one of the most important figures in the history of the world.” Why is that?
    St. Paul was pivotal in spreading Jesus’ message to local communities after Jesus death, and his writings have had a wide reach and significant impact throughout history. He wrote 13 books of the New Testament!
  • What happened at the Council of Nicea?
    This was the first ecumenical council of the Church, and was where the first unified creed that outlined our core Christian beliefs was formed (the Nicene Creed).
  • What does the Church believe are the two sources of divine revelation?
    Sacred Scripture and Tradition
  • How many holy days of obligation are there?
    58! Every Sunday is a holy day of obligation, as well as 6 additional days.
  • What is the Immaculate Conception?
    The teaching that God protected Mary from original sin from the moment that she was conceived. This is a tricky one – it is MARY who we celebrate as the Immaculate Conception, NOT Jesus (though he was of course also born free of original sin).
  • Explain the Church’s teaching on the “preferential option for the poor.”
    The Church teaches that we are to have a preferential love and care for the poor and marginalized in our society. We believe that a basic moral test of a nation is how that country treats the most vulnerable of its citizens.
  • Is an annulment a Catholic “divorce”?
    No – an annulment (decree of nullity) is proof that the relationship was not a valid marriage. Marriage must be a free, total, faithful, and fruitful gift of self, and is for life.
  • Who is Our Lady of Guadalupe?
    Our Lady of Guadalupe is our Holy Mother, Mary, as she appeared in Mexico.
  • What is the Magisterium of the Church?
    The Teaching Office of the Catholic Church
  • What is Papal Infallibility?
    The Catholic belief that the Holy Father is incapable of speaking in error on dogmas of the Church (so on the core doctrines – essential teachings – of our faith). This has only been invoked four times thus far; in all other areas, the Pope, though typically a very holy man, is still a human being and can make other errors at times.
  • What vows do those in religious orders take?
    Vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience