Engaging Faith

Use this exercise to open or close a class period. Its purpose is to help the students get to know each other better. You will need cards Ace through 8 from a deck of cards. Choose any eight of the following sentence starters and print them on the board: Someday I hope to . . . It upsets me when . . . I admire people who . . . It is important to me that . . . I wish I could change . . . Sometimes I wonder why . . . I am convinced . . . I hope I never . . . I am trying to improve my character by . . . People would like me better if . . . I am afraid that . . . I get discouraged when . . . When I don’t get my way I . . . I would like to tell _________ that . . . I’m sorry about l . . . I am happiest when . . . I complain a lot about . . . The last time I cried was . . . I have definitely decided to . . . When I hurt someone, I . . . I’m proud of _____________ because . . . When people tease me, I . . . Tell the students to spend a few minutes deciding what they might say if they were called on to finish each of the sentences on the board. Tell them to think of endings that tell something truthful about their values. If they wish, they can work with a partner to think up their answers. After a few minutes, show them the cards in your hand. Pick an outgoing student to draw a card. The number chosen will be the sentence he or she must finish aloud in front of the class. Before that student shares, choose another student to draw a card. The second person will then have a minute or two to think up his or her response before having to share. Continue the same process for as long as time allows.

Ask your students to list three favorite places for prayer (e.g., in their rooms, in nature, at church, while driving, etc.). Then have them write a paragraph naming their top favorite places to pray and explain why. Have the students share what they have written with a partner. Create a grid on the board or screen that tallies all of the favorite places to pray. Call on some students to share their favorite place with the entire class. Finally, print these Gospel references on a worksheet or where all can see. Ask the students to look up the references in the Bible and write the names where Jesus prayed. Luke 5:16 Luke 6:12 Mark 14:32 Matthew 21:12-13 John 17:1 Luke 23: 34, 46 Answers Desert Mountain Garden (Gethsemane) Temple at the Last Supper on the Cross

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