In the summer of 2011 Catechist Magazine launched the National Society for Volunteer Catechists.  The creation of this society has been Peter Li’s vision for many years.  Peter Li is Chairman and CEO of the Peter Li Education Group, which includes Pflaum Publishing and the Catechist Magazine.

This new society, a service of Catechist Magazine, is a community providing support for volunteer catechists and all those who share and support their mission.

Charter membership brings with it the wealth of timeless articles, valuable tips, and spiritual insights. Here is just a sampling:

• Access to a portfolio of personal and classroom resources

• Network with other catechists for personal support, encouragement, and inspiration.

• Grade-level groups for lesson preparation ideas

• Links to catechist-members in your own parish and diocese.

Membership is free for subscribers to Catechist Magazine.  The annual subscription rate for one subscription is $26.95, however there are bulk discounts available.

National Society for Volunteer Catechists link

Catechist Magazine link

Needing an event to bring families together, how about the Family Quiz Bowl? Christ the King Church in Des Moines recently created this game and it went over very well.  The youth were given a copy of the student question sheet (attached below) a month before the event.  Their homework was to look in their catechism, find all the answers, and memorize as many of the answers as possible.

The questions were broken up into sets of 20 questions.  There were 6 stations so that the formational event didn’t take all night. Each participant had to turn in their answer sheets before lining up to be questioned at each station.

The evening began with dinner for the families.  Each station provided 3 tickets to every student.  The tickets allowed them to ask their parents for the answer.  Any unused tickets could be turned in for prizes at the end.

The leader board was easy to set-up: a big TV hooked to a laptop with a spreadsheet of the names and scores from each station.  After finishing each station, the participants were given a scorecard.  They brought it the card to the scoring station to update the leader board.  This way the participants could see where they were in comparison to the other youth.  Everyone did very well with the highest score being 102.

Through donations (about $500) there were some great prizes for the top 5 winners.  1st place was an 8 GB MP3 player and a $20.00 Amazon Gift Card.  Every participant won a prize for the evening.  The dinner began with a family dinner.

Family Bowl Questions and Answers

Family Bowl Student Sheet (without answers)

The Life Teen Podcast is attached.  Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter: Acts 4:8-12; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29; 1 Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18.

“Sometimes we see Jesus only as the victim: the suffering servant.  We can’t make a mistake that Jesus was destroyed on the cross without realizing it was a sacrificial act on his behalf.  It isn’t that he was dragged up to the wood and killed for us but Jesus mounting the cross under his own will for us.  The is the key to this weekend’s gospel.  The Mass is not only a meal or a celebration, but also a re-presentation of Jesus sacrificial act of Jesus on the cross.  When you choose Christ and you choose to sacrifice with your own life, you choose others.  This is what we call a Church.”  (Mark Hart)

This podcast is an excellent foundation for a weekly Bible study focused on the readings throughout the liturgical year.  These Bible studies can be at the parish, at a coffee shop or even on-line.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday Podcast – 4th Sunday of Easter

Why Pray?

Our Catholic tradition tells us that we come from God and that all of life is a journey back to God. In John 16:5 Jesus said, “Now I am going to him who sent me.” If, like Jesus, we are on our way back to the Father who sent us, isn’t it a good idea to stay connected with him along life’s way? Such connection, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, accomplishes several things.

Prayer keeps us mindful that God is.

Our loving, merciful God always is. Who wants to be deprived of knowing this God? Who wouldn’t want to have the ability to draw from this eternal well of faith, hope, and love?

Prayer keeps us aware that we depend on God.

We exist because of God’s love for us. Our lives continue because we are sustained by the physical world God created, including the world of our own miraculous bodies.

Prayer helps us consent to God’s working in our lives.

Giving consent to God is not always an easy thing to do. We would prefer to avoid life’s difficulties. The inevitable suffering we experience in life can become a source of invaluable learning when we consent to God’s will. This is what the saints experienced. It can be just as true for us.

Prayer keeps us aware of our joyful destiny: loving union with God.

Many of us say that we want to get closer to God. Prayer is the way. Jesus calls us not servants but friends. And friends must make time for friends—to enjoy one another, to listen to one another, and simply to do things together. When making time for God becomes a priority, we are on the way to becoming closer to God.

It is wise and healthful to disengage for a while each day from the multiple demands made upon us and to spend some time with God. When we make this time, the other things generally get done as well. I’ve heard people say, “If I skip my prayer time, the quality of my day suffers.” Getting closer to God is demanding but fulfilling too. It is why we were created.

Why pray? God invites us. Jesus calls us friends, and friends need to spend time together.

Praying Through the Day

Jesus called us friends, and friends talk to each other anytime about anything. You can help your children understand prayer as an ongoing conversation with God, one that is both talking and listening.

Children (and adults) pray a lot already.

Explain to your children that throughout the day they are already sending prayers up to God. Something gets broken, and the prayer is “Oh, don’t let Mom be too mad!” There’s a test at school: “Please help me do okay!” Grandpa is sent to the hospital: “Please take good care of him.” All of these are prayers. They are honest, they take our needs to God, and they place our trust in God’s love for us.

Children (and adults) can talk with God while doing other things.

One good time is when you first get up in the morning. Some of the best conversations with loved ones happen in the kitchen or in the car. In the same way you and your children visit while chopping up a salad or when running errands, people can talk to God in the middle of their daily routines.

Children can talk with God or sing to him while picking up their clothes or walking the dog. Look for activities that lead naturally to quiet time, such as coloring or playing in the sand. Help your children recognize opportunities to pray with their hearts by letting God know what’s going on inside, heart to heart, while they are working with their hands or feet. Do younger children have a daily nap time? Talking with God can make it more interesting. Why, even those time-outs used for discipline can turn into something meaningful and less stressful because God is invited to sit there too.

Why not pray for others when wrapping gifts for birthdays, graduations, weddings, and baby showers? You and your children can do this together, talking to God about the loved one while you wrap.

We can pray to God anytime because God is paying close attention to us all the time.

Life is full of little opportunities to say “hi” to God and just catch up on what’s happening in life. When your children learn that prayer is simply being with or having a conversation with a constant companion, they will begin to turn to their loving heavenly Father no matter what is happening or how they feel.

You too will notice a huge difference when you simply stay in touch with God throughout the day and discuss life as it happens. Then be quiet a moment with the One whom you know always loves you, no matter what.

Sister Marlene Halpin, O.P., is a nationally recognized speaker and author on the topics of prayer and spirituality. Her many books include the popular 189 Ways to Contact God for Loyola Press.

Today is the Feast of St. Mark, the Evangelist.  Most of what we know about Mark comes from the Acts of the Apostles, from the letters of St. Paul and St. Peter.  St. Mark is a great witness to evangelization.  St. Mark lived what every Christian is called to do: proclaim to all people the Good News of Jesus Christ and that the Kingdom of God is at hand.  Although his way was by writing, others may proclaim the Good News by sports, music, politics, drama, poetry or by building up the domestic Church by sharing the Gospel around the family dinner table.

However, what happens when our sisters and brothers decide that the Church is not the place for them?  Do we notice and try and do something about this?  Are there somethings that we can do in our parish communities that can have an affect on passing on Christ’s Gospel in a way that inspires those who are in the pews today?  Father Robert Barron shares a challenging video below.  Below the video, there is a link to Catholics Come Home that is helpful for parishes reaching out to those who are looking for ways to come back to the Church.  You may find it helpful for your community.

Catholics Come Home website link

The producers of Bully did not just create a an extremely well made documentary on one of the toughest problems in our culture (13 million children and youth are bullied each year), they made it personal.  This movie passionately tells the story of Kelby (age 16, run down by a car because of coming out as gay), Ja’Meya (age 14, who takes a gum on a school bus to scare the bullies away only to face possession charges), and Alex (age 12, who is teased and punched while school administrators look the other way).  I was in tears Friday evening thinking about what so many of our young people deal with every day and how we as a faith community can stand-up to the violence.

Below you will find showtimes for this movie both in Des Moines and Omaha, the synopsis for the movie, a movie trailer and 2 resources for you (one from the NCEA and the other from the Archdiocese of Baltimore).

Please see the movie this week even if you need to travel to Des Moines or Omaha.  It is in limited release and could be replaced by other films as early as this weekend.  I recommend bringing youth and parents to this movie as well.  Only by being aware of how prevalent bullying is in our culture, will we even begin to put pastoral plans together to counterbalance the issue.

Showtimes through Thursday, April 26, 2012

• Fleur Cinema (Des Moines) – 4:45 pm, 7:20 pm and 9:30 pm
• Carmike Wynnsong 16 (Urbandale) – 1:00 pm, 4:05 pm, 7:05 pm, and 9:50 pm
• Century 20 Jordan Creek (West Des Moines) – 11:10 am, 1:45 pm, 4:20 pm, 7:05 pm, and 9:40 pm
• Aksarben Cinema (Omaha) – 11:30 am, 2:00 pm, 4:35 pm, 7:00 pm, and 9:40 pm
• AMC Oakview Plaza 24 (Omaha) – 12:25 pm, 3:00 pm, 5:30 pm, 7:55 pm and 10:30 pm

“The movie follows 5 kids and families over the course of a school year, stories include 2 families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate glimpse into homes , classrooms, cafeterias and principals’ offices, offering insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children. As teachers, administrators, kids and parents struggle to find answers, the dire consequences of bullying through the testimony of strong and courageous youth is examined. Through the power of their stories, the film aims to be a catalyst for change in the way we deal with bullying as parents, teachers, children and society as a whole.”

Anti-Bullying Resources – Archdiocese of Baltimore

What Can We Do About Bullying – Article from the NCEA

The Life Teen Podcast is attached.  Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Ps 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9; 1 Jn 2:1-5a; Lk 24:35-48.

“We get caught up in only what is going on in front of us today: this week or this year.  Because we don’t have God’s perspective, God is letting have to grow us so that we can use those virtues or skills later on in life.  God can use whatever is happening to us now for his glory at some point in the future.  Don’t get trapped in past regrets.  Live in the present and trust that God is working for your salvation.  He is refining you right now for what you will encounter in the future.”  (Mark Hart)

This podcast is an excellent foundation for a weekly Bible study focused on the readings throughout the liturgical year.  These Bible studies can be at the parish, at a coffee shop or even on-line.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday Podcast – 3rd Sunday of Easter

The Article below is by Kathy Henry and can be found on the DRE Connect website from Loyola Press.  Kathy Henry has been involved in the faith formation of children and adults for 19 years.  She holds a Masters in Religious Education from Loyola University, New Orleans, and has served as a catechist, DRE, youth minister, and retreat director. She lives in Ohio with her husband and five sons.  Below the article you will find Vacation Bible School themes and links for 2012.

I’ve been looking at Vacation Bible School (VBS) flyers and previewing Web sites since Advent, when summer seemed a distant date on the calendar, something I could put at the very bottom of my ever lengthening to-do list. By early March, I’m still anxiously debating which summer program is just right for my particular group of families. When I feel I should be unpacking my Starter Kit, I’m still debating between pandas and beaches, or maybe outer space. And what do these themes have to do with the Bible, anyway? Through the anxiety, however, I know the excitement of planning and preparing for a summer Bible program presents a new catechetical moment in the life of the parish.

How to Select a VBS Program

If you’re a veteran of the VBS scene, you may be familiar with choosing a Vacation Bible School program. If you’re new to the VBS scene and you’ve just been handed the responsibility of making this decision, you may be overwhelmed by the choices and wondering how one goes about deciding which VBS program to pick. And if you’ve never been involved in Vacation Bible School, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about and why Catholic churches are enthusiastically embracing what once was a primarily Protestant venture. How do the decisions you make regarding Vacation Bible School in your parish make a difference in the faith lives of children? How can a thoughtfully chosen VBS win the hearts and minds of children and their families?

When choosing a VBS program, I generally find it helpful to prayerfully reflect on who the families are and what their spiritual needs might be. Summer Bible programs offer the opportunity to engage children in faith experiences outside the confines of textbooks, assessments, and classroom walls. Through music, games, crafts, drama, prayer, and reflection, children are exposed to stories of faith in captivating ways. But determining which stories my families need to hear and reflect upon takes insight and spiritual guidance. I need to be paying attention all year to the spirituality and personality of my families in order to select the right VBS program for them. And which families am I trying to reach? Is it the “always available, ready to help with anything” family? Or the “barely noticeable, hardly ever there” family? My selection just might turn the “barely noticeable” into the “always available.” Before making a selection, I like to sit quietly with a list of families, and try to bring each family to the Lord in prayer, asking for the right program for these particular people. When I am able to do so, I can move forward with confidence that God’s Spirit will guide us all through the challenges of making VBS a reality.

Choosing a Theme with the Whole Parish in Mind

I also try to keep the needs of the parish community in mind when selecting a VBS program. Summer programs offer parishes an opportunity to highlight an ongoing effort of the community or reinforce a message for the whole community. For example, when our parish was in the midst of a major building project, we chose a construction theme for our Vacation Bible School. Children ran around wearing plastic construction hats and sang about building the Kingdom of God. The year we chose a “Fruits of the Spirit” County Fair theme, the down-on-the-farm feel captured the attention of all members of our rural parish and reinforced the message of “bearing fruit” during our Fall stewardship drive. Choosing a theme with the whole parish in mind can create a unifying, community building moment in the life of the parish.

Whatever program you select, it has to make sense for your particular location. When the message can be applied directly to existing circumstances, the whole community can embrace the program and be transformed by it. Whether you are still deciding or already decorating, continue to ask how the faith message of your Vacation Bible School can win the hearts and minds of everyone involved.

Adventures on Promise Island Vacation Bible School (Saint Mary’s Press) – Come join us on Adventures of Promise Island – where children discover God’s lifesaving love!  Amid the swaying palm trees, exotic wildlife, and welcoming sunshine, children will learn that God promises: I am with you, I care about you, I give you what you need, I will save you, and I will answer you.

Sky Vacation Bible School (Group) – This is a curriculum built around the concept of trusting God and takes kids into the sky as its setting. Decoration ideas include clouds, kites, airplanes, and more. You can listen to music clips and watch a special video promotion on their website.

Babylon Vacation Bible School (Group) – This theme takes children through the story of Daniel’s captivity int he city of Babylon. Group intends this second offering to be more family inclusive and many churches use it as a family ministry event. Follow the links below for more information about the theme and its biblical content.

Sonrise Vacation Bible School (Liguori Press) – SonRise National Park is the place to be for summer 2012! Your kids will love the high-energy games, cool wilderness crafts, and the best VBS music and skits ever!

The Catholic Peace Ministry held their annual Bishop Maurice Dingman Peace Award Dinner featuring honoree Joshua Casteel.  The award was presented to to Joshua Casteel, who authored Letters From Abu Ghraib about his experiences as an interrogator when he was with the U.S. Military in Iraq.  Joshua gave a riveting talk about his conversion to understanding the Gospel of Jesus after he spent considerable time trying to break down a young Saudi “Jihadi” who asked Joshua if he truly knew Jesus.

At a certain point, as Joshua described his faith journey, he could no longer look in the mirror; he left the military and achieved conscientious objector status.  Joshua wrote and performed in a play at the University of Iowa based on his experiences.  Joshua noted that it is likely that his stage-four rare lung cancer is a result of burning waste in Iraq for the military; yet he harbors no bitterness. “What is happening to me is entering the same cross that Iraqis will be on for decades as a result of all this,” Joshua said.  Joshua said his stage-four cancer was “a gift” that restored his faith in humanity, as well as communion with his father, who also suffered with cancer.