The Holy Spirit and the Church: Teacher Guide

This teacher guide will help to expand your student's knowledge of the Holy Spirit and teach them that the Holy Spirit energizes and brings life to the Church and to all baptized believers. Throughout these chapters the students will explore how the Holy Spirit moves in God's people and will discover concrete ways that the Holy Spirit is present in the world today. They will examine how the gift of God's grace is made possible by the Spirit and what it means to be invited to participate in God's life. The students will reflect on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and how these gifts help them to respond to God's love. In exploring the Holy Spirit's activity in the Church, the young people will look at how God's Spirit was present in the lives of the Apostles and look at how all the baptized participate in the mission of Christ to make disciples of all nations. The students will also examine what is needed to enter God's Kingdom and how Mary and the saints, and those whose lives reflect the qualities, values, and beliefs that characterize Jesus' followers can serve as models of faithful discipleship. Each teacher guide provides a chapter opener, core chapter content, an emphasis on Scripture, time for prayer, and chapter activities. The teacher guides are directly tied to the chapters in the The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers (Saint Mary's Press, 2009). The handbook is a visually appealing, youth friendly presentation of the Catholic faith.