HIGHS AND LOWS: (14 minutes)
Write down one high from your week and your name on the “up arrow” card, and one low from your week and your name on the “down arrow” card. Take turns sharing your highs and lows, and place them in the bowls marked “highs” and “lows.” Write just your name on a scrap piece of paper (provided), and place it in the third bowl. When everyone in the group is done, take turns choosing highs and lows from the bowls (leave the third bowl for now). You will pray for the high and low that you have chosen (which are not your own) out loud with the group. Pastor Breen or a student will begin and end the prayer. When the prayers are over, you may staple your own high and low card into your prayer journal.
Highs and Lows Prayer Cards: Highs and Lows Prayer Cards
INTRODUCTION: (1 minute)
This year, we will be studying the life and teachings of Jesus through the Gospel of Mark and the parables. The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of all of the Gospels, and can be read in less than a half hour. We will dive deep into this Gospel, and its sixteen chapters will take us 19 weeks to complete.
EXPERIENCE THE WORD: (15 minutes)
Today, we will watch the thirteenth chapter from “The Gospel of Mark,” a movie released by Lionsgate in 2016. I suggest the settings that have the audio as “English NIV” and the subtitles as “English NIV.” This will be the most similar to the students’ NRSV Bibles. You can purchase the movie here: https://smile.amazon.com/Gospel-Mark/dp/B06XCXZXWH/
Questions to think about as you watch (introduce before showing the movie, so they know what to look for)
- Tell me the story you just saw.
- What is different/the same about the story that you remember learning in the past?
- What was your favorite part?
- What is God doing in this part of the story?
Take a few minutes after watching the movie to let the students ask any questions that they might have. If possible, turn the questions back to the group for their wisdom.
DWELLING IN THE WORD (25 minutes)
This year, students will create their own journal version of the Gospel of Mark. Each week, they will receive several card stock “postcards” depicting images from the chapter of the Gospel of Mark that we are studying. These images are by Jenelle Thompson, and were created for the ELCA National Youth Gathering Book of Faith Experience in 2015. They will staple all of the images into a composition book in the correct order, and identify the chapter, verse, and section title from their Bible that the image depicts. Once they have done that for all of the images for the week, they will choose one image to journal about. You can find a sample journal page, below. We do our journaling beginning with the left column, proceeding to the right, with the one sentence summary last.
Depending on the size and ability of your group, you can do this in one of several ways. Because I teach 5-6 grade and 7-8 grade in separate groups, I will begin the year by having all of the 5-6 graders do the same image. We complete our shared image on our own, and then share around the circle, item by item. (It is taking two weeks per chapter with this group, and I obviously cannot double the length of the confirmation year. We will “dive deep” into every other chapter, and simply do the movie and staple in the cards for the opposite chapter.)
I let the 7-8 graders choose their own image, asking them to choose different images and teaching each other, as possible. We complete our own pages and share the whole thing, in the order of the chapter. We write down the key verse of each student, and complete our own one sentence summary after we have learned about each image.
Sample journal page: Gospel of Mark Journal Page Example
This week’s images: Mark Postcards Chapter 13
Slide show of images: Mark ch 13
OUT LOUD PRAYER: (5 minutes) Keep Awake Prayer
At the end of chapter 13, Jesus reminds us that we have no idea when he is coming back, and that we are to “keep awake.” Take some time right now to set a reminder on your phone, watch, or other time-keeping device to pray at several times during the day. Label the alarm “Keep awake” so that you remember to always expect Jesus to show up. Plan to share what your experience was like during the next class.
Conclude your time together with the Lord’s Prayer.
Deep Roots Confirmation 