Resources to explore Synod and Christus Vivit
New resources created by young adults unpackage the Synod Final Document and Pope Francis’s exhortation, and offer reflections for youth workers.
Three Friends and the Miracle Man – Easter resources for younger children
The Bible Society’s new animated video takes Jairus’s daughter and the boy with the five loaves and two fishes on a journey where they discover who Jesus really is.
The video is on YouTube, and you can download it free from the Bible Society website, in English or Welsh. There is also a script and all-age service guide to enable you to explore the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and bring Three Friends and the Miracle Man to life at your church.
Journey through Lent with Missio – Secondary age
Missio’s resources for Lent 2019 include reflections that explore key words and concepts from the season, linking them with themes and actions that young people in the Secondary school age range can readily engage with and respond to. The three reflections have leaders’ notes and a set of PowerPoint slides, and feature the story of a young person supported by Missio. Each reflection can be delivered within 10 minutes – with or without the slides.
There is also a simple and accessible Stations of the Cross resource, which encourages young people to reflect on the lessons communicated through Jesus’ journey to the cross and apply them to contemporary issues. The resource is presented as a PowerPoint with leaders’ notes incorporated that suggest alternative ways to use the Stations.
Lent resources include Stations of the Cross for primary
This year’s Lent resources from Mission Together include a Stations of the Cross liturgical resource for the first time. Read more
Give it up – Lent resources from CAFOD
CAFOD has released a range of resources and guides for the ‘Give it up’ Lent campaign, including video, assemblies, prayer and liturgy, fundraising ideas; an ‘action a day’ calendar, and templates for publicising school events and fundraising.in newsletters and to local media.
Explore world changing principles with Million Minutes
Million Minutes develops new and innovative projects that help empower young people, inspired by the principles of Catholic social teaching, to reach out to those in need. Pictured above is Amy (from For Jimmy) a recipient of siLENT.
They’re offering assemblies and workshops to Catholic schools in England and Wales over the coming year to encourage young people to take an active role in social action and inspire them to change their world – arrange yours now!
Catechetical lessons for WYD prep & other uses
Panama2019 has produced a set of catechetical lessons to help prepare young people spiritually for January’s World Youth Day. The lessons can be downloaded as pdfs, and cover a range of topics and a variety of activities, following the ‘see, judge. act’ model.
Mission Together Advent 2018 resources
Mission Together has created new liturgies, assemblies and craft activities for 2018 to help primary age groups journey through Advent.
Refugee resources for young people
CAFOD has a range of resources for helping young people (secondary age) to engage with the issues around the global refugee crisis, including the short animation above.
It’s the CAFOD Advent Calendar 2018!
This year’s Advent calendar for secondary schools from CAFOD has a focus on refugees and includes daily class prayers.
National Youth Sunday 2018 Resources
Sunday 25th November, the feast of Christ the King, is National Youth Sunday. Resources for use in parish and school settings have been posted out, and can also be accessed through the Home Mission website (see below). Read more
Videos offer food for thought during #Synod2018
As the Synod unfolds, a series of videos featuring young people responding to the questions the Bishops are considering can provide useful talking points for schools, youth and chaplaincy groups,
The series is sponsored by the Synod of Bishops and produced by Catholic network Aleteia, in collaboration Catholic web TV TeleMATER. Videos in the series ask questions such as “What does family mean to you?” and “How can young people improve society?”
CAFOD Masterclasses for young adults
CAFOD is offering a series of free Masterclasses to young adults 18-30 who would like to develop their potential and skills in fundraising, communications or campaigning. The three short courses run alongside each other, so you can only do one at a time. Read more
Bible Society’s Resources – centenary of the end of WW1
This November marks the centenary of the Armistice that ended the First World War, and the Bible Society has a range of resources for primary and secondary ages groups to explore the issues around the ‘war to end all wars’. Read more
‘Complex Catholicism’ report can inform your youth work
The latest research into the lives and faith of young Catholic adults is essential reading for youth workers, and the report is accompanied by a valuable tool for applying the findings to your work with those you already reach, and in giving insights to reaching beyond this group.
The documents can be downloaded from Camino House and CYMFed, and hard copies can be ordered.
See our news article for more on the research and the launch event.
Caritas Volunteer Service makes volunteer matching easy
Looking for the right volunteer opportunities (for yourself or for the young people you work with), or finding suitable volunteers for your project, can be a time-consuming process. If you’re in London or Hertfordshire, Caritas Westminster’s Volunteer Service can match volunteers to projects, with a wide range of opportunities to suit different skills and interests, and the time people have available. AND – here’s the best bit – they want to extend this free service to cover the rest of the UK, which sounds like an excellent idea! (And if you’re in London on Tuesday 5th June 2018, visit their Volunteer Fair)
‘Trust the Road’: Preparing young people for life after school
The end of the summer term is on the horizon, bringing a time of change for many young people face as they leave or move school. ‘Trust the Road’, by Fr David O’Malley SDB, is a compact and highly useful book from Don Bosco Publications, that aims to guide them through the changes and choices they face, and offer a map for the road ahead. It’s composed of thought-provoking scenarios from contemporary life that can be read by individuals, or used as a basis for discussion and activities in schools and youth groups. Read more
‘God Calls’ – an app for 16-29s to deepen their spirituality
Have you seen the God Calls app from the National Office for Vocations? The app, aimed at 16-29 year olds, brings together daily scripture readings with reflection points, prayers, inspiring biographies of the saints and news and events from the Catholic world.
Easter resources for younger children from the Bible Society
The Bible Society has a range of resources to use with children around Easter. The Seriously Surprising Story is a video of the disciples’ meeting with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. You can download it from the website , or play it on youTube. There is a booklet to accompany the film – minimum donation of £2 for a single copy, or £1 if ordering in bulk. Read more
NEW Lent in 3 minutes video from Busted Halo
You’ve probably seen the classic video from Busted Halo – well, they’ve produced a new version for 2018, so take a look at this one!
Missio Lent 2018 resources out now
For Lent 2018, Missio have produced Stations of the Cross for secondary schools and colleges. These accessible stations encourage young people to reflect on the lessons communicated through Jesus’ passion and apply them to contemporary issues. A series of CST assemblies to accompany each week of Lent are also available. Download their Lent resources at the Missio website
Mission Together Lent assemblies, activities and much loved daily Calendar, help primary schools journey meaningfully through Lent. Download all these resources at MissionTogether
Advent 2017 Assemblies for secondary & youth groups from Missio
Missio has created Advent assemblies to help schools, colleges and youth groups journey towards Christmas. The assemblies focus on Missio’s international projects, enabling pupils to discover how the Universal Church is bringing the Hope, Peace, Joy and Love of Christ to those living in poverty, regardless of background or belief. Read more
Primary resources for Advent 2017 from Mission Together
To help primary schools journey towards Christmas, Mission Together has lots of attractive Advent resources to offer a joyful and thoughtful approach to this wonderful season. Read more
Resources for National Youth Sunday out now.
Resources are now available for this year’s National Youth Sunday, on 26th November, the feast of Christ the King. Read more
Resources for World Day of the Poor – 19th November 2017
The very first World Day of the Poor, called for by Pope Francis, is on 33rd Sunday of the year, 19th November. Caritas Social Action Network has a range of resources available to help schools and parishes get involved. Read more
Resources from ACN for Red Wednesday – 22nd November
Now in its second year, Red Wednesday is the centre of a week of activities to show solidarity with persecuted Christians, organised by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). This year, it falls on 22nd November. Resources for 2017 are no longer available, but see the ACN website for news of the 2018 event Read more
The CAFOD Advent Calendar 2017 is here!!!
It’s that time of year already! CAFOD’s refugee-themed Advent Calendar is available to download now, and it’s great for KS3/KS4 and post-16 prayers. Read more
New A-level Religious Studies lesson from Pax Christi
The second in Pax Christi’s series of lesson plans and materials for A-level Religious Studies explores various forms of pacifism by looking at the lives of Christian men and women who have resisted war and violence.
New ‘Pop-up Nativity’ for 2017 from the Bible Society
It’s almost October – how’s your Nativity planning going?
The Bible Society‘s Pop-Up Nativity for 2017 offers a script, video, PowerPoint visuals and colouring sheets telling the story of The Greatest Journey – following Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. Read more
More Education Sunday Resources
Further resources for Education Sunday 2017 are available to download from the Churches Together England website.
They include this cool KS 1 & 2 resource that’s based on Lego!