Effective Confirmation lesson plans?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Windfish
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
W

Windfish

Guest
I will be leading a group of young Catholics toward the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation. If statistics are any indication, this group will likely be awash with many of the common misapprehensions and prejudices against the Catholic Church and religion in general. This complicates things for me. How do I reach these young adults in a way that captivates their interest and motivates a change of heart?

It seems to me that I have to address their anxieties head-on, but that would mean extended discussions in the realm of philosophy and abstract reasoning. I do not imagine this to be a particularly interesting topic for young adults, but I could be wrong.

I am asking anyone who has ever lead a group of young people: what has been your experience like? What has worked for you?
 
Be willing to answer off topic questions, as long as they are sincere and not sarcastic.
The Chosen video series is great.
 
I agree. But what is “on-topic?” In other words, what are the discussions that we want to have?
 
I am a Confirmation catechist. We have a very detailed program of what our kids need to learn.
The Diocese has given us our choice of 3 different primary resources to use.
We are free to structure the lessons as we see fit.

What I have found is the there is a need for basic foundation skills in the beginning.
My kids are in 8th & 9th grade. Most of them did not know the order of Mass, the Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be, most had no idea how to pray a rosary or what the gifts & fruits of the Holy Spirit were.

Once we got through that stuff, we used a variety of learning tools. We played games, watched videos and discussed them. We are using “The Catholic Faith handbook” as a text, which has great reflection questions and ideas for small group discussions. We also use Dynamic Catholic’s “Decision Point” workbook and videos. We try to engage them in activities that will help them in the future. We let them experience different types of prayer, are introducing them to various devotions and Saints, and showing them all the different facets of Catholicism.

The biggest thing though is to listen to what they are saying and asking. Don’t sugarcoat anything. Be honest. And never answer a question with “Becasue the Churhc says so.”
 
let the kids decide- as someone who was there a few years ago, I had quite a few.
 
You diocese should have some sort of resources for you to follow.
At the very least, what knowledge they expect imparted to the youth.

Who did this in your parish before? What resources did they use?
 
This is a good idea, but please tell me you also had a curriculum you had to follow?
 
Yes. The Chosen video series I mentioned.
Our class was a mix of the video, and then discussion around the video, and then QnA with the teacher (in my case my parish pastor)
 
Thank you for the response, CilladeRoma.

As an apologist at heart, I suppose I am looking at this responsibility in a different way. I see that young adults face a world that is very hostile to the Church, and they have likely imbibed that hostility. So it seems necessary to me to disarm them, soothe their misapprehensions with apologetics. The paradox is that they are at an age where abstract thought would go right over their heads, or so the stereotype would have us believe (I know that I, at that age, would be fascinated). If we ignore this need for rational engagement, I wonder what use it is teach them prayers, the liturgy, etc. if they don’t even believe. Do you understand my concerns?

Here is another question: how many a sessions a week or month did you meet? And how long were they?
 
I do understand your concerns, as they were mine in the beginning too. Then reality hit. My kids didn’t even know the basics, so apologetics was pointless. By engaging them more in Mass and prayer styles, we are able to open their minds & hearts to the working of the Holy Spirit, then they start asking more questions and start to get into it more.

Our program is 2 years. It begins in 8th grade and the kids are confirmed in the spring of their 9th-grade year. 25 hours of classroom instruction, a minimum of 25 hours of service work per year, weekly Mass attendance with an entry in their prayer journal for what Mass they attended, a day-long retreat for each year, a personal interview with the Pastor and a catechist and 2 5-hour Sponsor/Candidate sessions just prior to the actual Confirmation Mass.

Our classes this year a twice a month for 1.5 hours. We are looking at changing to a once a month, 3 hour Candidate/Parent/Sponsor session for next year, but that is still in the works.

Edited to add: This program was designed under the Bishop’s explicit instruction. We are in our 3rd year of this program.
 
Last edited:
Windfish said:
I am asking anyone who has ever lead a group of young people: what has been your experience like? What has worked for you?
Click to expand...
First I would ask what your diocesan Confirmation program entails. Do you know? Have you gone to any catechist training or has your DRE provided guidance? What books do you use?

Our diocese, for example, has 3 approved Confirmation programs:
Chosen
Acts One:Eight:
Diocesan-created 33 lesson program

Confirmation | Diocese of La Crosse

diolc.org diolc.org

Your own diocese should have approved textbooks or curriculum, along with a scope and sequence, lesson plans, or other resources.

We use the Chosen program.
 
Windfish said:
Do you understand my concerns?
Click to expand...
You are not there to teach apologetics. You are there to conduct proximate preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation.

You need to talk to your pastor and your DRE regarding both diocesan and parish expectations and standards.

Apologetics is a great field and a great thing to do. It is NOT sacrament preparation. it is something entirely different. Each has their own place in religious education. There are times to employ apologetics methods in instruction of other kinds, but it is NOT appropriate to turn a sacrament prep class into an apologetics class.
 
For 5 years I taught groups of teen (13-18) boys. I was part of a 3 year program my parish had for children who had not received all the Sacraments of initiation. Some of them had not even been baptized.

The first year was called Gospel and concentrated on salvation history. The second year (the one I taught) was called Creed. The Third year was called Sacrament and concentrated on the 7 sacraments.

My class ran 1.5 hrs class room and then Mass immidately after. Mass was a mandatory part of the class and roll was taken after Mass.

I divided my class time into 2 parts. The first part I went through basic prayers (Sign of the Cross, Hail Mary, etc) where they came from and how to say them. The next week there was a test on that prayer and the young men were required (by our pastor) to have them, by memory to pass the class.

The second part was divoted to topics where I built a basis For the Nicene/Constantinople Creed: Faith, Prayer, God, the Father, the Son, etc. All this was looked up by the boys, in the bible, during class. Refernce to the Mass was made as often as possible

Most of the boys were there because their parents made them come but except in one or two cases they were all eagar participants by the end of the year and the classes were 20-30 boys per year.

The first day of class I told them what we were going to cover, gave tham a copy of the final test, and asked them to write me a question on any religious topic they wanted. I would answer these when we got done with a subject early. Tests (except for basic prayers) were open books/open notes.

This is a light overview. I was using a basic outline provided by DRE. Check with yours. It covers the basics. By the way, do NOT pretend to knowledge you do not have. It is acceptable to say, “I don’t know but I will get back to you with an answer”.

Patrick
AMDG
 
Y Disciple (available as part of FORMED.ORG) is an excellent program.

Of course, as with all Catechesis, see what is approved for your Diocese.
 
Windfish said:
How do I reach these young adults in a way that captivates their interest and motivates a change of heart?
Click to expand...
When I was teaching catechism I faced this same situation. I think what they need is an ENCOUNTER with the Risen Christ. They need to talk about what challenges they have in their lives and learn to pray about these things and apply the principles of their faith to solving them. Granted, they should have been getting this at home, but most of them did not. Their parents did not even come to Mass.

My challenge was trying to cover the mandated “curriculum” while trying to meet the kids where they are. I would give them time to share what was on their hearts and pray for their personal issues first, then move on to their misunderstandings of the faith. If there is a way to get the content of the curriculum to apply to real life experiences for them that is best. You will be in my prayers!
 
I have heard great things about using Catholic Alpha for Confirmation as so many of our folks are Sacramentalized but have never been evangelized.
 
You are not there to teach apologetics. You are there to conduct proximate preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation.
Click to expand...
It is precisely my point, though, that preparation for the Sacrament might involve some kind of apologetics. These young adults are going to have to make a confession of faith, but many of them (again, I imagine) do not believe or have a lot of barriers toward belief. How do you propose we knock down those barriers if not with apologetics?
 
Windfish said:
These young adults are going to have to make a confession of faith, but many of them (again, I imagine) do not believe or have a lot of barriers toward belief. How do you propose we knock down those barriers if not with apologetics?
Click to expand...
I haven’t found that to be the case.

You teach the curriculum, you answer their questions. I don’t really get the focus on apologetics or what specifically you envision. Maybe you could give a “for instance”?
 
Sure. Many young people have serious reservations about the Church and about religion in general. One common reservation is that faith, they fear, is an affront to reason and science. How do you tackle that without apologetics?

A lot of them are receiving the sacrament, more than likely, because their parents are forcing them to do so. And many of them won’t participate for that very reason. So do we continue merrily along as if we are all believers and answer questions as they come up, or do you actually realize the situation and be proactive?
 
You tackle that with Evangelization.

Read “Forming Intentional Disciples” and “Converting The Baptized”
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top