Just a reminder that a recording of my Lenten Webinar will be posted here shortly…stay tuned. In the meantime, I received a number of questions from participants during the Webinar and did not have time to address them that evening so I’m happy to do so now. Here they are: Lent 2013 Webinar Q & A (PDF) Lenten Webinar Q & A – Word Document Lenten Webinar Q & A (Word 97-03) [photo courtesy of Matt […]
During my Webinar last evening, I asked participants to share suggestions of bad habits we can let go of during Lent. What a great list of suggestions! What resonates with you? What might you add? Gossiping Lack of patience Anger Being judgmental Laziness TV Shows Negative self talk Being opinionated Spending too much time on Facebook Watching too much TV Spending too much time on the Internet Negative thinking Not praying enough Unkind words to […]
Just in time for Lent, here are my 40 Ideas for 40 Days! Special thanks to my colleague Linnette Mathys for getting all of these ready for posting! New this year: each activity can now be downloaded as a Blackline Master in PDF form! See the bottom of each activity for a link to download and print these PDFs! Also, don’t miss my Lenten Webinar, coming up on Tuesday, February 12, 2013. Click on […]
Sin is often the result of acting on an impulse – like a reflex action that we do without thinking. During Lent, we strive to pay closer attention to how we act so that we can learn to discipline our impulses and not act reflexively. Materials needed: several cotton balls or rolled up paper towels, a transparent barrier (a wire screen, a piece of clear plastic, etc.), a heavy book and a table top. Say, […]
Lent is a time to make sure that we are in a healthy alignment with God. Provide each participant with a fistful of Cheerios and a straight edge/ruler or popsicle stick Invite them to “spill” the Cheerios on their desk/table top in front of them. Show them the following image (either copy and paste into a handout or project it) and tell them to use their straight edge to arrange their Cheerios so that they […]
Ask all of your students to stand up and, on the count of three, to point north. Inevitably, there is some confusion…not all have their bearings! Explain that we can rely on a compass to help us get a sense of direction. Make a simple home-made compass. You will need a magnet, a sewing needle, a shallow aluminum baking pan filled with water, and a small piece of Styrofoam (2 in. x 2 in.) Hold […]
Lent is a time for us to declare our independence from sins that have been impinging on our freedom and to declare our DEpendence on God! Prepare your own “parchment” to use as a Declaration of DEpendence. Here is a picture of one I prepared next to a replica of the real thing. Any sheet of white newsprint will do. The thinner the paper, the better. I like to use a sheet from an easel […]
The focus of this session is on the 7 Deadly Sins, a good way to prepare for the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation during Lent. Identify each of the 7 Deadly Sins and their brief definitions (see chart below). Download or otherwise acquire versions of each of the following songs and play about 60 seconds of each song, one at a time, inviting the young people to guess which of the 7 Deadly Sins the […]
The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent provides us with a key for how to enter into Christmas. We hear of Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth. Mary enters and Elizabeth is filled with joy. Why? Because Mary is carrying Jesus within her. She is bringing Good News into Elizabeth’s home. She is bringing the nearness of God to Elizabeth. Mary knows how to light up a room! As we gather with family and friends […]
This past Monday turned out to be a very prayerful evening and a good way to begin Advent with my 6th graders! We met in church for the Advent Prayer Service which I put together a couple of years ago. I love when the bell ringers (hand chimes) call the assembly to order by slowing walking down the aisle and sounding their chimes. It really creates a sense of reverence and all the kids quieted down beautifully. […]
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