One easy way to use Take Out in your family faith formation ministry is to offer a monthly series for parents and kids to gather in small faith communities and discuss one article from each month’s issue. What better way to reinforce the Church’s season of Christmastime during the month of January than to invite them to an Epiphany Evening?
Reserve a room in your parish that is large enough to accommodate 25-50 people. Set up tables with 5-7 chairs at each. Having people sit at tables is an easy way to divide them into small groups. For this month’s session, families should be grouped at a table together. Several sets of the discussion questions should be in the middle of each table along with a few copies of that month’s Take Out magazine. You’ll also need a blank piece of paper and some colorful washable markers.
Refreshments are always welcome and need not be fancy or time-consuming to display. Decaf coffee and cookies or popcorn are usually a welcome after-dinner treat.
Epiphany Evening
7:00 p.m. Opening Prayer and Greeting
7:05 p.m. Brief overview of the article to be discussed
7:15 p.m. Refer participants to discussion questions on each table and begin small group discussion (Make sure participants understand that the questions are a beginning for their discussion – they can discuss one of them or all of them. Remember to make room for the movement of the Spirit in these discussions that may take a group in a new or unexpected direction.)
7:30 Guided Activity
On each table have a large, blank cut-out of a star along with some crayons or washable markers. Encourage each family to write some of the people who have been “stars” for their family (i.e. people who were supportive, loving, caring and passed on the faith in a strong way). At the end of the evening, take the Star List home and hang it on the fridge as a reminder of the Christian meaning of the star.
8:00 p.m. Break for refreshments
8:10 p.m. Come together as a large group and discuss article (write important thoughts and contributions on a white board or flip chart). If you’ve separated into two groups, bring the two back together and share responses.
8:30 p.m. Close with prayer or scripture reading (see optional closing prayer at the end of this article)
Discussion Article
"Follow that Star" by Lorene Hanley Duquin (Take Out magazine, Our Sunday Visitor, January, 2010)
Leader’s Note: It might be helpful to read through the actual scripture story of the Epiphany in Matthew 2:11.
Small Group Questions
Closing Prayer
Loving God, Help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. Amen. -- Robert Louis Stevenson
Catholic Faith Resources | For Catholic Parishes | Order OSV Products | RSS | Advertise | About Us | Contact Us | Jobs Copyright © 1996-2012, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright information | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy