About This Lesson Plan on Evangelization
This Blessed Bearer lesson plan on evangelization will help youth understand that Our Blessed Mother is an example of how to evangelize.
Opening Game for Blessed Bearer
Start by playing a Blanket Carry Relay game. In this game, teams carry a member on a blanket. Everyone must take a turn carrying and being carried. For details, see Blanket Carry Relay Game.
Follow up with a couple of questions:
- How difficult was it to carry the person on the blanket?
- Which did you prefer - doing the carrying or being carried?
- Did you come up with a strategy which made this easier?
It's not always easy carrying someone else. And it is also not easy being carried. But when you think about it, evangelization is an act where we carry Jesus to the world. And our first example for this was our Blessed Mother Mary.
Scripture Reading for Lesson Plan on Evangelization
Read the Gospel:
Luke 3:10-18 (The Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth) - the Gospel Reading for the 4th Sunday in Advent – Year C
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."
Luke 3:10-18
Discussion about Blessed Bearer
Mary literally brought Jesus Christ to her cousin Elizabeth. And Elizabeth recognized him within Mary. It is not recorded, and it is not likely, that when Mary was walking down the street that strangers recognized her as the Christ Bearer. Elizabeth's experience was an encounter which came as a result of their relationship with each other.
We know this to be true of how we bring Christ to others also. Just walking up to someone you don't know and inviting them to encounter Jesus probably won't be very effective. Evangelization starts with people we know and care about. And it comes from a place of love.
You might think that all of your friends know Jesus already. If they do, that's great. But even in that case you can work together to deepen your faith.
Watch The Do's and Don'ts of Evangelization from the resources below.
This video makes us laugh because Timid Tammy is so afraid to say what is on her mind. And Abrasive Abner is so obnoxious and overbearing. Obviously we are going for an approach more like Graceful Gabby.
She sees opportunities to evangelize. She is not forcing the issue but is using everyday events to help bring people to Christ. And her approach is straightforward. She isn't trying to appear pious or holy or better than her friends. She is just inviting them into her world of life in Christ. This is where she loves to be and she wants her friends to be there with her.
Reflection Questions for Lesson Plan on Evangelization
- How can the model of Mary and Elizabeth apply to the way we bring Jesus to others?
- What is holding you back from talking about faith?
- Mary's visit brings joy through Jesus. Do we feel that joy in our faith? How free are we in expressing joy in our beliefs?
Challenge for Blessed Bearer
This week, look for opportunities to evangelize. Be free and confident in speaking about your faith when the opportunity presents itself. To help, ask the Holy Spirit every day to give you the wisdom to see these opportunities and the courage to act on them.
Prayer
Conclude by offering prayer intentions, especially for those we know who we would like to bring closer to Christ. Then ask for the intercession of our Blessed Mother by praying the Hail Mary.
Resources for What Should We Do
The Hail Mary Prayer
The Hail Mary is often misunderstood. It begins with Elizabeth's greeting and ends with us asking our Blessed Mother to pray for us, much as we would ask a friend.
Blanket Carry Relay Game
In this game we carry our friends. This ties in to how we need to carry Jesus to our friends.
Do’s and Don’ts of Evangelization
This very funny video from Life Teen shows teenagers how (or how not) to introduce their friends to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. It’s a great resource for getting a youth ministry group talking about evangelization.
Leave a Reply