Faith Formation & Confirmation Students

FIRST THINGS FIRST: HAVE YOU HEARD THE ‘GOOD NEWS’?

Many young people enter our Confirmation and Faith Formation programs each year and we do all we can to help them grow in Faith.  We work diligently to catechise and sacramentalize these young souls.

But the question we must ask is: have they first been effectively evangelized?  Have they been introduced to and invited into a life-changing, life-giving relationship with Jesus?

Has the Good News (aka, the basic Gospel message or kerygma) been presented to them in a clear and compelling way so that they hear, understand and personally respond to God’s invitation to entrust their lives fully to Him?

This is foundational and why Pope John Paul II taught that evangelization must precede catechesis.  Why? Because catechesis follows and builds upon one’s personal acceptance of the Good News (CT 25).  First things first.

In this presentation young people will discover this first thing: the basic Gospel message and its four key elements all culminating with how to entrust their hearts and lives to Him in what the Church calls the ‘obedience of faith’ (DV 5).

Acquire the Fire

There is a mass exodus of Catholic young people leaving the Church never to return. The latest statistics show that 80% of Confirmed Catholic young people will leave the Church within seven years of receiving the Sacrament. Their ‘exit plan’ begins to formulate in their minds around age thirteen.

Many are bored, disinterested and see ‘Church’ as irrelevant. Each week they sit quietly in your Confirmation program, Faith Formation class and, yes, even in Mass.

They are asking themselves, “Why am I here?”.

In this presentation students will discover how they can acquire the fire of faith – that fire of the Holy Spirit who will forever transform their life…if they are ready!

Confirmation and the Holy Spirit:
A Deeper Dive

When we look at the life of Jesus in Scripture we discover that in his conception, baptism, forty days in the desert, his ministry, miracles and in his Passion, Death and Resurrection, the Holy Spirit was powerfully present in his life.

Jesus knew his disciples needed the Holy Spirit and he promised his disciples that they would receive the “Promise of the Father” following His Resurrection. The “First Confirmation” in Scripture is recorded in the Book of Acts and took place in Jerusalem…and did things with those disciples and the world forever change!

Using his humor, great stories, Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Joe keeps it real and relevant as he takes students a little deeper in forming their mind and heart as to who the Holy Spirit is, what the Holy Spirit does and how the Holy Spirit will work in us to ‘go forth’ as Jesus commanded (Mt. 28:18).

Receive the Anointing & Then Get Going (Why Confirmation isn’t ‘Graduation’ but ‘Activation’)

There’s a prevalent mentality among many Confirmation students that the sacrament of Confirmation is ‘graduation’ from Church. There’s a mistaken idea that once they’ve completed the classes, turned in their paperwork and have been confirmed they are ‘done’ with anything to do with faith!

Do they know that Confirmation isn’t ‘Graduation’ from Church but their ‘Activation’ into the life and mission of the Church? Do they know they’re made for mission, have been commissioned and it’s only just begun?

In this presentation, Confirmation students will discover that through their “anointing”, they’ve got to get going…they’ve been ‘sent!’

WITNESSING YOUR FAITH WITHOUT BEING WEIRD:
IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK!

By virtue of the sacrament of Confirmation, we are called to witness our faith in everyday life and in everyday situations in a natural way – not in a strange or weird way.

And it is easier than you think – it really is! And you can do this with just a little help from Joe!

Using humor and his funny real life stories Joe will share with you very simple, low-key ways on how you can witness your faith without being weird. And what you’ll discover when you do these simple things is what actually happens – you’ll be surprised!

Can you witness your faith without being weird? Yes you can…it’s easier than you think!

It’s All About The Relationship

Did you know that the level of attendance at Mass by Catholic young people is directly correlated with their certainty that it is possible to have a personal relationship with God? But do you know that only 48% believe in a God with whom you can have a personal relationship? It is no wonder why far too many Catholic young people view the faith as irrelevant, impersonal and impertinent. A ‘mass exodus’ is taking place.

In this presentation, Joe will engage young people with the truth of the infinite love of God for them and how they can enter into a life-changing, personal relationship with God that makes faith and life make sense!

From ‘Bland & Bored’ to ‘Salt & Light’

(Saint John Paul II’s call to ‘Encounter’)

Sometimes it’s easy to feel or think that one of the beatitudes was ‘blessed be the bland and bored.’ But in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaims that “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.”

This seems to point to the fact that there is a place for excitement and passion in the life of a Catholic Christian. How does one get there? Is there a “process” or “step by step” progression to becoming light and salt?

Come discover what Saint John Paul II means when he is calling the Catholic Faithful to ‘Encounter’ and how to become fully “human and more than human” as you open your heart to the process.

This presentation is customized for Confirmation Students and Faith Formation Students of all ages. It’s an excellent presentation for a Parent-Family Night.