COVENANT CATECHIST NOTES 9/25/20163jcqr63b3wmu40dlko1tjp2yu9p-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/... · Read it to the class ii. Have the students identify the 5 charac teristics found in the

1 | Covenant

COVENANT

9/25/2016

Week 2

CATECHIST NOTES

BACKGROUND 1. FOR A COMPLETE

OVERVIEW ON THE

BIBLICAL

UNDERSTANDING ON

COVENANT SEE:

COVENANT LOVE:

INTRODUCING THE

BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW

Access on line at: https://stpaulcenter.com/st

udies/lesson/lesson-one-

the-master-key-that-

unlocks-the-bible

Outline and notes from online

Scripture course.

2. UNDERSTANDING THE

COVENANTS OF GOD

YouTube presentation

(8:44 minutes long)

https://www.youtube.c

om/watch?v=CSLfRB

xmUms

Community Building – this

is an important part of every

lesson in terms of group

formation. You and your peer

ministers should rotate leading

this activity.

Shared experiences by adults and teens –

In reviewing the guidelines for

small group sharing be proactive

1. Tell the group what you feel

is/are critical guideline(s) the

group needs to work on.

(since it’s the beginning of

the year maybe you want to

reinforce confidentiality or

no criticizing/judging

2. If the group has been

together for a period of time

have them identify a

guideline they feel they need

to get better about

OVERVIEW FOR THIS WEEK

1. 4:00-5:10pm- Teen Mass

2. 5:10-5:20pm - Hospitality in the Narthex

3. 5:20-5:30 - Large Group/attendance in Church

Led by Peer Ministers

4. 5:30- 7:00pm Small Group Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVES FOR THIS LESSON

To have your teens finalized their personal ‘faith’ goals

To identify 2-3 class ‘faith’ goals for this year

To have teens explore and come to a deeper understanding of the biblical meaning of covenant

To have teens explore how the biblical understanding of covenant is a significant idea that grounds the Catholic understanding of sacrament

To write a covenant as a class

LESSON COMPONENTS A. Community Building (10-15 minutes)

1. Ice Breaker (choose one)

Choose one listed in last week’s lesson that you did not get

to do

Use one of your own

Connect with last week’s lesson and have each person in the

group share one thing they wrote in response to:

Something I would like to know about God that remains

hidden? Or share one of their personal faith goals for this

year

B. Shared experiences by adults and teens (15-20 minutes)

1. Review the Guidelines for Small Group Sharing – you can direct the teens back to last week’s TH (5 minutes)

Respect privacy and confidentiality. What is said in the group stays in the group.

Listen carefully. Allow others to complete their sentence or thought. Be patient with another.

Allow a pause in the conversation after someone shares. Give the person sharing the chance to finish and the group the opportunity to consider what was just shared before responding.

Don’t criticize or judge what another person says.

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No ‘Cross Talk’ - Be considerate of others as they are sharing. No side conversations, small group time is not time to text friends or check your social media.

Don’t give advice unless another has asked for it No Fixing - We are not here to fix each other. Give encouragement and speak the

truth. Don’t try to solve or fix each other. Respect silence. People need time to process ideas and form their thoughts. Give others a chance to speak. Everyone who wants to share ought to be able to do

so. Be sensitive about the amount of time you share. Respect another’s desire for privacy. No one is obligated to share.

Use “I” statements rather than “we” statements. Speak for yourself; let others

speak for themselves.

2. Activity 1 – Setting group Goals (10-15 minutes) a. Direct teens to page 1 of this week’s TH to the Our Group Exercise b. Ask the teens to quietly reflect on the questions – maybe jot down

some notes on that page of the TH c. When all have had a chance to reflect on these questions have one

of your peers facilitate a discussion based on these questions. d. When everyone has shared the catechist should briefly

summarize what he/she heard in the discussion and then ask the group if they have anything to add.

e. Group should formulate 2-3 group goals for the year f. Everyone enters the group goals in the box provided in the

CH/TH

CATECHIST NOTES

As a group they may have difficulty with cross talk or not giving advice.

Remember: focus on the guidelines whenever you feel the group is not being productive or constructive

Activity 2 – Intro Last week each of you worked on your personal learning goals. This week we are going to identify at least 2 group goals for the year.

Our Group Reflection Exercise see page 1 of TH Encourage teens to work alone and quietly during reflection time.

SMALL GROUP TIP The sharing will be more organized, detailed and perhaps deeper when teens have a chance to reflect in writing first.

Peers can lead this discussion

In this first discussion make sure everyone has a chance to contribute – this includes the catechist and peers. When sharing in a discussion only go first if you are trying to model a particular kind or level of sharing. Otherwise, take your turn in the middle.

Our Group Reflection Exercise Take 5 minutes to write answers to these questions. Please be honest! Why I am here?

What do I hope to get from FLAME this year?

How do wish to grow in my faith?

What do I want from the group?

What do I want from my catechist? My peer ministers?

Our FLAME CLASS GOALS for 2016-2017

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C. Catholic Teaching on Covenant (25-30 minutes)

PRESENT THE FOLLOWING KEY IDEAS ON COVENANT using the words below or your own.

A covenant is fundamentally about relationship

A covenant is a solemn promise or oath between two or more individuals or groups

Covenant comes from the Latin word, convenire ("to come together" or "to agree").

A covenant is a sacred oath or promise; not a list of simple do’s and don’ts

Covenants vs contracts

A covenant is the unconditional commitment to love and serve; a contract is a conditional commitment to serve or provide.

The difference between covenant and contract in the Old Testament and throughout the Bible is profound. It's so profound that we could almost say that it's the difference between owning a slave (contract) and having a son (covenant)

There are two big differences between our notion of contract and the biblical notion of covenant.

contracts involve promises, covenants involve oaths

contracts guide the exchange property, covenants guide relationships between persons

In a contract, you exchange something you have - a skill, a piece of property, money. In a covenant you exchange your very being, you give your very self to another person.

Covenant is one of the most basic and central ideas of Biblical faith Covenant is the way God has chosen to be in relationship with us

and invited us to be in relationship to him

Sacred scripture is a covenant document (testament is the Latin for covenant) .The Old and New Testaments are really Old and New Covenants.

The Bible is a covenant document. It outlines what God has promised to be/do for us and what we are/do for God

Our sacramental symbols and rituals are the way we as Catholics express our fidelity to our covenant with God and with each other

1. Options for processing the presented material (choose 1) a. Have the students create a symbol for covenant in the box provided

on page 2 TH. They can work individually, in pairs or triads. b. Go to the Let’s Talk About It box on page 2 TH and discuss the

questions presented there.

.

CATECHIST NOTES

THE KEY IDEAS Many of these ideas or summaries of these ideas can be found on the TH.

If you want the teens to follow along in their handouts direct them to page TH 2.

If you are going to have your teens use the TH in this way ask them to highlight or underline particular phrases, circle certain words/phrases…

Active reading will improve comprehension and retention.

SMALL GROUP TIP

Check in with your teens frequently when presenting. We do not want to talk at them we want to talk with them. Ask for questions or comments. Stop midway through the presentation and throw out a discussion question to the group.

For instance ask them for examples of covenants and contracts to make sure that they understand the difference.

If you want teens to create a symbol direct them to the image in the Biblical Covenant box (TH3) as an example.

SMALL GROUP TIP Give teens time to formulate responses for discussion. Not everyone thinks on their feet. Cultivate pausing before responding – you’ll get more thoughtful responses and give the introverts a chance to get in the game.

Why is Covenant such an important concept?

1. We want all the Faith students to understand what a covenant is and why it is important.

2. In addition to its importance for Scripture study covenant is the idea that grounds the Catholic understanding of sacrament.

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D. Scripture (20-25 minutes)

1. Explain that there are multiple examples of covenants in both the

Hebrew and Christian scriptures, each developed and nuanced in

surprisingly rich ways.

Why would there be a need for multiple Biblical covenants? - Much of God's relationship to humankind is based upon covenantal relationships, a study of the covenants is an important aspect of correctly understanding Scripture. - People change – grow and develop in their understandings of God, themselves, the world… - Historical and cultural changes occur as a result of adapting to changing environments, encounters with new cultural ideas, new technologies…

2. Direct the teens to Biblical Covenant Boxes on page 3 of the TH.

3. Class Activity (choose one)

a. Show the YouTube clip Understanding The Covenants of God

or part of it

b. Compare and contrast 2 of the covenants reading from the

Scripture (this can be done by the whole group or in smaller

groups - dyads or triads)

Choose two of the covenants.

Read them as a class or in smaller groups

Have each group identify 1. What God promises in each of these covenants? 2. What is required of those who enter into the covenants?

4. Presentation on the pattern of Biblical Covenants

a. Go to the box There are 5 special characteristics found in all

Biblical covenants (TH p. 3)

b. Choose a third covenant from the list above

i. Read it to the class

ii. Have the students identify the 5 characteristics found in the

CATECHIST NOTES

Entertaining this question at this point will help you connect why we write Class Covenants each year. SMALL GROUP TIP Mixing up the number of students involved and the way they are involved in a task (large group, two smaller groups, pairs, triads, individual reflection)

- will help teens get to know more people in the group - provides a change in format - provides you another way to use your Peers effectively - allows for greater diversity of viewpoints - gives teens practice in developing consensus

The Biblical Covenants

1. Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:26-2:3)

2. Noah and his family (Genesis 9:8-17)

3. Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-14; 22:16-

18)

4. Moses and the Israelites (Exodus 19:5-6; 3:4-10; 6:7)

5. David and the Kingdom of Israel (2 Samuel 7:8-19)

6. Covenant of Isaiah (Isaiah 43:1-6)

7. The New Covenant in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

8. Covenant of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

9. Jesus and the Church (Matthew 26:28; 16:17-19)

10. The Eucharistic Covenant (Luke 22:14-20; Mark 14:22-25)

11. Covenant of Forgiveness (John 3:16)

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covenant by using the box which outlines the characteristics

of Biblical covenants.

E. Putting Faith in Action: Writing a class covenant or covenant Prayer (10-15 min) Class Task (choose 1) Direct your teens to TH page 4

Brainstorm with your students about o what behaviors will enhance their engagement in the learning

process and what behaviors will hinder their engagement in the learning process.

o what behaviors and attitudes will help them grow closer together as a group and what behaviors and attitudes will drive them apart

After brainstorming/discussing these behaviors write simple concrete behavioral goals (i.e. do not interrupt when someone is speaking, raise your hand to contribute to these behaviors write simple concrete behavioral goals (i.e. do not interrupt when someone is speaking, raise your hand to contribute to discussion, do not take/use anything that is not yours, create an environment where everyone feels safe while sharing - listen carefully to others, ask questions if you don’t understand a persons perspective, no shaming, ridicule, put downs…).

CATECHIST NOTES

You Class Covenant or Covenant Prayer does not have to be long; it has to articulate a promise every member of the group can commit to. . .

It may take spending 10-15 minutes at the beginning of the next class to complete your Class Covenant or Covenant Prayer. Don’t rush the process. Remember this is not a simple list of do’s and don’t’s – it is a more formational document.

You can also brainstorm the ideas and create a Google doc that your class can work on during the week – each providing their own comments which the group can edit at the next class.

If you choose to write a Covenant Prayer use it. Remember prayers are - addressed to God - include: - praise & thanksgiving - requests for God’s grace - a promise to commit to making our small group a success.

See page 5 of the TH:

There is a week in March where teens will get to choose the topic of conversation (Reconciliation week).

Give each teen a note card to write down what they would like to learn about.

Fill out a card of your own, and make sure we know it’s yours! We’ll weigh catechist suggestions more heavily. If you do not get this completed this week do it next week.

Why do we do this exercise every year?

1. This is an effective way of having our children/teens contribute to articulating what expectations we have of each other as a community. Making social contracts enhances self-esteem and fosters self-control

2. Each time students engage in fashioning a covenant the better understand what a covenant is

3. If you have a group that has been together more than one year their covenant with each other should change from year to year. Their promises with each other should reflect the growth of the social interactions with each other.

You can touch back to the small group sharing guidelines, your class goals, the individual learning goals your teens set for themselves at the first class. Making connections within and between lessons increases student comprehension and retention.

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CATECHIST NOTES

The I Learned box has been re-

designed. If you have time ask your teens to fill this out before they go. If there is time at the end of the lesson, discuss their answers.

You should never run out of material for a class. You can use many of the items on the TH to keep teens focused. If an individual or group finishes early direct them to one of the many things on the TH.

Announcements for this week:

Developing Your Class Covenant In the space below or on a whiteboard, create a list of items which belong in your class covenant. Ask yourself:

what behaviors and attitudes will help us grow closer together? drive us apart?

what behaviors and attitudes will enhance our engagement and learning? hinder our engagement and learning?

Our Covenant Prayer

As a group create a prayer you can share together this year. This prayer would include some key points from the Covenant, but would not just be a list of them.

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LESSON PREPARATION NOTES:

Is there something I want to pick up or go over from last week’s class?

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My community building activity this week will be

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What parts of the lesson will the Peer Ministers lead/facilitate?

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Do I need anything from the Faith Office prior to class?

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Other________________________________________________________________

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CATECHIST NOTES

Things I will need for class this

week:

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The Key Ideas/Objectives for

this week are

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Things I need to consult Mel

about

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