The Jesse Tree—Free PowerPoint Presentation

One popular Advent tradition is making a Jesse tree, which helps us to connect the custom of decorating Christmas trees to the events leading to Jesus’ birth. We adorn a Jesse tree with illustrated ornaments that represent people, prophesies, and events that recall God’s promise and its fulfillment. With a focus on Old Testament figures, the Jesse tree is a particularly good activity for sixth graders studying salvation history. It’s also great for any junior […]

Start-of-the-Year Parent Gathering—Free PowerPoint Presentation

As you plan for the new catechetical year, schedule a start-of-the-year parent gathering. This is a great opportunity to meet parents and encourage them in their role as their children’s first catechist. To help you, I’m offering a free PowerPoint presentation, complete with suggested script, for hosting a parent gathering. The message it conveys is that faith formation isn’t just another activity; it’s a way of life. Support the domestic church with this encouraging presentation […]

Holy Week, the Triduum, and Easter—Free PowerPoint Presentation

Whether it’s with a deep breath, a soft prayer, or a slight push, there are things we do to get ready. These final touches, and many others, are examples of our personal preparedness, and it is just as important to prepare and ready ourselves as it is to experience. Today I’m offering a way to help us get ready for the end of Lent with a free PowerPoint presentation on Holy Week, the Triduum, and […]

Saints for the New Evangelization—Free PowerPoint Presentation

Flip through any tabloid magazine and you’ll see splashy spreads touting all the ways the rich and famous are just like us! They drink coffee. They have children. They are busy going about their lives. These magazines act like this is information we should care about, and worse, we should emulate. In our celebrity-obsessed culture, it’s not easy to remember what real role models are made of. Instead of People, we should be reading Saints. […]

Teaching About Jesus Using PowerPoint

At the recent plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged the use of new technologies of the digital age to spread the word of God. With that in mind, for the first time in my life as a catechist, this evening I will be having my students create Powerpoint presentations rather than posters! For the last few years, during the Jesus unit, I have had my classes work at […]

Bible PowerPoint – God’s Library

This coming Monday evening is our Open House for the School of Religious Education and we anticipate parents coming to sit in on their children’s sessions. Of course, we want to be sure that some very engaging things are going on that evening! I’ve decided to do a Bible activity with my group which is based on my book God’s Library: A Catholic Introduction to the World’s Greatest Book (this book is now out of […]

Powerpoint Went Well

The Powerpoint presentation I did last night on Church history went very nicely. First, I would say that the kids were intrigued at the notion of a “high-tech” religion class. They got a very clear message that “something was up” for that night’s class. It’s always good to communicate the message, as they arrrive, that “there is most definitely a plan for this session and I need YOU to fit into that plan ASAP!” Second, providing […]

Using PowerPoint

I’m going to try something different tonight. I’ve put together a Powerpoint presentation on Church history. It’s the first time I’ll be using this technology in this particular setting (a weekly religious education session). If you don’t know what a Powerpoint presentation is, here is a brief explanation: PowerPoint is a graphics program by Microsoft that allows you to produce a professional-looking presentation made up of a series of “slides.” The slide presentation, which can […]

Next Up for Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Jesus

Our next session of Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas will take place on Sunday, October 29, as we venture into the second unit of Finding God, which focuses on Jesus. Specifically, our theme will be, “To Whom Can I Turn? Jesus: Fully Human, Fully Divine.” After our setting up of the prayer space and opening prayer, the session will begin by inviting families to discuss examples of unexpected problems or challenges that their families faced […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: An Advent Jesse Tree

With the season of Advent soon upon us, I want to share about a great Advent tradition that you can do as a family: the making of a Jesse tree. The Jesse tree, named after the father of King David, helps us to connect the custom of decorating Christmas trees to the events in our salvation history that lead to Jesus’ birth. It is, in essence, Jesus’ family tree. We adorn a Jesse tree with […]

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