High School catechesis

[AngelicDoctor]

I am a new DRE and I am trying to revamp the religious education program (parish based) for our high school age kids. Do you all have any suggestions on solid materials THAT THE KIDS ALSO LIKE? I am thinking about doing the Great Adventure Bible Study that is adapted for teens (at one level) can get a foundation in Scripture. Any other ideas?

I know of some good textbooks (like the Didache series by Midwest Theological Foundation), but they are a bit expensive to say the least… and I am not sure how the kids will gravitate towards something that seems just like another high school text book.
Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

[kage_ar]

My son is in High School, for CCD the first half of the year this year, they used “the Great Adventure”. My son was bored, but, he had been through the adult version already.

This semester, we are using “Theology of the Body for Teens”

I also volunteer in youth group, our teens there are asking for Apologetics.

 

[AngelicDoctor]

Kag,
I too was thinking about Theology of the Body for teens… I am previewing it now. Now, the trick will be to get adult catechists who are comfortable enough to teach it (when they need a Theology of the Body for adults!).

 

[KathyA]

We use The Dead Theologians Society. www.deadtheologianssociety.com

The kids like it and it’s user friendly for the catechist.

I’ve also been looking at T3 The Teen Timeline, which is written by Mark Hart (The Bible Geek) and Jeff Cavins. Don’t know if this is the same program mentioned above. Anyway, I don’t have any personal knowledge of it, but it looks appealing.

Kathy

 

[AngelicDoctor]

I am piloting the T3 Teen Bible Timeline DVD’s with two classes of HS seniors… they seem to like it.

 

[Cade_One]

I am a new DRE and I am trying to revamp the religious education program (parish based) for our high school age kids. Do you all have any suggestions on solid materials THAT THE KIDS ALSO LIKE? I am thinking about doing the Great Adventure Bible Study that is adapted for teens (at one level) can get a foundation in Scripture. Any other ideas?

Hello

The “Great Adventure Bible Study” is good and solid. My aunt purchased this program for her homeschoolers.

You might also check out the Hands and Feet Podcast. They talk about different ways to reach out to our youth. You might enjoy it. If you need help with downloading the episodes feel free to PM me.

Another idea would be to have a coffee house of sorts. Somewhere the teens and young adults can get together and talk about a certain topic. They can come prepared with Scripture, Catechism, Writings of the Early Church Fathers, Papal Encyclicals, and anything else that may help them to grow in their faith. This may encourage them to dive into their faith and explore why we believe what we believe and not just what we believe. I think too often we underestimate our young people and dumb things down too much.

At our parish we have what is called Generations of Faith, where all parishioners come together for an event night to learn more about our faith. Next month the youth are planning one of the topics which really gets them involved and allows them to have purpose in the church. Good Stuff.

Hope this helps.

God Bless,
Josh from Ohiohttp://myspace.com/joshfromohio

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I am a new DRE and I am trying to revamp the religious education program (parish based) for our high school age kids. Do you all have any suggestions on solid materials THAT THE KIDS ALSO LIKE? I am thinking about doing the Great Adventure Bible Study that is adapted for teens (at one level) can get a foundation in Scripture. Any other ideas?

I know of some good textbooks (like the Didache series by Midwest Theological Foundation), but they are a bit expensive to say the least… and I am not sure how the kids will gravitate towards something that seems just like another high school text book.
Any ideas would be appreciated!

We have seen here a bit of success with Apologetics, specifically Bible rooted Apologetics for HS. They want to know how to defend their Catholic beliefs against Bible Christians. (here in the south)

 

[Al_Masetti]

Weeds Among the Wheat by Thomas Green, SJ is probably my all time favorite. Reading just a little bit of it causes my mind to race.

A Travel Guide to Heaven by Anthony DeStefano is excellent.

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I tend to be “book-oriented”, but have no idea what high school students are “into” these days.

EWTN has (to me, anyway) some excellent programs. They have some series by speakers who are outstanding. The tapes can be purchased.

My favorite was always military history … the 900 series in the library … all kinds of battles. And the Church has figured in some doozies … Lepanto, Vienna, the Crusades, the war in Spain (711-1492) … The interest in battles and wars always stirred my imagination … so when I started reading about the battles that involved Christianity, it kind of “slotted in” to my reading of previous battles.

 

[melissaP]

many of the homeschool moms on one of my lists just RAVE about this program- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd- here is the link. i dont know the price, but it is based on the Montessori concepts of how people learn. there is even an adult program.

worth a look!

cgsusa.org/index.shtml

HTH!

 

[puzzleannie]

I I know of some good textbooks (like the Didache series by Midwest Theological Foundation), but they are a bit expensive to say the least… and I am not sure how the kids will gravitate towards something that seems just like another high school text book.
Any ideas would be appreciated!

suggest buying these for the Catechists, so they have a reliable systematic guide to topics, organized like the CCC, but with explanations that float with kids. We have them but our kids just cannot cope with the textbook, reading levels too low, bummed out from school, whatever. At least get Intro to Catholicism (orange) for each catechist, then for your next investment get the volume on scripture (blue).

An inexpensive solution that works well with kids who are Catholic minority in the Bible Belt is Rock its a Catholic Thing, and apologetics booklet with good solid outline of doctrine put together by kids for kids. contemplationcornerpress.com. They sell a Confirmation Pack with this book, a companion book on the Rosary, scripture journal, confession guide etc., and there is a catechist guide that has a whole confirmation or HS RE program based on these resources, the CCC and the Bible. Lesson plans, prayers, meditations, journaling exercises etc. This worked very well in our 9th-10th grade confirmation prep classes for those kids with no previous catechesis since 1st communion (2nd grade).

Another solid relatively inexpensive route, works with those on a 8th-10th grade reading level, is Fr. McBrides Teen Catechism from Our Sunday Visitor. It also has a catechist guide, and the meetings can be run either in classroom formate, or “youth group” style. This works well for RCIA as well, in fact is my first choice for Youth RCIA. For RCIA use in conjuction with Making Disciples from the same publisher.

The Catholic youth Bible comes in either NRSV or NAB, and has various teachers guides and activity manuals, plus music CDs that go with it, Saint Marys Press. if you want a bible-based program. Several publishers have lectionary-based programs, but you have to be very wary about content.

Basic Apologetics is great, but they are not ready for it until they have a solid doctrinal and scriptural foundation in grades 7-10.

It depends of course on whether your HS CCD is Confirmation Prep, or after. If they are coming because they have to or because they want to.

 

[Mimi]

We use The Dead Theologians Society. www.deadtheologianssociety.com

The kids like it and it’s user friendly for the catechist.

I’ve also been looking at T3 The Teen Timeline, which is written by Mark Hart (The Bible Geek) and Jeff Cavins. Don’t know if this is the same program mentioned above. Anyway, I don’t have any personal knowledge of it, but it looks appealing.

Kathy

I have been told (by a speaker at a seminar who uses it with high school students in a Catholic HS on Long IS) that it is a good, quality program; same for TOB for Teens.

Blessings
Mimi