Prayer and Worship with Adolescents (YM)

Course Summary

This course will introduce the theology and practice of Catholic prayer and worship and will help students explore methods and techniques for planning and leading prayer and worship with young people. There will be a special emphasis on the value of a multicultural perspective in all opportunities for engaging young people in prayer, on the use of creativity, tradition, media, and on involving the families of young people.

Successful completion of this course earns 2.5 CEU's.

General Course Objectives

• Students will be able to identify their personal strengths and assumptions about prayer.
• Students will grow in knowledge and understanding of the Catholic Church’s recommendations for prayer and worship with youth.
• Students will learn varieties of Catholic prayer traditions and practices and how to adapt them for youth.
• Students will identify and be able to incorporate elements of ritual prayer, multimedia, and skills for prayer leadership into group experiences.
• Students will become familiar with basic elements of liturgical worship so as to be able to plan a Mass with youth and identify strategies for helping youth and their families to become actively involved in liturgy in ways appropriate to their culture.

Course Materials

• Required Book: Carolyn Pirtle & McGrath Institute for Church Life Ten Ways to Pray: A Catholic Guide for Drawing Closer to God (Engaging Catholicism) Ave Maria Press, February 2021 ISBN: 1646800575; ISBN-13: 978-1646800575; ASIN: B08SBXG3B1
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Course Structure and Highlights

• Week 1: My Prayer and the Prayer of the Church
  • Students will be able to identify their personal strengths and assumptions about prayer.
• Week 2: Understanding Worship and Prayer in Comprehensive Youth Ministry
  • Students will grow in knowledge and understanding of the Catholic Church’s recommendations for prayer and worship with youth.
• Week 3: Personal Prayer in Comprehensive Youth Ministry
  • Develop a deeper understanding of prayer practices and specific skills for teaching young people to pray in order to nurture the personal prayer lives of teens.
• Week 4: Group Prayer and Ritual Prayer in Comprehensive Youth Ministry
  • Students will identify and be able to incorporate creativity, elements of ritual prayer, multimedia, and skills for prayer leadership into group experiences.
• Week 5: Introduction to Liturgical Prayer in Comprehensive Youth Ministry
  • Students will become familiar with strategies for planning Masses with youth that encourage them and their families to become fully present and actively involved in both special liturgies and the regular weekend liturgies of the parish.

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