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AN EDGE 8TH GRADE RETREAT
HOPES AND FEARS

ABOUT THIS RETREAT 03

SAMPLE RETREAT SCHEDULE 06
RETREAT PLANNING 07
CHECKLIST
RETREAT SUPPLIES 08
CHECKLIST
HOPES AND FEARS 10
COMMUNITY 16
GOD AT THE CENTER 22
ABOUT THIS RETREAT
GOAL OVERVIEW
This Day Retreat is designed to assist 8th grade This retreat begins with a session that addresses
youth in making the transition from middle school the hopes and fears that come with the transition
into high school. Along with a focus on some of into high school. The second session shows the
the hopes and fears they may have, this retreat youth the importance of having a good Catholic
will encourage them to find a good community community to support them. The final session
while keeping God at the center of their lives. Do deals with the importance of keeping God at
not miss out on this opportunity to build up your the center of our lives and gives the youth an
8th graders and help them to make a seamless opportunity to go to confession. The retreat
transition in this next step of life. concludes with Sunday evening Mass. As another
way to ease the transition of the 8th graders into
SCRIPTURE AND CATECHISM Life Teen, we suggest you invite the youth to the
Life Night that night or during the following week.
REFERENCES
Scripture:
Genesis 1:27 USING THIS RESOURCE
Deuteronomy 31:8 This resource is meant to be a guide for a one-
Jeremiah 29:11 day 8th grade retreat and not meant to be taken
John 1:12 out of the box and directly applied. As with any
John 3:16-17 other Edge or Life Teen resource, adapt it to your
John 10:10 parish’s needs by reading through and making
John 14:6 changes to meet the needs of your youth.
John 20:23
Acts 2:42 The schedule provided is a sample of how a one-
1 Peter 3:15 day retreat can be planned, but again, it is just a
1 John 3:1 suggestion. Since this is a retreat specifically for
8th graders we do suggest, if possible, doing this
CCC: retreat on a Sunday, ending with the teen focused
1 Mass, and inviting your 8th graders to attend the
538 Life Night. If this is not possible, adapt it as needed
1424 in accord with the needs of your youth ministry,
1817 your resources, your Life Night schedule, and the
1849 schedules of your priests.
1878
2055 THE RETREAT TEAM
Along with the youth minister, the Edge Core
YouCat: Members will play a vital role in this retreat. The
308 Core Team journeys with the youth through the
470 year and will continue to do so after the retreat
494 is over. They should serve not only as the small
group leaders but also as part of the retreat
planning team. Make sure that for every six to
eight middle school youth there is at least one
Edge Core Member present.

High school teens are also a great resource for

leadership in your Edge ministry. If high school
teens are not already part of the Core Team,

HOPES AND FEARS 3

 invite them to be a part of the retreat. Either ask
the teens to be present at the planning meetings
with the Core or have a specific training session
for the teens so they are prepared for the retreat
and understand what is expected of them. If
your Edge Core Team is mainly high school teens,
you still need to ensure that there is one adult
for every six to eight youth present. It is best
to pair the high school teen with an adult Core
Member throughout the retreat. Be sure to follow
your diocesan policies for chaperone ratios and
maintaining a safe environment. If possible have
Core Members from your Life Teen program
present on the retreat so that the 8th graders
can get to know them. This can be another way
to help them make a smooth transition into your
Life Teen program.
PREPARATION FOR RETREAT
Be sure to plan well in advance for the retreat.
Give plenty of time for advertisement and
promotion. Have Core Members personally invite
youth to the retreat, and encourage the youth
to invite their friends. If permitted, promote the
retreat at local Catholic and public schools. Make
announcements at your various Masses, and
share with parents the benefit of retreats for
their youth.
Gather for retreat planning and preparation
meetings as a team. It is recommended that
the planning process begin at least two to three
months before the retreat. Prayer should be
an integral part of preparation. Be open to the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Planning meetings
should be used for brainstorming ideas, discussing
expectations, making adaptations, and assigning
roles.
ENVIRONMENT
Setup the room to feel like a school. At the front
of the room, place a large white board along with
a teacher’s desk and a few desks for students. On
either side of the classroom, setup an area to look
like a hallway and one to look like a cafeteria. To
create a hallway, draw some lockers on a large
piece of butcher paper and tape it to the wall.
Place different flyers for school events on a few
of the lockers. To create a cafeteria, place a table
and some chairs together and, if possible, have a
few cafeteria trays on the table. Along the back
wall of the room, write various things that will
4 HOPES AND FEARS
be a part of the youth’s lives on pieces of paper
(sports, music, Life Teen, Mass, prayer, friends,
homework, chores, etc.) On the white board at
the front of the room, write the title of the retreat
as well as the name of the current session.
The environment will remain the same for the
entire retreat, and each of the sessions will have
skits or commentary take place in each of the
three scenes.
RULES
Go over the rules for the day during the opening
session or before the retreat begins. Keep the
rules simple and short. It might also be helpful to
send a list of rules home before the retreat so that
parents and youth are aware of the expectations.
SMALL GROUPS
Small groups are a vital aspect of retreats. They
serve as a comfortable setting where the youth
can process each session’s topic, reflect on what
they have heard, and connect it to their lives. It
is a good idea to keep the small groups the same
throughout the retreat so that each small group
can build upon the previous one and develop a
better sense of community. If you do not have a
large enough group to break into small groups,
do all of the discussions and activities as a large
group.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered during
this retreat. Ask your parish priest in advance to
be available during this time.
ALTERNATE USES FOR
THIS RETREAT
• If you are unable to do this as a retreat, consider
using the sessions for a weekly series of mid-
week gatherings for the 8th graders.
• If you are at a school, this resource could be used
for a school retreat, lessons during the week, or
as an after school ministry opportunity.
• Full Weekend Retreat: If you want to make this
retreat into a full weekend retreat instead of
just one day, use the contents of this retreat
outline as the programming on Saturday. Friday
night should be a more fun, interactive night
 that introduces the theme. Then, on Sunday
morning, have a final session that wraps up the
retreat and summarizes the main points from
each session.

• Off Parish Grounds Location: If you wish to use

a location other than the parish, be sure to
plan for how you can celebrate the sacraments
off-site. To keep the retreat costs low, utilize
a house or community center as the retreat
location. Use the travel time for the youth and
Core Members to interact. Be sure to follow all
diocesan policies for taking youth off parish
grounds.

• Sacraments: There are several options that

can be done for celebrating the sacraments
during the retreat. Each option depends on the
parish schedule. The retreat is written so that
the youth can celebrate the sacraments within
the larger parish, but the schedule may need
to be tweaked if that is not possible. Make sure
to contact your parish priests ahead of time in
order to plan accordingly.

HOPES AND FEARS 5

 SAMPLE RETREAT
SCHEDULE
7:30 AM SETUP
9:00 AM 8TH GRADE CHECK-IN
9:30 AM SESSION ONE: HOPES AND FEARS
10:55 AM BREAK
11:05 AM SESSION TWO: COMMUNITY
12:30 PM LUNCH
1:15 PM SESSION THREE: GOD AT THE CENTER
(SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION)
3:45 PM SNACK AND MASS PREP
5:00 PM SUNDAY EVENING MASS
6:15 PM DINNER AND LIFE NIGHT
8:00 PM 8TH GRADERS PICKED UP

.
* Adapt this schedule to accommodate the parish’s Mass and Reconciliation schedule

6 HOPES AND FEARS

RETREAT PLANNING
CHECKLIST
ONE YEAR TO NINE MONTHS □ Plan the sacramental details with your parish
priest and parish liturgy coordinator (if you have
BEFORE THE RETREAT one)
□ Read through this retreat in its entirety
□ Send out retreat registration
□ Set a date for the retreat

□ Set a location for the retreat ONE MONTH BEFORE

THE RETREAT
□ Check the availability of your parish priests □ Go over talks and skits with the people who
were assigned to them
□ Share the date with the musicians and Core
Team □ Finalize the retreat schedule and double check
the supply list
□ Put the retreat on the parish schedule
□ Make your rules video or picture slideshow
THREE MONTHS BEFORE
THE RETREAT ONE WEEK BEFORE THE RETREAT
□ Pray for the retreat □ Pray for all the specific aspects of the retreat

□ Begin advertising for the retreat
□ Put together your retreat team
□ Have an initial planning meaning with your
retreat team
□ Create small groups, assigning a Core Member
(and high school teen) to each one. Give them
the list so they can start praying for the middle
school youth by name
□ Gather all supplies needed for the day

□ Assign different people to different tasks for □ Create name tags

the retreat
□ Practice all skits, talks, and transitions
□ Make travel and meal arrangements for the
retreat as needed

TWO MONTHS BEFORE

THE RETREAT
□ Continue to pray for the retreat

□ Continue advertising

□ Have a second planning meeting and make your

final schedule with any of your adaptations

□ Order supplies as necessary

HOPES AND FEARS 7

 RETREAT SUPPLIES
CHECKLIST
□ Butcher paper

□ Markers

□ High school posters

□ White board

□ Desks

□ Tables

□ Cafeteria trays

□ Chairs

□ Music

□ Pens

□ "Find A Friend Who …" handout page 21

□ Audio/Video equipment

□ "Examination of Conscience" handout page 27

8 HOPES AND FEARS

Notes

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HOPES AND FEARS 9

 HOPES AND
FEARS
SESSION ONE
SCRIPTURE SUPPLIES NEEDED • Song: “I Will Trust in You” by
Deuteronomy 31:8 • Chairs Jeremy Camp (Double Take –
Jeremiah 29:11 • Music Jeremy Camp, BEC Records)
John 10:10 • Song: “Lord, I Need You” by
1 Peter 3:15 Matt Maher (All the People
MEDIA Said Amen, Provident)
SUGGESTIONS
YOUCAT • Edge Video: “Yours Are the
308 Hands” (Edge Video Support
16)
CCC • Song: “Always” by Kristian
1817 Stanfill (Passion: Here For
You, sixstepsrecords/
Sparrow Records)

GOAL
The goal of this session is to address the many
hopes and fears that come with starting high
school. The 8th graders will learn that it is okay to
have fears or anxiety but that they should not be
overcome by them. As Catholics, we should strive
to give our fears to the Lord as we hope and trust
OUTLINE

in Him.

BEFORE THE SESSION

Make sure that your Core Team is ready for the
Hallway Skit.
HOPES AND FEARS

10 HOPES AND FEARS

GATHER
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
(10 min)
Welcome all of the 8th grade youth to the retreat,
and introduce the Core Members , and go over
any rules or instructions for the day. Begin with
an opening prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to
move through all of the talks, testimonies, and
small group discussions that will happen during
the retreat.
OPENING WORSHIP
(5 min)
Invite your music ministry to be present to lead
worship throughout the day. Lead the youth in a
few upbeat worship songs to begin the retreat.
SHUFFLE YOUR BUNS
(10 min)
Supplies:
• Chairs
• Music
Setup chairs in a large circle with the seats facing
in. Make sure that there is one chair for each
youth and that the chairs are as close together
as possible. Pick one person to stand, leaving
his or her seat empty. When the music starts,
instruct all the youth to start moving clockwise by
sitting on the chair directly to the left beginning
with the youth who is sitting next to the empty
chair. They do not really stand up but rather stay
sitting and shuffle to the next chair. The youth
who is standing must try to sit in an open chair as
everyone is shuffling. At any moment the youth
minister can call “switch” and everyone should
start shuffling in the opposite direction. In order
for this to work, the youth should only shuffle to
the next chair if it is empty.
Continue playing this until the youth that was
standing is able to successfully sit in the open
HOPES AND FEARS
chair. If time allows, play this multiple times,
switching out the youth who is in the middle.
MEETING YOUR SMALL GROUP
(10 min)
At this time divide the youth into their small
groups and introduce them to the Core Member
who will be their leader for the day. This time
in small groups is intended for the youth to get
to know one another. Begin in prayer, and then
discuss the following questions.
• What school do you go to? What high school are
you going to?
• What do you like to do for fun? Do you play any
sports or instruments?
• What is one interesting thing about yourself
that not a lot of people know?
After you have spent some time getting to know
all the youth in the small group, spend the rest of
the time playing a game together. Here are two
suggestions.
• Human Knot: Instruct the youth to stand in a
circle, and have each youth grab the hand of
two different youth standing across the circle
from them. Once everyone is holding the hand
of someone, instruct the youth to untangle
themselves.
• Two Truths and a Lie: Instruct all of the youth to
come up with three facts about themselves, two
that are true and one that is untrue. Go around
the circle, and have the youth share the facts;
OUTLINE
the rest of the small group should try to guess
which ones are true and which ones are untrue.
Play this until all of the youth have shared their
three facts.
HOPES AND FEARS
HALLWAY SKIT
(5 min)
During this time the Core Members will act out a
skit in the hallway scene that is setup at the front
of the room. Let your Core Members be creative
11
 when making this skit, and have them depict some
of the fears the 8th grade youth may have when
it comes to high school. Some examples of these
fears may be running late for class, not being able
to open their lockers, getting lost, being bullied,
tripping in the hallway, or saying something silly
to someone they have a crush on. Have your Core
Members act out a few different scenarios.
PROCLAIM
“HOPES AND FEARS” TEACHING
(10 min)
The “Hopes and Fears” teaching can be found on
page 13 to 14. Here are the main points of the
teaching.
• It is natural to have fear in new situations, but
we are not called to live lives of fear.
• Our faith gives us reason to hope, and this hope
can help us overcome all our fears.
• We are called to be the hands of Christ to help
others overcome their fears.
BREAK
YOURS ARE THE HANDS VIDEO
(5 min)
Play the video “Yours Are the Hands” from the
Media Suggestions.
OUTLINE
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION
(10 min)
Break the youth into their small groups, begin
in prayer, and use the following questions for
HOPES AND FEARS
discussion.
• What did you enjoy the most about middle
school? What did you dislike?
12 HOPES AND FEARS
• What are you most excited for about high
school?
• What are you are some of your fears about high
school?
• What do you hope to accomplish by the time
you graduate from high school?
• How are you going to overcome your fears in
high school?
• What can you do to be the hands of Christ in
high school?
SEND
TESTIMONY
(5 min)
Have one of the Core Members give a testimony
about some of his or her fears in high school and
how he or she overcame them. If he or she had a
strong faith, have him or her explain how Christ
was at the center of this or how it would have
made a big difference to have the hope of Christ
in high school.
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
(10 min)
Conclude the session with a time of praise and
worship and a closing prayer.
FURTHER ADAPTATIONS IDEAS
• Record each skit before the retreat, and play
them as a video before the talk.
• If you have high school Core Members, have
one of them give the testimony for the Send.
HOPES AND
FEARS
TEACHING
SOMETHING NEW
You are all starting something new. You are taking a step into the
future, and you are going through a huge transition from middle
school into high school. It is okay to be nervous. It is okay to be
a little scared. And it is okay to be totally excited. Do not feel like
you have to react a certain way to this life transition. This is a time
in your life when you will go through a lot of change and a lot of
growth. It is important to stay centered on Christ, in the love of
your family, and in a supportive community like you have had here
in Edge and will have in Life Teen.

FEARS
You may have a few very serious fears about going to high school.
Maybe you are afraid that you will get lost or that you will not be
able to open your locker. Or maybe you have much larger fears
that you will be bullied, or not fit in, or that you will not make any
friends and eat lunch alone.

In times of fear it is important to remember two things. First,

these fears do not define you, and second, fear does not have the
last word. Fear does not define you in the sense that just because
you are afraid that you will not have friends does not mean that
Deuteronomy 31:8
you will not actually make any friends. Or if you are afraid that you
will get lost, this does not mean that you will actually get lost. The
vast majority of the time the things that we fear do not actually
come true.

TEACHING
Fear also does not have the last word. While we cannot always
control our fears, we do all have a choice of how we handle fear.
That’s why God gave us something called hope.

HOPE
HOPES AND FEARS

A lot of you may have high hopes for high school. Some of you
may dream of getting straight A’s, being the quarterback of the
football team, or being the student body president. Those are
all great hopes and aspirations to have. But there is also another
aspect of hope that is really important, a hope that stems from
our faith, a hope that dispels our fears.

HIStory 13
 Hope is a virtue by which we desire and expect from God eternal
life and the graces to get there. So how does this hope apply to our
daily life? We know that in heaven, we will find supreme happiness CCC 1817
because we will be with God. So here in our daily life, we are called
to strive for heaven and for God. In doing so, we will find true
happiness.

When we live lives of hope, we are keeping our eyes fixed on

heaven and the things of God. Our fears do not stand a chance. We
are no longer afraid of not making friends because we know that
we are loved beyond measure by God and trust that He will bring
good friends into our lives. We are no longer afraid of getting lost
on our way to class because we are confident in who we are as
children of God. We know we will overcome any embarrassment
and will be humble enough to ask for help.

When we live our lives with hope, that does not mean our fears
will disappear. But it does help us to handle fear. It helps us to
understand and recognize our worth in God and the truth of His John 10:10
plan for our lives. Hope helps us keep our fears in perspective and Jeremiah 29:11
gives us strength to move forward. We can have confidence in God
and trust that He will give us all that we need.

THE HANDS OF CHRIST

As Christians we are called to not only live our lives in hope for
our own happiness, but we are also called to reach out to those in
need. As Christians we are called to help those around us who may
have these same fears but not know the hope of Christ to help get
them through the fears.

Never forget that you can make a huge impact in your school just
by helping those around you who are in need. You can change
someone’s life and help them overcome their fears by being the 1 Peter 3:15
hands of Christ to them.
TEACHING
HOPES AND FEARS

14 HOPES AND FEARS

Notes

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HOPES AND FEARS 15

 COMMUNITY
SESSION TWO
SCRIPTURE CATECHISM SUPPLIES NEEDED
Genesis 1:27 1 • Pens
John 1:12 1878 • "Find A Friend Who …"
Acts 2:42 handout page 21
1 John 3:1

GOAL BEFORE THE SESSION

The goal of this session is to help the 8th graders Make sure that your Core Team is prepared for
understand the importance of surrounding the Cafeteria Skit.
themselves with a good community of faithful
friends and peers.

GATHER
more than one description. Have a prize for the
youth with the most complete handout at the end
of the time.

PRAISE AND WORSHIP CAFETERIA SKIT

(5 min) (5 min)

Gather in all the youth to this session with a few This will be the second skit of the retreat and
praise and worship songs. should take place in the cafeteria environment.
For this skit have a few Core Members dress up
FIND A FRIEND WHO … in some stereotypical outfits worn by different
(10 min) groups of people in high school (e.g. athletes,
computer nerds, choir/band kids, popular girls,
OUTLINE

Supplies: etc.). Have each group take a few minutes and act
• Pens out some typical stereotypes of that group. For
• "Find a Friend Who ..." handout page 21 example have the athletes talking about the game
or maybe passing a basketball across the table, or
Keep the youth in a large group. Give them each a have the choir kids singing different songs. Have
COMMUNITY

pen and the "Find A Friend Who…" handout found fun with these scenes and over exaggerate to
on page 21. Instruct them to find people who fit make them more comical. Then have the youth
each description, and if you have a large enough minister give a brief introduction/tour of the
group, do not let them use the same person for

16 HOPES AND FEARS

cafeteria explaining each group and how they are PRAYER AND AFFIRMATION
defined by what they wear or what they do. (25 min)

PROCLAIM Keep the youth in their small groups, and one

“COMMUNITY” TEACHING
(10 min)
This teaching can be found on pages 19 to 20.
Here are the main points of the teaching:
• There are many different things we allow to
at a time, bring one youth into the middle of
the circle. Instruct the youth to each take turns
saying one positive thing about the youth in the
middle of the circle. Then have the youth in the
middle of the circle give one prayer request for
the group to pray for. As a group, say a Glory Be
for this prayer intention, and then do the same
process for each youth in the group.

SEND
define us and who our friends are.

• It is important that our identity is rooted in

Christ.
CLOSING GROUP PRAYER
• It is essential to have a good community of (10 min)
Catholic friends.
Bring all of the youth back to the large group.
Re-emphasize the importance of having a good

BREAK community in high school and how this group

of 8th graders can be that community. Close the
session by praying the Our Father together.
SMALL GROUPS
(15 min)

Break the youth into their small groups. Begin

in prayer, and use the following questions for
discussion.

• What type of person do you want to be in high

school?

• Do your activities, clubs, grades, or sports

define who you are?

• Do your friends define who you are? Explain.

• Do you think it is good to have a community in

high school? OUTLINE

• What are some things that you look for when

looking for a good community of friends?
Where would you find them?
COMMUNITY

• How do you maintain a healthy community?

• Why is it important to have good Catholic

friends in high school?

HOPES AND FEARS 17

 Notes

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18 HOPES AND FEARS

COMMUNITY
TEACHING
WHAT DEFINES YOU?
We just saw in this skit how we can be defined by what we do
or how we dress. We should never judge or ridicule people for
the different groups that they are a part of or bully people for
any reason. But it is typical for people to gravitate towards other
people who have the same interests, which is not necessarily a bad
thing.

What are some things in your life that define you? (Allow a few youth
to answer.) All of these things are good, and I am sure that a lot of
you have good friends on your sports teams or in different classes.
(Share a brief story about a group you belonged to in high school and
how friendships formed from this.)

OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

When it comes to learning more about who we are and who Christ
has created us to be, it is important that we do not make these
things our sole identity. While it is okay to associate with a certain
group of people in high school such as the athletes or musicians, it
is important that our identity is rooted in something much deeper
than this: namely that our identity is rooted in Christ.

We have heard many times that we were created in the image and
likeness of God. This is important to remember because this is the
root of our identity; we are a people created out of the love of God
Genesis 1:27
who are called to live our lives for God. If we keep this identity as
CCC 1
sons and daughters of God at the root of who we are, we will grow
in a greater understanding of who we are created to be. With this
unchanging identity in Christ we will also not be shaken by peer
pressure or changing groups of friends.

For example, if you have always identified and defined yourself as

an athlete, what will happen if you get injured and can no longer
play sports? Will you feel like you have lost your identity, or will TEACHING
you lose your only friends because you are no longer a part of
the sports team? Or what if you start dating someone and you
find your identity in the person as being “so and so’s” girlfriend or
boyfriend. What happens if they break up with you? Will you lose
who you are? If your identity is first and foremost in Christ these
types of events will still be hard but they will not completely crush
COMMUNITY

you or make you feel like you lost who you were.

HOPES AND FEARS 19

 While it is not bad to be a part of these different communities, it
is essential that they do not become who you are. There are too
many things that can change in high school, and in life, and that is 1 John 3:1
why it is important that you are rooted in an identity in something John 1:12
that will never change. You are a beloved child of God, created in
His image and likeness to live a holy and blessed life.

IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY
High school is a wonderful time in life, but it is also quite
challenging. That is why it is important to have a good community
of friends who are rooted in their faith and seeking holiness. You
will probably face a lot of temptation and peer pressure in high
school, and you will need good friends to remind you of your true
identity in Christ.

We are not meant to journey in our faith alone. Even Christ called
CCC 1878
together the Apostles to journey with Him. From the beginning, He
Acts 2:42
desired for us to be in a community of believers together.

At this time give a brief testimony about a time in your life , preferably
in high school, that you had to turn to your Catholic community for
help and support.

All of your friends do not have to be Catholic, but it is important

that you have a community of Catholic friends and peers. That is
why we have a youth ministry at our parish: to bring you into a
loving community of friends who are here to support you in your
journey. As you go into high school, do not be afraid to dive into
different activities to learn and grow. But always remember the
importance of your faith, and finding Catholic friends, and growing
in your relationship with Jesus.
TEACHING
COMMUNITY

20 HOPES AND FEARS

COMMUNITY HANDOUT

FIND A FRIEND WHO...

Fill in the following lines with the person’s name that corresponds with the question. The first
person to find someone who fits each description wins.

Find someone…

1. With the same birthday month as you ____________________________________________

2. Who has the same pet as you ___________________________________________________

3. Who has the same favorite holiday as you _________________________________________

4. Who has never been outside of the USA __________________________________________

5. Who drinks coffee every day ____________________________________________________

6. Who is going to the same high school as you ______________________________________

7. Who likes the same type of music as you _________________________________________

8. With bright colored shoes on ____________________________________________________

9. Who plays more than two sports ________________________________________________

10. Who loves to read _____________________________________________________________

11. Who’s parents are from a different country _______________________________________

12. Who has more than four siblings ________________________________________________

13. Who does not like chocolate ____________________________________________________

14. Who has his or her hair in a pony tail _____________________________________________

15. Who plays a musical instrument _________________________________________________

HANDOUT
COMMUNITY

HOPES AND FEARS 21

 GOD AT THE
CENTER
SESSION THREE
SCRIPTURE YOUCAT MEDIA
John 3:16-17 470 SUGGESTIONS
John 10:10 494 • Life Teen Video: “Armor of
John 14:6 God” (Life Support Video 10)
John 20:23 SUPPLIES NEEDED • Edge Video: “I Confess”
• Pens (Edge Support Video 12)
CATECHISM • Paper
538 • "Examination of Conscience"
1424 handout page 27
1849
2055

BEFORE THE SESSION GOAL

Make sure that your Core Team is prepared for The goal of this session is to show the 8th grade
the Classroom Skit. youth the importance of keeping God at the
center of their lives.
OUTLINE

GATHER CLASSROOM SKIT

(5 min)

Have a few Core Members do a skit in the

PRAISE AND WORSHIP classroom section of the environment. Several
GOD AT THE CENTER

(15 min) Core Members should be students, and one

Gather in all of the youth with a time of praise
and worship.
should be the teacher. Have the teacher give out a
ridiculous amount of homework for the weekend.
Have one Core Member be the main student, and
have the other Core Members ask him or her if
he or she will be at various events that weekend
like a sports game, a choir concert, or some

22 HOPES AND FEARS


social hangout. Conclude the skit with the main
character feeling completely overwhelmed by
everything.
TESTIMONY
(10 min)
Bring up a Core Member or high school teen to
give a testimony about getting caught up in the
busyness of life in high school. Make sure that he
or she gives some specific examples of the many
different activities that he or she was involved
in and how he or she was able to keep God at
the center of it all. Give specific examples of how
this was done either in prayer, in each activity, or
perhaps through cutting out things that were not
essential.
VIDEO
(5 min)
Play the “Armor of God” video from the Media
Suggestions.
PROCLAIM
“GOD AT THE CENTER” TEACHING
(10 min)
This teaching can be found on page 25 to 26. Here
are the main points from the teaching
• Temptation is an outside influence to sin. Acting
upon the temptation is when we actually sin.
• There are many things that we can do to
overcome temptation and sin.
• We are called to put God at the center of our
lives in the midst of all the busyness.
HOPES AND FEARS
BREAK
SMALL GROUPS
(15 min)
Break all of the youth into their small groups.
Begin in prayer, and use the following questions
for discussion.
• What are some things you hope to be a part of
in high school?
• Do you often feel overwhelmed by all your
different activities?
• Do you put God at the center of your life as your
first priority? Why or why not?
• What are some things that are getting in the
way of your relationship with Him?
• What are some ways you can put God first
again?
BREAK AND VIDEO
(15 min)
Take a few minutes for a bathroom break and to
set up for confession. Then gather all of the youth
into the large group. Play the video “I Confess”
from the Media Suggestions.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
(45 min)
Supplies:
• "Examination of Conscience" handout page 27
OUTLINE
At this time, the youth will have an opportunity
to go to confession. Provide them with a copy of
the "Examination of Conscience" found on page
27. Have various suggested activities for the
youth to do while they are waiting for confession
GOD AT THE CENTER
or after they have gone to confession. If possible
give them an opportunity to go to the Adoration
Chapel to pray or have them sit quietly in prayer
in the meeting room. Encourage them to journal
and reflect on the retreat. If possible have your
music minister playing music during this time.
23
 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION invite the 8th graders to go. If not invite them to
(15 min) the Life Night that takes place that week.

Supplies: FURTHER ADAPTATION IDEAS

• Pens
• Paper
After all the youth have gone to confession, break
them into their small groups. Use the following
questions for discussion.
• Why is confession so important?
• If you are not able to play the video “I Confess”
have the priest come and give a quick explanation
of confession and answer any of the common
concerns or questions about confession.
• If you are not able to do confession at all consider
doing Eucharistic Adoration and challenge the
youth to go to confession with their families.

• How does confession act as part of our armor?

• How often should you go to confession?

After you have discussed these questions, give

each youth a piece of paper and pen to reflect on
their goals for high school. Have them write down
three goals they have for their achievements in
high school and three goals they have for their
spiritual lives in high school. Encourage them to
make a list of what their priorities will be in their
daily lives. After they have had time to reflect,
have them share with the small group.

SEND
LARGE GROUP SEND OFF AND
PRAYER
(15 min)

Bring all of the youth back into the large group.

Have the youth minister give a brief recap of the
retreat, and encourage the youth to participate in
the parish’s Life Teen ministry. If you have more
OUTLINE

than one youth minister, have the Life Teen youth

minister present to meet all of the youth.

Gather in all of the youth and pray over them

for their protection and peace in their hearts as
GOD AT THE CENTER

they go forth into high school. Consider using the

scripture passage Matthew 28:20 for this prayer.

After this closing prayer, pass out the retreat shirt

or any small gift you have for the youth. Take a
group picture, and then head to Mass. If your
Life Teen program meets after the evening Mass,

24 HOPES AND FEARS

GOD AT THE
CENTER
TEACHING
TEMPTATION VS. SIN
God has created us to live lives of happiness, truth, and beauty. He
wants us to know who we are, that we are loved, and that He has
a great purpose for our lives. God has destined us to live life to the
John 10:10 full, to be fully alive in Him, and to be filled with joy and peace. He
John 14:6 has given us a path to follow by the very example of His life, and
it is in knowing and loving Him that we will find true freedom and
happiness.

This video reveals to us that there are many things in our daily
lives that can tempt us to lose or question our faith, trust, or love
of God. As you enter into high school these temptations may
grow as you gain more freedoms. It is important to be aware of
temptation in your life and to have practical ways to overcome
them so you can follow the path of holiness with Christ.

What is temptation? Temptation is an attraction or an inclination

towards something that is contrary to the commandments of
God. For example, you may be tempted to cheat on a test that you
CCC 538 have not prepared for, which goes against the commandment to
not steal. Remember that the commandments are not in place to
restrict us, but rather to help lead and guide us according to how
God created us.

What is sin? Sin is acting on temptation. It is the action that is

sinful, not the temptation itself. For example, you are tempted to

TEACHING
CCC 2055
cheat on a test, and you actually do cheat on the test. Sin is an
CCC 1849
offense against God because it deliberately goes against the truths
that God has revealed to us. Sin destroys our relationship with
God because when we sin, we are turning away from Him.
GOD AT THE CENTER

WHAT TO DO
Just like we saw in this video, we can prepare ourselves and arm
ourselves against temptation and sin. We can do this through
prayer, the sacraments, and by growing in our relationship
with Christ. If we truly know and love God, we will not want to
sin because we will not want to offend or hurt Him. But this
relationship takes work and commitment. It is important that we

HOPES AND FEARS 25

 learn more about our faith through our own studies, by coming
to Edge/Life Teen, and by participating in parish life. It is also
good to have different people to hold you accountable, which is
what we talked a lot about in our last session with having a good
community.

The beautiful thing about our faith is that if we do fall, which we all
will, we are given the great Sacrament of Reconciliation. Through
this sacrament Christ comes to us through the person of the priest
and forgives us of our sins. God wants us to draw near to Him for CCC 1424
forgiveness; He wants to right the relationship that is destroyed by John 20:23
sin. God loves us and does not want us to live lives of sin. That is John 3:16-17
why He came and died for us. He is not waiting for us to mess up
so that He can punish us. Rather, He is waiting for us to come to
Him with all our sin so that He can heal us and make us new again.

GOD AT THE CENTER

Like we see in this video, temptation and sin can come in when
we are overly busy or tired. Our lives will inevitably be filled with
busyness. There will be many things that we will be asked to do
between school, work, family time, chores, social activities, sports,
clubs, and youth group. It is important that through it all you keep
Christ at the center.

How can you do this? The most important thing is to keep your
priorities in order. This means that you should order your life by
giving your time to the most important things first, such as your
relationship with God, your relationship with your family, and your
school work. Once you have those things in balance, then you
can start adding in other activities. Do not think that you have to
do everything, and if you start getting overwhelmed by all your
obligations, it is okay to cut back on things that are not absolutely
necessary.

An easy way to make more time in your day for the things that
are most important is to also keep your screen time in check. This
means not spending extreme amounts of time on social media,
watching TV, or playing video games. These things are not bad, but
they should not take up the majority of our time.
TEACHING

If you live your life with God at the center, you will find true
happiness. You were created in the image and likeness of God,
and you were created to be in a relationship with Him. If you order
your life by putting God first, you will save yourself a lot of pain
and disappointment that comes from trying to fill your life and find
GOD AT THE CENTER

happiness in things other than God.

26 HOPES AND FEARS

GOD AT THE CENTER HANDOUT

HANDOUT
GOD AT THE CENTER

HOPES AND FEARS 27

 Notes

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GOD AT THE CENTER

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28 HOPES AND FEARS