September Leader’s Guide

Family Faith Night: “Be Not Afraid”

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. Fall is filled with life changes, not the least of which is going back to school. September is the perfect time to discuss the anxiety and fear that can come with change as well as the fun and excitement.

How to do it

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 are usually a welcome after-dinner treat.

Family Faith Night

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.)

7:45 Break for Refreshments

8:00 Come together as a large group and discuss article (write important thoughts and contributions on a white board or flip chart).

8:10 Guided Activity

Turn off the lights for a few moments. Ask families to take a moment to examine how they feel in the dark vs. the light. Are they nervous or afraid in the dark? Why? Often it is because we cannot see their surroundings in the dark. Turn the lights off again and ask how the feeling in the room changes if you light a candle (or plug in a nightlight). Does it bring comfort?

Talk about the times in life that we feel “in the dark” and how Christ really is our light and comfort during those times. Change can elicit fears and anxiety because we cannot see what is ahead; will the change be good for us or bring new challenges?

Finally, talk as a large group about how change is good and necessary for growth. Jesus talks about metanoia, a Greek word literally translated as “a complete turnaround.” If we’re going to embrace Jesus, a deep and immediate change is demanded of us. Who knows what lies ahead. But with Jesus at our side, we can be sure we will have strength for the journey.

8:30 p.m. Close with prayer or scripture reading (see optional closing prayer at the end of this article)

Discussion Article

"Do not be afraid: Helping your family move from fear to courage and confidence," by Dr. Joseph White, Ph.D.,Take Out magazine, Our Sunday Visitor, September, 2010

Small Group Questions

1. When have you felt afraid recently? How did you deal with or overcome the feeling?

2. Is your faith a comfort to you? How might we call on Jesus to be with us in times of fear?

3. How was going back to school for you this year? For adults, are there times of change that cause anxiety in your work life?

4. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus says “Be not afraid” over and over again. Why do you think he had to keep repeating this message to his disciples? To us?

Closing Prayer

Let nothing disturb you.

Let nothing frighten you.

All things are changing.

God alone is changeless.

Patience attains the good.

One who has God lacks nothing.

God alone fills our needs.

~ St. Teresa of Avila