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LEADER’S GUIDEChris Stefanick & Ron BolsterWest Chester, Pennsylvania
Chosen is a resource of Ascension Press.Copyright 2014 Ascension Press. All rights reserved.With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and critical reviews, no part of this work may bereproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form whatsoever, printed or electronic, without the prior writtenpermission of the publisher.Excerpts from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States ofAmerica. Copyright 1994, 1997, United States Catholic Conference, Inc.–Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Allrights reserved.Scripture passages marked “RSV-CE” have been taken from the Revised Standard Version–Catholic Edition.Copyright 1946, 1952, 1971, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of theChurches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved.Scripture passages marked “NAB” are from the New American Bible. Copyright 1987, by World BiblePublishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Passages marked “NIV” are from the New International Version. Copyright 1984, by the International Bible Society. All rights reserved.Ascension PressPost Office Box 1990West Chester, PA 193801-800-376-0520AscensionPress.comCover Design: Devin SchadtPrinted in the United States of AmericaISBN: 978-1-935940-54-8
ContentsWelcome Letter from Chris Stefanick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iAbout the Authors and Presenters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iiChosen Program Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ivThe Chosen Catechetical Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv“Who’s Who?” in Confirmation: Explaining the Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vChosen Program Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viiGetting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viiiStep 1: Plan Your Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viiiStep 2: Recruit Your Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ixStep 3: Engage the Parish Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xStep 4: Create Your “Program Checklist” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiScheduling Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiiOne-Year Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiiTwo-Year Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiiiOnline Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvSession Outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviSend Us Your Ideas and “Success Stories” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xixFor More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xixHow to Use this Leader’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxChosen Student WorkbookLesson 1: “Why am I here?” (An Introduction to Chosen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Lesson 2: “What makes me happy?” (Discovering God as the Source) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Lesson 3: “What’s your story, God?” (A Look at Salvation History) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Lesson 4: “How do I know God is real?” (Understanding Divine Revelation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Lesson 5: “Who is Jesus?” (The Person and Mission of Christ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Lesson 6: “Why be Catholic?” (Discovering the Church Jesus Founded) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Lesson 7: “Where am I going?” (A Look at the Four Last Things) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Lesson 8: “How do I get there?” (The Power and Purpose of the Sacraments) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Lesson 9: “When did my journey begin?” (Baptism, Your Initiation into God’s Family) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Lesson 10: “Why tell my sins to a priest?” (The Healing Power of Confession) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Lesson 11: “How does God help when it hurts?” (Anointing of the Sick and Redemptive Suffering) . . . . . . . . . . 95Lesson 12: “Who is the Holy Spirit?” (Meeting the Third Person of the Trinity) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105Lesson 13: “What does the Holy Spirit do for me?” (Gifts for the Journey) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Lesson 14: “Why have I been Chosen?” (Sealed and Sent in Confirmation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Lesson 15: “Why do I have to go to Mass?” (Encountering Jesus in the Eucharist) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135Lesson 16: “What does it mean to say, ‘I do’?” (Marriage, a Sign of God’s Love) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Lesson 17: “Who’s calling?” (Holy Orders and Vocational Discernment) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155Lesson 18: “Are you talking to me?” (Getting to Know God Through Prayer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165Lesson 19: “Who is Mary?” (Meeting the Mother of God – and Your Heavenly Family) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175Lesson 20: “What would Jesus do?” (The Beatitudes as a Path to True Happiness) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185Lesson 21: “Do I have what it takes?” (Building Virtue – Your Spiritual Workout) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195Lesson 22: “Why wait?” (God’s Plan for Love and Sex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205Lesson 23: “How do I build the kingdom?” (Saying “Yes” to the Mission of Christ and His Church) . . . . . . . . . . . 215Lesson 24: “Where do I go from here?” (The Journey Continues) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234Catholic Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248Student Workbook Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252Leader’s Guide Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Leader’s Guide iWelcome to ChosenThank you for responding to the call to prepare Catholic teens to take the next important step on theirfaith journey—Confirmation. I’ve spoken to people involved in youth ministry who are eager to reach thisfast-paced, tech-savvy generation with the love of Christ—yet are wondering how, exactly, to communicatethe teachings of the Church in a way that “speaks” to those caught up in an increasingly secular world.If you feel like this, do not be afraid. While the “news of the day” gets old within twenty-four hours, and thelatest tech gadget becomes obsolete in six months, the mercy of God is “new each morning” (Lamentations3:23). That is truly “Good News.”Whether or not they know it, teens today have hearts and minds made to dive in to the Good News of thegospel. In the words of John Paul II, “Jesus Christ is the answer to the question posed by every human life,and the love of Christ compels us to share that great Good News with everyone.”1Just as the God of the universe transformed human history two thousand years ago, he is fully “present”and seeks to transform the hearts of young people, here and now. This life-changing “divine encounter”isn’t a flashy event or a new philosophy; it is a person: Jesus Christ. Instead of encountering God on thecrowded streets of Jerusalem, your candidates will encounter him in the sacraments, in the teachings ofthe Church, in their parish community, in experiences of service, and, in a special way, in you.It’s our prayer that the thousands of hours of work that went into Chosen will help you to facilitate anencounter with God himself. Like you, we do this work, not because of what we have to give young people,but because of what they have to give to the Church and the world when they open their hearts to God. Inthe words of the great pope who was such an important part of my own conversion: “I have seen enoughevidence to be unshakably convinced that no difficulty, no fear is so great that it can completely suffocatethe hope that springs eternal in the hearts of the young, the young are our hope.”2Indeed, the young people we serve are not the Church of tomorrow any more than you are the Church ofyesterday. The youth are the Church of today! And as you prepare them for the Sacrament of Confirmation,you are helping empower them to be the saints and kingdom builders they are called to be (as you becomea saint and kingdom builder yourself).We are honored to be on this journey with you. Know that we are praying for you as you do the mostimportant work in human history: echoing the Good News that God has revealed to every generation.Your friend in Christ,
iiAbout the Authors and PresentersChosen: Your Journey Toward Confirmation, features some of the most passionate and inspiring Catholic youthministry experts and speakers from across the country.Co-AuthorsChris Stefanick is a co-author and presenter for Chosen. He speaks to more than 50,000 teens, young adults, andparents every year. Chris has served at a parish in the East Los Angeles area and as director of youth and youngadult ministry for the Archdiocese of Denver. He is the founder and president of Real Life Catholic, a nonprofitorganization dedicated to reengaging a generation. Chris is a syndicated columnist, has authored or co-authoredseveral books, and is a regular on Catholic TV and radio. Chris and his wife, Natalie, live with their children inDenver, Colorado. Learn more about Chris at RealLifeCatholic.com.Ron Bolster is director of the Office of Catechetics at Franciscan University. He was formerly the director of theOffice of Catechetics for the Diocese of Peoria. He holds a master of arts degree in theology with catecheticalcertification from Franciscan University and an undergraduate degree from Cornell University. Ron has alsoserved as a consultant for RCIA to the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. He and his wife, Andrea, reside withtheir children in Steubenville, Ohio.PresentersJackie Francois Angel is a Catholic recording artist and speaker who travels both nationally and internationally,leading retreats and conferences for youth and young adults. Her debut album, Your Kingdom Is Glorious, wasreleased through OCP/SpiritandSong.com. Jackie and her husband, Bobby Angel, live in California. VisitJackieFrancis.com to learn more.Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers is the founder and director of Servant Enterprises Inc., dedicated to the promotionof Catholic values. He makes regular appearances in Catholic media and leads retreats, seminars, and conferencesaround the world. Deacon Harold and his wife, Colleen, live with their children in Portland, Oregon. VisitDynamicDeacon.com to learn more.Brian Butler is co-author of Theology of the Body for Teens (both the high-school and middle-school editions).He is the co-founder and president of Dumb Ox Ministries (DumbOxMinistries.com), a nonprofit organizationdedicated to chastity and vocation formation for teens and young adults. Brian and his wife, Lisa, live with theirchildren in New Orleans, Louisiana.The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. The four Dominican sisters who participated in the Chosen programare from a congregation of nearly 280 religious sisters based in Nashville, Tennessee. The DominicanSisters of St. Cecilia are committed to Catholic education and serve more than 12,000 students frompreschool to college throughout the United States, as well as in Canada and Australia. Visit them atNashvilleDominican.org.
Leader’s Guide iiiJason Evert has spoken internationally to more than one million people about the virtue of chastity. He is thebest-selling author or co-author of a dozen books, including Theology of His/Her Body and Theology of the Body forTeens. Jason and his wife, Crystalina, live with their children in Denver, Colorado. Visit ChastityProject.com tolearn more.Chris Padgett is a professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio, and theauthor or co-author of three books including Spirituality You Can Live With. He is also a Catholic speaker andrecording artist and travels around the world giving talks, missions, and concerts. Chris and his wife, Linda, livewith their children in Steubenville, Ohio. Visit Chris-Padgett.com to learn more.Fr. Michael Schmitz serves as both the director of youth and young-adult ministry for the Diocese of Duluthand as the chaplain for Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in Duluth,Minnesota. He also travels nationally and internationally giving talks and leading retreats and conferences.Sarah Swafford is the director of special projects for Catholic Identity at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.She is also a Catholic chastity speaker and the founder of EmotionalVirtue.com. She graduated from BenedictineCollege with degrees in theology and business marketing. Sarah and her husband, Dr. Andrew Swafford, live withtheir children in Atchison, Kansas.Fr. Mark Toups is a priest for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, where he serves as director of seminarians.In addition, he works with the Institute for Priestly Formation, specializing in communications, development,and spiritual direction. He received his master of divinity degree from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans,Louisiana. Visit FrMarkToups.blogspot.com to learn more.Mary Ann Wiesinger is associate director of the department of evangelization and catechesis for the Diocese ofOakland. She is responsible for the basic and master catechist certification programs (English and Spanish) inOakland, California.Also FeaturingLeah Darrow is an international Catholic speaker. Before her debut on the reality TV show America’s Next TopModel, and her subsequent years as a professional model in New York City, Leah earned a bachelor of arts degreein psychology from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. As a full-time apologist and speaker for Catholic Answersfrom 2010 to 2013, Leah brought both her experiences of reality TV and the fashion world to the masses. Leahlives with her husband, Richard, and their daughter in Denver, Colorado. Visit LeahDarrow.com to learn more.Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. The Community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR’s)is a religious community whose twofold mission is to serve the poor and to evangelize throughpreaching, teaching, and witnessing the Catholic Faith. The friars are located worldwide,with communities in New York City, Fort Worth (Texas), London (England), Nicaragua, andHonduras. Visit them at FranciscanFriars.com.Br. CrispanRinaldiFr. RichardRoemer
ivChosen Program OverviewChosen is a catechetical journey for teenaged Confirmation candidates (also called confirmandi). This programis designed to provide the essential intellectual and spiritual catechesis that is so vital to sacramentalpreparation.Catechesis is different than an academic course, which seeks to impart knowledge about a given subject.While a catechist certainly teaches, and the student catechized certainly learns, the goal of catechesis isto bring about a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It is teaching for conversion.3 The end result of effectivecatechesis is not a classroom full of smart students, but a community full of disciples. Each lesson ofChosen has been carefully laid out with this aim in mind.The name of this program, Chosen, is meant to convey that Confirmation, like the other Sacramentsof Initiation (Baptism, and the Eucharist) is not so much about us choosing God, as it is about himchoosing us (see CCC 1).Over the course of the next twenty-four lessons, your candidates will be invited first to hear, then torespond with faith to the voice of God who has called us to become his sons and daughters—simplybecause “he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).The Chosen Catechetical ApproachChosen follows the same three-phase catechumenal model used to prepare people to enter the CatholicChurch through RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults).* These stages are intended to facilitateconversion in the time leading up to the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation.These three phases are expressed in the organization and structure of the catechetical presentation,following the classic Scripture passage in which Christ reveals his identity to Thomas and the otherapostles: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but byme’” (John 14:6). In Chosen, we discover that Jesus is 1. The WayPre-catechumenate, a time to remove obstacles to belief (pre-evangelization, Lessons 1 and 2) and presentthe basic gospel message (evangelization, Lessons 3 to 6). The goal of this phase is conversion of heartand to provide the “framework” or context for every other lesson.2. The TruthCatechumenate, the time of formation (Lessons 7 to 17). When the heart discovers who Jesus is andis trained to follow him, the seeds of faith which were planted at Baptism and strengthened throughConfirmation will flourish in new life.3. The LifePurification and enlightenment is a phase of more intense, interior formation in final preparation for thesacrament and for a life of discipleship (Lessons 18 to 24).*General Directory for Catechesis (GDC), 59.
Leader’s Guide vThe Chosen program also offers several liturgical experiences for candidates that, like the “rites” of theRCIA model, provide an all-important opportunity for candidates to encounter Jesus in his Church. Theseinclude a retreat, a rite of welcoming, a Penance service, and a rite of enrollment. These resources areavailable as free downloads at ConfirmationStudy.com.Following the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation is a phase called mystagogy. This is the phasein which the newly initiated Christian is immersed in the mysteries he or she has received and in thelife of the Christian community. For the newly confirmed teenager, we think the best way to provide anopportunity for mystagogy is through youth ministry. If you do not have a youth-ministry program, checkout great resources like LifeTeen.com, DeadTheologiansSociety.com, or ydisciple.org to implement youthministry in your parish.“Who’s Who?” in Confirmation: Explaining the RolesIt takes a whole Church to raise a disciple! Each time a youth is confirmed, he or she takes his or her placein the wider community of faith—among those who have played a vital role in helping him or her to reachthis sacramental milestone. This sacramental “support team” includes The Candidate (Confirmand): Teens can live up to our expectations if we take the time to communicatewhat we expect clearly and consistently. Be sure to convey to your candidates, both individually and as agroup that (next to God’s) theirs is the most important role in their own preparation process.Starting with the first class, communicate both verbally and in writing what you expect. Have yourcandidates and their parents sign the “Candidate Commitment” form (available as a free downloadat ConfirmationStudy.com) and bring it back to the next class. This pledge form includes essentialcommitments, such as: Mass attendance every Sunday (and on holy days of obligation). Class participation. Candidates must be on time and be attentive at every class, at prayer services andretreats, and at other required formation events.* Service hours. While specific requirements may vary from parish to parish and diocese to diocese,opportunities to serve in the community and parish should be provided and encouraged. Theseopportunities are most fruitful when supervised by team members and adult mentors. Complete homework assignments. Each lesson contains a “Taking It Home” section that reinforces whatwas learned in class and what will be covered in the “Review Game” the following week. Consider howyou can best motivate your group. Doing the “Challenge of the Week.” Each week, candidates will complete a personal challenge that will helpthem apply that week’s material to their own lives.*Discern, with your pastor, how to handle students who consistently miss class or who fail to follow through on other aspectsof Confirmation preparation. In some cases, those who are unwilling to make Confirmation preparation a priority may not beready to receive the sacrament. (That said, exceptions should be made if preparation is, in fact, a priority to the student, thesacrament is desired, and the requirements weren’t met for good reasons.)
xviSession OutlineBelow is a suggested format for a 90-minute lesson. You can adapt these recommended plans to meet theparticular needs of your group (e.g. by adapting the time spent on particular components or by assigningsuggested in-class activities as homework), but this provides a basic model to get you started.Each lesson follows the same basic format: (1) Review of the previous lesson and opening prayer,(2) video presentation, (3) small-group discussion, (4) group discussion and closing remarks, followed bya closing prayer, and (5) homework, which reinforces the material learned that week.Chosen Session Format90 minutesStep1Welcome/“Review Game” (5 minutes, beginning with Lesson 3)*A DVD-based review of the previous week’s material. These questions are drawn from the “Watch It!”questions and the “Hero of the Week,” “Wrap-Up,” and “What’s That Word?” features (located in the“Taking It Home” section at the end of each lesson).In order to build interest and excitement about the game, leaders may ask for two candidates to “faceoff” at the front of the class to answer the questions. Whoever gets the most correct answers wins a prize,which could range from candy to a five-dollar bill or iTunes gift card. Think creatively—nothing makes agame a success like a great prize.If your candidates seem to need a “change,” consider adapting the game a bit using one of these variations—or one of your own! “Shout Out”: See who can call out the answer first. “Family Feud/College Bowl”: Divide into teams and have one member of each team “face off” forpoints.Step2“Challenge of the Week Review” (5 minutes)Students are encouraged to share their experiences of the “challenge” they chose to do the previous week.(See Step 8, “Challenge of the Week.”)Leaders can ask if anyone would like to share a “challenge experience.” To break the ice, you might askquestions like, “Who chose the first challenge?”, “Did you find it easy?”, “Would any of you want to sharewhat you wrote or any insights you gained?”*The first lesson starts with an icebreaker called “Autograph Chasers.”
Leader’s Guide xviiStep3“Opening Prayer” (3 minutes)This prayer is based on the lesson topic for the week. The Student Workbook contains the “group” part ofthe prayer, with directions and notes for the teacher printed in the Leader’s Guide version.Step4“Dive In” (5 minutes)This feature is a thought-provoking story to draw candidates into the topic for the week. This can be readaloud by the leader or a candidate or read silently by the class. This is done before the video presentation.Step5“Watch It!”/Small-Group Discussion – Video Presentation (50 minutes)The video lessons are divided into three segments of four to eight minutes each.* At the end of eachsegment, the video is paused and candidates fill in two or three questions in their workbooks.After checking to be sure that everyone has the correct answers, the facilitator then leads candidatesthrough the small-group discussion questions before viewing the next segment. (Allow for about tenminutes after each segment.)Recommended questions are printed in the Leader’s Guide; these can be adapted or modified to meet theneeds of your group. Questions that are “open ended” or that could have several possible responses donot have an answer key. Other questions have Catechism references or other printed responses to assist youin facilitating the discussion.Step6“To the Heart” (10 minutes)After the small-group discussion, the class is then brought back together to read the “To the Heart” story,either silently or aloud by the leader or a candidate. A thought-provoking question is included in theLeader’s Guide in a red box to foster a brief class discussion.In the first lesson, the “To the Heart” feature is omitted to give you time to communicate your expectations for theprogram to your group. A “Candidate Commitment” form is available in the “Online Resources” section of the Chosenwebsite (ConfirmationStudy.com).Step7“Hero of the Week” (5 minutes)Each lesson highlights a saint whose life and work embodies that week’s topic. This p
Chosen: Your Journey Toward Confirmation, features some of the most passionate and inspiring Catholic youth-ministry experts and speakers from across the country. Chris Stefanick is a co-author and presenter for Chosen. He speaks to more
