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. […]

Equipping Catechists with AV Equipment on a Low Budget

For some time, I have struggled with the reality that many catechists do not have access to AV equipment to show videos or PowerPoint presentations in their classes. Often, the RE program does not have equipment of its own and is not welcome to use the school’s AV equipment. While I show videos and PPT presentations all the time, the fact is, I purchased my own LCD projector some years ago because of the volume […]