Stories from the Field Archives - Page 37 of 61

Why Would God Do Bad Things?

I could use your help! In tonight’s session, as we learned about the Ten Plagues, one of the young ladies asked, “Why would God do bad things?” I responded that, first of all, Pharaoh and the Egyptians were doing something very wrong – enslaving the Hebrew people, and that God’s purpose was to bring about an end to the oppression. My wife added that God always gave Pharaoh an opportunity first to repent but, since […]

Session 11 (Dec. 3, 2013) – God Leads His People from Slavery in Egypt to Freedom

Joe Paprocki

Here is my plan for this evening’s session. BIG IDEA: God Leads His People from Slavery in Egypt to Freedom PRELIMINARY (10 mins) Begin with opening procession to O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Aaron Shust). Bell ringer = Maddie Opening prayer ritual (final collection for Catholic Relief Services – Philippines) Instead of sharing petitions, sit quietly and listen again to O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, reflecting on how/where we need God to come into our […]

A Delightful Evening Around the Campfire: Stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Joe Paprocki

Last evening was one of the most delightful evenings I’ve ever had as a catechist! I decided that, since we would be doing a lot of storytelling, that it would be nice to do so sitting around a campfire! I just needed to figure out how to build a pretend one indoors which luckily I found here. The kids absolutely loved it and it made for a very fun and engaging setting for getting a […]

Stories of Abraham and Jacob: Around the “Campfire” (While Roasting Marshmallows!)

Joe Paprocki

This evening’s session is all about storytelling! First, we need to finish our work on the stories of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac from last week but then we will segue immediately into the great stories of that rascal, Jacob! To set the mood for the storytelling, I’m going to build a pretend campfire! Take a look: (For directions on how to make the pretend campfire and marshmallows, visit http://www.funinthemaking.net/2009/02/17/pretend-to-campout-how-to-make-a-pretend-campfire-and-paper-marshmallows/). Here’s the overall plan: BIG IDEA: […]

“Can We Collect Money for the Philippines?”

Joe Paprocki

We had a very enjoyable session last evening, learning about God’s plan of salvation established with Abraham. I was most impressed with how the kids asked if they can collect money for the people suffering in the Philippines in the aftermath of the typhoon. They truly have charitable hearts! Here are some highlights of the evening: Our Big Idea was: Abraham trusted in God’s plan because God cares. We began by talking about how some […]

Session 8 (11/12/13): Abraham Teaches Us that God Cares

Joe Paprocki

My friend and co-worker, Kate, has a hilarious habit of zipping by my cubicle in a feigned huff and claiming, “You don’t care!” Before I can even respond, she’s gone! While we laugh at Kate’s antics, the truth is, too many people feel as if no one cares about them. The story of Abraham teaches us that God indeed cares! In fact, God has a plan for us that has our best interests at heart. It’s […]

Religious Education Family Mass

Joe Paprocki

Yesterday, St. Cajetan’s hosted a Religious Education Family Mass to celebrate what God is doing in the lives of those involved in the RE program. All of the catechists were asked to make displays and we set them up in the back of the church. Before and after Mass, many people browsed the displays and had a chance to meet and talk to the catechists and enjoy refreshments (after Mass!) I had a chance to […]

6th Grade Display for RE Family Mass

Joe Paprocki

This Sunday, the Religious Education program at St. Cajetan will host a Family Mass at 9:00 AM and our DRE, Deb, asked each catechist to put together a display for their grade. I finished mine this morning, featuring how the kids are Finding God in the stories of the Old Testament and how God reveals his love to us leading up to his greatest revelation: his Son, Jesus Christ! Have a great weekend!

Mass, Parent Meeting, and All Saints/All Souls

Joe Paprocki

Last night was a busy night for us in religious education since it was our monthly mass (the last Tuesday of each month) as well as the evening that I invited parents to attend so that I could meet them and spend some time with them. I really like the idea of the kids going to Mass once per month…they are learning more about the Mass and developing more familiarity with our liturgical life. The […]

“I Pray for Malala”

Joe Paprocki

During our prayer the other night, as the young people were offering intercessions, one young lady said, “I pray for Malala, the girl from Pakistan, who is speaking out about peoples’ rights.” After the prayer, I acknowledged this intercession and said how impressed I was that she had mentioned Malala Yousafzai and began to explain her story to the class in case some were not familiar with her. She is an education activist who was shot […]