Sessions for 6th Grade
WELCOME
6th Grade
We are taking our 6th graders on a journey through the story of Exodus, presenting the book as a series to help our children imagine the scriptures as a story unfolding. We discuss the themes of Exodus in two parts:
1) Bringing the Bible to life: Every session the children will come in and sit on a rug that is meant to be a sacred and respectful place where we will start with prayer, a song, and then read some scripture verses. We will have them imagine what it is like during that time, what they are feeling, seeing, etc. Your children will be painting the picture. We call this IMAGINATIVE MEDITATION.
2) Small group discussion and sharing: Each group answer a question through discussion artwork. The result will be shared with the group. Genevieve Emanuel or a guest speaker will tie the results together to our overarching theme and relate that theme to your children's lives as young teenagers.
Session 1
IMAGINATIVE MEDITATION, we journey together with the story of Moses, who led the chosen people from slavery to freedom. The title of our session was: Hard times I, The Israelites Oppressed (Exodus 1:7-22).
TOPICS:
How God reveals Himself in the Old Testament?
How we can prove God exists?
How does that relate to hard times?
All these answers go back to how God experiences everything in His humanity and how He created us to be in relationship with Him because that is where we find our fulfillment.
Small Groups
Session 2
IMAGINATIVE MEDITATION, we continued our journey through the Bible story. This week, from the Book of Exodus (Exodus 2:1-10), we witnessed and experienced the birth of Moses and the beginning of his childhood.
TOPICS:
With Jesus Christ, has everything been said or does revelation continue even after Him?
Why do we hand on the faith?
What is the right way to read the Bible? What significance do the Old Testament and New Testament have for Christians?
How can we respond to God when He speaks to us? Faith - what is it?
All these answers go back to how through Christ we can know and understand who God is, and how He wants to be in contact with us because He is our friend.
Small Groups
Session 3
IMAGINATIVE MEDITATION, We witnessed and experienced Moses fleeing to Midian.
Book of Exodus (Exodus 2:11-15)
TOPICS:
Why does the faith require definitions and formulas?
What are creeds?
How did creeds come about?
What are the two main creeds of our Catholic faith? What do they say?
God wants us to know Him and wants to be our friend because that is where we find our peace, joy, happiness, and hope. Faith will always be there but we have to believe in what it says in order to have faith. We can show our belief in many ways, we can recite the creeds, we can pray, we can do kind deeds, etc. It is not only important to recite our belief but also to live out our beliefs and faith. I asked the children and I am asking all of you to do the same: As Thanksgiving is coming up I encourage each of you to think about what is one thing you can do this week to live out your faith and show people what you believe.
Small Groups
Session 6
IMAGINATIVE MEDITATION, We witnessed and experienced Moses parting the Red Sea.
(Exodus 14:1-31)
After the scriptures, we discussed the lesson for the week. This week's lesson was all about how God gives us signs and symbols to show His love and that He is still present. The children discussed and drew why do the sacraments belong to the Church and why can't anyone use them however he wants, which sacraments can be received only once in a lifetime, why is faith a prerequisite (an important part) for the sacraments, and why are there so many signs and symbols in the liturgies.
All these answers go back to how sacraments are Christ's gift to the Church and how they need to be accepted in faith for them to be effective.
Small Groups
At the end, I tied it all together and said that our faith is an important part of the sacraments, sacraments need to be accepted in true faith in order for them to be effective, and how we experience God’s love through the Mass and through the sacraments. God knows we are not just spiritual beings but also bodily beings which is why He gives us signs, symbols, and physical ways to celebrate His love for us: through being with family and friends, going on walks out in nature, but most importantly through the Mass and through the Body and Blood of Christ. We can understand our faith more through the signs and symbols that God had given us.
I asked the children and I am asking all of you to do the same: As Lent is coming up I encourage each of you to think about what is one sign or symbol you see this week that shows you God is present and what is one sign, symbol, or physical way you can show someone God's love this week or this Lent.
Session 7
IMAGINATIVE MEDITATION, We witnessed and experienced the Israelites receiving Manna from God in the wilderness.
(Exodus 16: 1-36)
After the scriptures, we discussed the lesson for the week. This week's lesson was all about how God always provides and how we can be grateful. The children discussed how God has provided for them in their life/in the last week and what are some ways they can be more grateful/thank Him.
Small Groups
At the end, I tied it all together and said that God may not provide in the ways you want Him to but He always will provide. Nowadays we are so used to instant gratification, however God does not work like that, it may take hours, days, weeks, months, years but at the end of the day He will always provide. I added that it is easy to focus on the things that have upset us or frustrated us recently, but especially in those moments where we feel we are struggling it is more important to focus on what we are grateful for because it brings us closer to Christ.
I asked the children and am asking you to do the same that my task for them is from now until our next session to think of at least one thing they are grateful for each day and even write it down if they want and we will discuss it at the next session.