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Youth Prayer to St. George for Courage
Pray this intercessory prayer to St. George when you need the strength and courage to resist evil and stand up for what is right. This prayer is written with youth in mind and the types of experiences they have in their daily lives.
Anselm’s Prayer – Teach My Heart Where and How to Seek You
St. Anselm of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk and theologian. His feast day is April 21. Anslem’s Prayer is a good prayer to say before reading scripture. It would also work well will a discussion of discernment or discipleship.
Pictionary (Youth Ministry Game)
Pictionary is warm up game to play with your youth group. You can use words with are related to the theme of the meeting. Teens love this game!
Tiger Tail Tag (Game for VBS or Youth Ministry)
Tiger Tail Tag is a human pinata game for your Vacation Bible School, youth ministry, or youth group. In this game, the tiger throws candy when one of the youth catches it.
Make a Jesse Tree
A Jesse tree is a traditional Advent craft which shows the relationship of Jesus to famous people from the bible. Every day you read the story of somebody related to Jesus from the Bible and hang an ornament on the tree with a symbol which represents the person you just read about. This helps our families understand our salvation history and that God has been working with a purpose through the ages to bring about our salvation.
Go See a Christmas Light Display
So spend a little time looking at the lights. Go see a large Christmas light display somewhere or just drive around your neighborhood and see how beautiful it looks. After you see some great displays, remind your family what the Bible says in John 8:12 – “When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said: I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the light of life.”
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. . #Catholic #Pope #KeysOfHeaven #ChairOfStPeter
Recycled Rain-Gutter Regatta
We did a recycled rain-gutter regatta at our middle school VBS last year. Many of the student said this was their favorite activity of the week. They made boats from materials destined for the trash or recycle bin. Then they raced them down a couple of rain-gutters filled with water.
Lenten Activities: Make a Prayer Chain
A prayer chain puts our prayers in a tangible form. For children, this can be a good way to teach about the different types of prayer. #prayer #YouthGroup #YouthMinistry #ReligiousEd #CCD #PSR #VBS
Reflection Questions for the Story of the Samaritan Woman at the Well
There are several different aspects of the story of the woman at the well which are interesting to reflect upon. Here are some questions for different ways to look at this story. These can be used to help facilitate group discussion or for starters for journaling.
Mutiny (Human Pinata Game for VBS or Youth Group)
Mutiny is a game which I have also heard called “human pinata”. In this game, the little pirates chase around the captain and steal his candy. This is a great outdoor game for VBS or youth group. If you play this for a themed vacation bible school or youth ministry meeting, have the captain dress up if possible. #ShipwreckedVBS #VBS #YouthMinistry #YouthGroup
People Sort Activity
This is an activity which can be used as an icebreaker or opening activity for a youth group meeting focused on human dignity, immigration, or institutional racism. Use the debrief time to have an honest discussion about why we group people by race rather than other characteristics.
Wild Wet Wiffle Ball
Wild Wet Wiffle Ball is a fun summer option for a youth group game. It is just like regular wiffle ball, only wetter.
Davy Jones Locker (Game for VBS or Camp)
Davy Jones Locker is a simple game for young children at Vacation Bible School or church camp. In this game you fish men and treasure out of the sea. Even the youngest children at VBS will enjoy this one. Everyone gets to keep whatever they fish out. #ShipwreckedVBS #VBS #campgames #churchcamp
Sing Some Christmas Carols
We went to the annual Festival of Lessons and Carols last night at our kid’s grade school. They put on a very nice presentation of carols and Bible readings. It made me think about how much caroling can help us think about the coming of the Christ child.
All Together Now: A Lesson Plan on Racism
Racism can be a difficult topic to discuss with teens. It is popular to think that we are “color blind”. But the fact is that the playing field is not level and that minorities do not have the same advantages as the majority. This lesson plan introduces the topic of institutional racism.
I Gotta Go Game (for Youth Ministry)
This game is really funny and teens love it. It looks like a kid trying to get to the bathroom “in time”. Use it for fun or with a youth group meeting focused on babies or pro-life issues or even Advent or Christmas.
Lent
Lent is a time to answer the call to conversion. Catholics practice self discipline by abstaining from meat on Fridays and making other small sacrifices.
Lenten Activities: Attend Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross are a lovely Lenten tradition. It the devotion, we make the journey to Calvary with our Lord Jesus Christ, focusing on how he suffered for us and his interactions with those he met on the way. #Lent #prayer #StationsOfTheCross
Drip Drip Drop Game for Youth Ministry
This is a water game for teenagers which can be played indoors if you don’t mind wiping up a few puddles at the end. It is basically Duck Duck Goose with water.
Pray for Military Chaplains
January 26 is the Feast of Sts. Timothy and Titus. St. Titus is the patron saint of the US Army Chaplain Corps. (There is even an official award named after him.) So on his feast day, it is appropriate to say a prayer for army chaplains.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins – Reflection and Questions
This reflection will help youth understand the Parable of the Ten Virgins. In this parable, Jesus asks us to be prepared and ready.
Make Jars with the Jelly Bean Prayer to Prepare for Easter
The Jelly Bean Prayer is a fun Easter prayer for your family or youth ministry. Make up some jars of jelly beans to give away with the prayer during the Octave of Easter. Put them on display for the rest of Lent to remember that we are walking this Lenten journey with the hope of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord on Easter. #hope #LentenJourney
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year B (2024)
The readings for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time for Year B invite us to hear God calling and to respond. So possible themes for this Sunday are discipleship and listening for the call of God. Here are some ideas.
Seeing the Big Picture Youth Ministry Game
Sometimes we don’t see “the big picture”. That makes it difficult for us to understand why the Holy Spirit is leading us somewhere unfamiliar or why the Church has a teaching. This game is designed to help youth understand that it can be disorienting or difficult to understand something if we only see it from a small perspective.
Modern Day Version of The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Reflection and Questions)
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant might be difficult for youth to understand. While slavery and servitude was common in the time of Jesus, the imagery will be unfamiliar to the youth of today. This retelling prepares youth to understand the message of this gospel. Reflection questions are also provided.
Divine Mercy Sunday
Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated on the final day of the Easter octave – that is the Sunday after Easter. Catholics remember the tremendous love and mercy that Jesus Christ has for us.
Celebrate St. Peter Claver by Checking Your First Aid Kit
Sometimes we can teach our children through the ordinary. We can help kids learn about St. Peter Claver on his feast day (September 9) by checking the family first aid kit. Your kids might say “What does a first aid kit have to do with a saint?” So be prepared to answer them.
Presentation of the Lord Crossword Puzzle
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord commemorates when Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem to be consecrated. There they met Simeon and Anna who blessed the child and prophesied about him. Use this crossword puzzle to reinforce the main characters and ideas in the gospel for this day. The printable crossword can be used with youth ministry or children’s Liturgy of the Word or a Sunday School lesson.
Crown the King (VBS Game or Youth Ministry Game)
Or maybe it should be called “Uncrown the King” because the goal is to knock off other player’s crowns and keep your own. This is an active game, so it is best played outdoors, in a gym, or in a meeting room with some open space.
Listen to Praise and Worship Music While Doing Chores
I am a homemaker, and I’ll admit that cleaning the house is not my favorite thing to do. But it is an act of love for my family. And listing to praise and worship music while doing chores reminds me of that.
Halloween Costumes and Modesty
Choosing a Halloween costume as a young Christian woman can be difficult. Everywhere you look there is sexy this and sexy that costumes.
Winter Family Outdoor Activities
God made a beautiful world for us and we should enjoy it together even when it is cold! So do something outdoors as a family. Some ideas require snow, but others do not. After the activity, talk about how God has provided the outdoors for us as our own playground. And he has provided so many other things for us also, including the gift of Jesus!
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Catholics attending mass on this day have their foreheads marked with ashes as a sign of repentance.
A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds.
A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.
This quote from St. Basil the Great reminds us that what we do tells people a lot about who we are and what is important to us.
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Medusa (Youth Group Game)
Medusa is a game for a group of about 8 or more teenagers. It is based on the Greek legend of Medusa. Looking at her caused people to turn to stone.