What’s Your Story? “Not Bad, If I May Say So Myself!”

“Not Bad, If I May Say So Myself!”

Bernadette shares some wonderful thoughts about a very successful lesson she taught:

I was one of the facilitators at a weekend retreat for a small group of Confirmation candidates. The theme was”Who am I?” In the introductory session I invited them to play a simple game. As they sat in a circle we pinned the names of well know people (local & international) on their backs. Their challenge was to find out their “new identity” by asking thier friends questions such as “Am I male or female?” or “What do I do for a living?” etc. After a short while and much laughter, most of them had figured out their new identities. But I had deliberately included one or two names that they were not lkely to be so familiar with. Just as we predicted, the bearers of these names began to get really frustrated because no one could help them figure out their identities correctly! Eventually when all was revealed, we had a great discussion on the fact that we all need help in discovering our true identity (parents, good friends, church community, God); and of course the frustrations we experience when we do not know who we truly are – beloved sons/daughters of God. It was a great entree for the weekend!

What’s your story?  Share a brief story  – just one or two paragraphs -describing a session you taught that went particularly well. It doens’t have to be profound…just a lesson that you thought really hit the nail on the head and caused light bulbs to go on for those you teach. To do so, click here.

Then, return each day this week to read others’ stories and to comment on them if you wish. You can also go back and comment on stories from previous weeks or to add your own stories.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

* All stories posted become property of Loyola Press and may be used in future publications
About Joe Paprocki 2758 Articles
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.

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