Keeping the Church Relevant for Today's Youth

EDUC 5445 001

By: Geneva Ishak

Students in the Catholic School Board

Future Students that I will teach in my career

Students of all ages -> appropriate for all grade levels if material is modified in the appropriate way

Parents of the students who attend your school, important to engage parents as they are big influences on their child's religious beliefs and whether or not they go to church

How has the church benefitted your own life?

Why is it important to go to church?

What does it mean to be involved in the church?

Informing students of groups within the church that they can become a part of to stay involved in the church

Choir

Youth Group

Altar Server

Infused into every lesson
- using cross curricular connections whenever possible will help keep it relevant for other subjects

In school wide masses
- homilies
- songs

When student's have questions about their faith or when students seem to be moving away from the church

When students are asking, "why do I need to go to church"

In classroom

Lesson plans

https://www.thereligionteacher.com/catholic-lesson-plans/

Cross Curricular

Classroom culture

During Mass

Sunday School/ Youth Groups

Mission Trips

Incoperating bible scriptures that are relevant to events occurring in the students lives at that moment (or relevant to lessons) into the classroom
- can be done through anchor charts around the classroom
- placed on the prayer tables
- during morning prayer/ reflection
i.e. if there has been a death in the school or students personal life include bible passages about death

Classroom discussions/ Group discussions on why the church is important
- have students generate ideas of why it is important and share them
- think- pair-share
- journal reflections
- exit tickets

Incorporating fun into lessons about the church
- use of games
- integrating songs of the church into music classes and into classroom life (singing)

Including students in the preparation of mass services.
i.e. Including them in readings of scripture, altar serving, organization of mass.

Making homilies in masses relevant to youth today, incopertaing what students are interested in
- talking about relevant topics from the news/ todays culture

Show students that the church has moved into a more progressive direction and become much more inclusive

Integrating technology into the church, allowing students to stay up to date on the church through social media, web pages, etc.

To keep Catholic Faith strong for future generations
- youth today will eventually become parents themselves, and if they are not engaged in the church neither will their children

The church is a community that can provide community cohesion
- promotes community peace/ sense of community
- social support
- belonging

It is important to keep students involved in the church because the church promotes values and leads people to act in a moral way