6th Grade Families 10-13-21

 

6^th grade Axis Guide Sheet: Small Catechism & Baptism                                                 10/13/21

Hi Families:  Handed out/posted last week! This week, Wednseday night or when it works for you, use what you can/what is interesting to you. Adapt anything you want!

 

 

Takeaways:

1)      Martin Luther (where we get “Lutheran”) wrote the Small Catechism as a foundational Q&A document to instruct families in the core Christian beliefs & practices. Essentially, you have a cheat sheet of the Christian basics from a Lutheran perspective. The Small Catechism is included in your Colaborate Bible (toward the very end). 

2)      Through baptism we are named & claimed as God’s own child, we receive God’s gifts of faith & grace. This means that God forgives sin, redeems us from death & the devil, & gives us salvation as pure gift.

 

 

Further readings to check out (use for Faith 5):

-          1 Corinthians 15:3-7

o   Key verse – Have kids read & highlight/underline 1 Corinthians 15:3

o   The gospel was originally spread by people telling the story of Jesus to one another in person or in letters read aloud. In what ways is that a more effective way to share the good news of Jesus than having people read about it? Less effective? What is the value of having people share their own stories of meaningful experiences and good news?

o   What are some ways faith has been “passed on” to you by people in your life? Why do you think they’ve done these things?

-          Romans 6:3-4 – Have kids highlight & underline.

o   After reading, reflect: In your own words, what does this say?

 

Discussion starters:

On catechism:

-          Share about a time you had to use an instruction manual…What was it for? Was it useful? Did you even read it?

-          Where do you get your Bible/God/faith knowledge?

-          What things do you believe right now about your faith/God/the Bible/church etc.? (you could write these down…)

-          What things are you still wondering about when it comes to your faith/God/ etc. ? (again, you could write these down…)

-          It seems to be that anyone can become an expert on anything, just look it up on YouTube or Wikipedia. How do you know which guidance/instruction to trust?

-          If you could have a handy “The Basics Of…” app or cheat sheet, what would it be for?

-          Did you know that the Small Catechism was really intended for use in the home? What kinds of things does your family do to practice your faith at home/in daily life? (note-don’t make this a brag session/guilt inducer; it’s just inviting kids to share where their & your family is at).

-          Why do we (or don’t we) need the Small Catechism?

o   If we don’t need the Small Catechism, what would be something more helpful/useful?

 

 

On Baptism:

-          Without using anything that you do, or what other people say about you, how would you describe your identity? In your own mind & heart, how do you identify yourself?

o   How does this influence the way you live your life? (i.e. make decisions)

 

-          In contrast, what are those things in life that we tend to let define us? Or who are the people we let influence how we see ourselves? Discuss the positives & negatives in both categories.

 

-          What does it mean to be a child of God? Does it mean anything to you personally that you are a child of God?  Why or why not?

 

-          Tell about a time you had a “life changing” experience…What happened? How is it sticking with you today?

 

-          What are some other life events that have permanent effects?  Consider the permanence of baptism.  Can you ever be “un-baptized?” Why or why not?  How about “re-baptized?”  Why or why not?

 

 

Activity Ideas:

 

-          How To…: Create a pocket guide/cheat sheet on a subject you feel you’re experts on! Or create short instructional videos (Reels or TikTok even) on it.

-          There’s an app for that: Those with phones can head to their app store & download the Small Catechism (ELCA version) to their phone. Play around with it, explore together!

 

-          Eyewitness: Who were the people present at your baptism? Talk to at least 2 of them in the next 2 weeks & ask them about it. What it was like, why it matters to them, etc.

 

-          Remember it: This week, whenever you see &/or use water, remember your baptism by marking a quick sign of the cross on your forehead & remind yourself of God’s action on your behalf: that you’re God’s beloved child, named, claimed, forgiven, & sent out to be a blessing to the world.

 

-          Water World: Bonus. Take note of the tangible ways you see water at work in the world. What does it do? Why is it needed? Can you draw any similarities to baptism?