For our next (and final) Confirmation Intensive, we are focusing on the Rite of Confirmation which includes the following:
I’m currently sharing with you what I’m developing for each of these 5 elements of the Rite (the kids will exerience five, 15-minute mini-sessions, one on each of the 5 elements). We continue today with the Renewal of Baptismal Promises.
Renewal of Baptismal Promises
Receive the light of Christ. Parents and god-parents, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. This child of yours has been enlightened by Christ. He/she is to walk always as a child of the light. May he/she keep the flame of faith alive in their heart. When the Lord comes, may he/she go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom.
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.
I prepared my students to pray with a guided reflection, telling them that using their imaginations to have a conversation with God might take some practice. I gave them permission to “not get it” the first time. This was important for establishing trust and tone. I then played the “Called by Name” prayer track from the CD that came with our Finding God program and sat down with my students to participate in the imaginative […]
I finally got a chance to correct the Confirmation exams that my students took on Monday evening and I was generally pleased. They all passed! 4 students earned scores of 100+ (extra credit section on the Nicene Creed allows them to score over 100 pts) 3 were in the 80s and 90s 2 were in the 70s 1 took the exam with the DRE on Tuesday because he could not attend Monday night…I’ll have to […]
At the end of Monday evening’s session, I asked each of the kids to share one thing they learned that evening: spiritual and corporal works of mercy, social justice, service, and living the Beatitudes. I was struck by how many of the young people referred to the poverty quiz that they took in the social justice session with Chris. Many of them pulled the quiz out and quoted a fact or figure about poverty in […]
Is there a resource with guided meditations I could purchase? I’d love to start using them with my grade 6 class (Vancouver, Canada) but don’t have the time to start writing my own. Thanks!
Faith Maier
This site is amazing! I am teaching a Confirmation Class with 7-9 children in 3rd though 7th grade. I have minimal resources. Thank you for this info. I’ve got two questoins: 1. How can I get a complete set of your Confirmation Intensives? 2. I bought our class a TV/DVD/VCR. Can you recommend any DVDs with 15 minute segments on things like the parables, sacraments, etc. that I can use to wake the kids up after I’ve put them to sleep? Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Joe says:Thanks, Brad. I’m sure you don’t put them to sleep. If you look at my posts beginning in early to mid-December, 2008 through the end of January, 2009, you’ll find all 5 Confirmation intensives described in detail over the course of those weeks. As for videos, here is a link to a correlation of videos with the Finding God program which should be helpful for you. http://www.loyolapress.com/assets/fg/Finding-God-Video-Suggestions-Loyola-Press.pdf If not, contact your diocesan/archdiocesan media center (or one from a major archdiocese if your diocese does not have one) to get recommendations on videos. Thanks again!
Anonymous says:i am a catecist for 20 more yrs. and i have recently been told , no more extended prayer times, no more experimentials… it breaks my heart, because i know this is what touches the depth of these kids, and now, i am forbidden to do it. iam hoping to be able to find a connective spirit thru only academic words.
Joe says:Anonymous, that is very sad indeed. What is catechesis without prayer? I hope you have an opportunity to address the situation with your DRE and ask for an explanation.
