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Celebrating Saint Paul
Session Plan 2 hour model
This community building event is designed to celebrate Saint Paul’s life and teachings in a family friendly atmosphere that encourages participants to live out Saint Paul’s mission of evangelizing—or sharing the Good News with others—in their daily lives.Materials Needed: Name tags, puzzle pieces for the icebreaker, craft supplies (see “Craft Stations” below), copies of the Closing Prayer Service for all participants
Table Supplies: transparent tape, masking tape, a copy of the story “Christ’s Ambassador” , Bibles, newsprint sheets, markers, parchment-like paper sheets
Preparation
• Planning Committee Form a committee of parents and catechists. Meet with them as necessary to plan and organize the event.
• Publicity Begin publicizing the event two months in advance through flyers in the parish bulletin.
• Invitations Create an invitation to send to parish families, along with a registration form. The success of your event depends on having an accurate count of the numbers of families and family members who will attend the workshop.
• Location Reserve a space large enough to accommodate the group—the parish hall, gym, or school basement.
• Room Arrangement Plan to seat the participants at large tables, two or three families at each table. Set up a registration table, craft stations, and a prayer table.
• Table Names Make a large name tent for each table based on the Church communities to whom Saint Paul wrote his epistles: Corinthians, Ephesians, Thessalonians, Philippians, Hebrews, Romans, Galatians, and Colossians. If registration indicates that you will need additional tables, double up on the names by numbering each “community” table: Corinthians 1, Corinthians 2, etc.
• Decorations Decorate the meeting space to reflect what we know about Saint Paul’s life. For example, you may want to erect a small tent (Paul was a tentmaker by trade) near the prayer table. Decorate the walls with a large map of the Holy Land or a map illustrating Paul’s missionary journeys, cut-outs of cardboard lightening “bolts” (a reminder of Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus), a boat (Paul journeyed both by land and sea), and several cardboard “scrolls” labeled with the names of the communities Paul founded. Place a statue of Saint Paul on or near the prayer table. Brainstorm other ideas for decorating the space with the planning committee.
• Refreshment Area Prepare an “Oasis” for refreshments in the meeting space. Decorate the area with palm tree cut-outs on the wall and live plants near the snack tables. Enlist volunteers to serve on the refreshment committee. Plan to serve beverages as families arrive. Set out the snacks and additional beverages prior to the break.
• Snacks Invite the refreshment committee to plan treats with a "Mediterranean" flavor--grapes, apple slices, cheese cubes, pita bread, grape jelly, mild guacamole and/or yogurt dip, raisins, fig/date filled cookies, white grape juice, and so forth.
• Plan the Icebreaker Ask a volunteer with artistic skills to create five or more simple line drawings on 8.5” X 11” paper of items related to Saint Paul or life in New Testament times: camel, boat with sails, map of the Holy Land, tent, writing scroll, heart, etc. The drawings should be large enough to be duplicated on construction paper and cut into four puzzle pieces. The four pieces in each individual puzzle should be marked on the back with the same number. For example, the camel pieces can be numbered with the numeral “1,” the boat pieces with the numeral “2,” and so forth. Each family will receive one puzzle piece when they arrive. Five puzzles numbered in this way will be enough for twenty families. If registration indicates a larger group, simply duplicate more puzzles and assign them different numerals: 6, 7, 8, etc.
• Craft Stations Set up a craft area with three stations where the families can work at tables to complete one of the suggested crafts. As an alternative, family members may collect their supplies from a craft station and take them back to their tables to complete. Below are three easy craft station suggestions and the supplies needed for each. However, if you have crafts-oriented catechists on your staff, invite them to suggest other ideas that will work well with the theme of the day. Be sure to have members of the planning committee or volunteers on hand to help distribute supplies and to explain how to complete the crafts.
---Cross Craft Station. Supply a variety of materials for families to make a cross of their choice, in memory of Saint Paul’s commitment to Christ: Large pipe cleaners woven together and shaped into a cross; craft sticks secured with yarn; thick cardboard crosses decorated with markers; burlap rectangles and fabric scraps to create a cross banner; or a cardboard mosaic cross onto which small pieces of multi-colored construction paper can be glued. Provide a variety of tools for the families to use to display their crosses at home: magnetized strips; adhesive hanging strips or hooks, and yarn.
---Votive Candle Station. You will need a supply of clean, wide-mouth baby food jars, with the label removed; colorful permanent markers or acrylic or enamel paints; paint brushes; tea light candles; and flexible coated bell wire (available in hardware stores). Encourage families to paint symbols on the jars that represent Saint Paul’s love for Christ and the Church. Demonstrate how to wrap the wire around the threaded neck of the jar, leaving a loop for hanging, and secure the loop by twisting both ends of the wire together. Insert a tea light into the jar to complete the project. NOTE: Caution the families to light the candles only when the jar is on a flat surface and the wire loop is bent to the side, out of range of the flame.
---Greeting Card Station. Lay out half-sheets of colorful construction paper; religious stickers; markers;, and pens for the families to use. Invite them to create a card for parish shut-ins, new parishioners, parents preparing for the Baptism of an infant, or RCIA catechumens. Explain that the purpose of the cards is to share the Good News of Jesus’ love, as Saint Paul did. It would be ideal if you could supply families with a list of names so they can personalize the cards, but if this is not possible, the cards may be addressed, “Dear Friend.” Encourage the families to include a Scripture verse from Saint Paul and to work together to write a special note expressing the appropriate sentiment of caring or welcome. Following the event, arrange to have the cards delivered to the parish ministry teams that work with these groups of people.
• Child Care Provide optional babysitting for families with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Reserve a room for babysitting and stock it with toys, games, and videos/DVDs to keep young children occupied. Invite Confirmation candidates or members of the parish youth group to staff the babysitting room during the event. Provide training as required by your diocesan guidelines for volunteers working with children.Part I (15 minutes)
• Arrival. As families arrive, have them sign in at the registration table and make name tags for each family member. Give a numbered puzzle piece to one person in each family. Invite them to choose a table to sit at, greet other families at the table, and visit the “Oasis” for beverages.
• Introduce the Icebreaker. Greet the families. Hold up a puzzle piece and point out the number on the back. Invite the families to mingle and to call out their numbers until they find the four pieces of their puzzle. Have them assemble the puzzles using clear tape and post them on a wall in the meeting space with masking tape. Invite the families to introduce themselves to one another and to discuss what the picture on their puzzle might have to do with Saint Paul’s life and times. After all puzzles have been assembled and the families groups have spent a few minutes in discussion, ask everyone to return to their tables.
• Pray. Invite volunteers to briefly explain how their puzzle relates to Saint Paul’s life. Tell the group that today’s event is designed to help everyone learn about and celebrate Saint Paul’s life and discover how his teachings continue to inspire us today. Explain that Paul spread the Good News about Jesus, the Gospel, throughout the world of his time and that he was our greatest missionary. Emphasize that his faith in Christ was the most important thing in his life. Invite the group to join you in praying the prayer Jesus himself taught his disciples. Pray together the Our Father.Part 2 (45 minutes)
• Learn about Saint Paul’s Life. Have each table group choose an adult to act as their leader. Point out the copy of the story “Christ’s Ambassador” on each table. Direct the table leaders to pose the “Who Am I?” questions to the participants at their table, encouraging the children to guess the identity of Saint Paul. Then have table leaders read aloud Saint Paul’s “autobiography” to their group.
• Shared Discussion. Direct table leaders to ask the discussion questions at the end of the story. Ask each group to identify ways in which they can be ambassadors for Christ in their daily lives.
• Bible Search. Remind the participants that in the story about Saint Paul they learned that after his Baptism, Paul dedicated his life to teaching and helping others come to know Jesus. Recall that when Saint Paul established a Christian community, he moved on to other places to continue his missionary work, but did not forget about the churches he founded; he kept in touch with them through letters that guided them and reminded them how to live the Christian life. Tell the families that they will now have the opportunity to explore the writings of Saint Paul to discover how they continue to help us as Catholics today to live as Jesus’ disciples.
--Invite the families to use the Bibles on their tables to locate the New Testament letter written by Saint Paul that matches their table name. Ask them to find one quotation or short passage in the letter about following Jesus’ way of love that is still an important part of being a Catholic Christian today.
--Direct a participant at each table to use newsprint and a marker to print out their chosen Scriptural verse and set it aside. Have the table groups chose a reader to proclaim the Scripture passage during the Closing Prayer Service.
• Break. Invite everyone to visit the “Oasis” for refreshments. Allow time for the families to visit with one another as they eat.
Part 3 (60 minutes)
• Craft Time. Call the large group back together and explain that each family will now have the opportunity to choose a craft project that will help them to remember that we are called to live and share our faith everyday. Point out the different projects the families can choose from and invite them to get started.
• Family Pledge. Following the craft activity, ask the large group to return to their tables. Invite the children to explain what a pledge is. Help them understand that a pledge is an important promise to do something special. Tell the participants that they are now going to take time as families to compose a family pledge that lists specific ways they will love and serve Jesus as Saint Paul taught us to do.
--Invite each family to use the parchment paper and a fine line marker to write out their pledge. Allow 5-10 minutes for families to complete this activity. Have them set aside their commitments for use in the closing prayer service.
• Prepare for the Prayer Service.
--Introduce and teach the gestures to the song, “Ready to Serve” (God’s Big Backyard Vacation Bible School, available from RCL Benziger) or another song that emphasizes the call to love and service.
--Ask a volunteer to prepare to proclaim the reading from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a, 13.
--Have each table choose a spokesperson to read aloud the passage from Paul’s letters that they chose earlier in the workshop.
--Direct each family to bring their Family Pledge to the prayer area.
--Distribute copies of the Closing Prayer Service.Workshop Options
• Ask a junior high catechist to work with his or her class to prepare a play based on Acts of the Apostles 9:1-22, “Saul’s Conversion.” Have the students perform the play following the reading of “Christ’s Ambassador” in Part 2 of the workshop.
• Following the craft activity in Part 3, explain how your parish community lives out the message of Paul through ministries which follow Jesus’ command to love one another. Distribute a list of parish ministry opportunities and have the table groups discuss the work of specific ministries. Invite participants who are involved in various ministries to speak briefly about their role. Help everyone to appreciate the many ways your parish community lives out the call to love and serve others through ministry.Suggestions for adapting the workshop to include all households of faith.
• Include an invitation and registration form in the parish bulletin that includes not only families, but also seniors, singles, and young adults.
• For the ice breaker activity, present each household of faith with one puzzle piece when they register. When distributing puzzle pieces, care should be taken to ensure that there is a multi-generational mix in each group.
• Use the term Household of Faith Pledge instead of Family Pledge.
Celebrating Saint Paul Closing Prayer ServiceCall to Prayer
Leader: Loving Father, you called Saint Paul to share the light of faith with others. Let us remember our Baptism, when we, too, were called to live and share our faith by making the Sign of the Cross together.All: All sign themselves.
Scripture Readings
Leader: Saint Paul taught us how to live Jesus’ message of love. Let us listen together to Saint Paul’s words to the community he established in Corinth.Reader: Proclaim 1 Corinthian 13:4-8a, 13 and conclude by saying, “The word of the Lord.”
All: Thanks be to God.Leader: Invite the readers from each table to read aloud their Scriptural passages, one at a time. After each reading, have the participants respond, “Thanks be to God.” Following the response, allow a moment of silent reflection. Have members of each group tape their verse to the wall in the prayer area.
General Intercessions
Leader: Divide the participants into two groups: A and B. Let us ask Jesus to help us grow in love and to live our faith every day. Our response is: Lord, Help us grow in love.Group A: For the times we do not listen to one another, we pray…
Group B: When we fail to treat others with respect, we pray……
Group A: For the times we have lied, we pray…
Group B: When we lose our tempers, we pray…
Group A: For the times we have gotten angry with one another, we pray…
Group B: When we fail to trust in the power of Jesus’ love, we pray…Leader: Saint Paul, you taught us how to live with love and to serve one another. Help us to follow your example. We ask this in Jesus’ name.
All: AmenRitual Action
Leader: Invite volunteers to share their family pledge with the large group by reading it aloud. As a sign of our commitment to live the promises we have made, take time as a family to sign one another on the forehead with the Sign of the Cross.Closing Song: Ready to Serve (with motions)
Leader: Make closing remarks. Thank the group for attending. Remind everyone to take their craft projects and family pledges home with them as a reminder of their commitment to love and serve Jesus as Saint Paul taught us to do.
