Home / Work of the Church / The Hub / Study Guides / Catechetical Themes / God's Blueprint /

God’s Blueprint: Builders of the Faith Session I: Builders of the Person

Understanding:

God is the builder of the person. He is our builder and gives us all the parts that make up the person, but we are responsible for building within ourselves the best Orthodox Christian we can be.

Set up: {Four stations]

Each station should take approximately 30 minutes. All stations begin with group activity of making newsprint people, which should take approximately 45-60 minutes.

Group introduction:

Opening Prayer: Our Father and an invocation of the Holy Spirit's presence and enlightenment of our understanding of the day's lesson and for our personal growth in Christ (building of our person) as a result.

Facilitator Opening: The running theme is that God is the Master Builder and gives us blueprints by which to make ourselves better Christians. Builders use tools to build buildings, Orthodox Christians use tools to build faith. A builder is given many tools, such as a hammer but he may choose not to use them. The same is with our faith - we are given tools and we must use them. We are to become builders of the faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit we are to use all the tools, materials, and gifts that God gives us to build within ourselves, our homes, our churches, and our communities so that we can strengthen our faith, therefore leading us towards salvation.

Ask: What are you good at? What are your gifts or talents? Do you sing well? Are you creative? Are you a kind person? Are you a good soccer player?

Ask for volunteer responses - discussion

These are talents that are gifts from God to be used to His glory and for the purpose of building up our person in order to be closer to Him and to help us attain salvation.

Some of the greatest gifts that God gives us for building and strengthening of our souls are found in the church. What are some of them?

Ask for volunteer responses - discussion

Possible answers not considered but perhaps should be discussed: The Ten Commandments, The Beatitudes, The Holy Mysteries and Sacraments.

Facilitator Directions: Disperse participants to stations. Have all stations do large group activity giving 45-60 min with a 10 min countdown. Have participants rotate through stations timing 30 min giving 5 min warning to rotate. After all participants have rotated through the stations, instruct to staple shut their 'person' and put their name on the back of the person. They will leave the paper person at the stations. After dismissal of students, collect 'persons' and hang/place along wall.

Facilitator Summary: What would happen if all the tools required to build a strong, solid-standing, complete house were not used? I am going to tell you a story about a builder named Tom who wanted a solid, strong-standing house to live in. He used all the tools necessary: nails, hammer, wood, cement, etc in the building of his house. He made a few mistakes while building but was faithful in looking at his mistakes, and corrected them with some new tools that he found. His neighbor saw what a strong, solid house that Tom had built and decided to build one himself. He was not as diligent and took too many shortcuts. He didn't our the concrete evenly, he pounded in nails sloppily so the wood didn't hold together, and he used as few roofing shingles as he could get away with. He didn't use the tools that he was given. Do you know what happened to his house? The door fell off, the roof leaked; his house was a mess because he was too lazy and undisciplined to use his tools correctly. How does this story relate to our lives? What about not using all the tools that God gives us such as the Beatitudes? Even though God is the Master Builder of our persons we still have the big responsibility to get to work and apply the knowledge, materials, and tools of God like we discussed today.

Closing prayer: Our Father and Thanksgiving to the Lord for what we've learned. Ask for the Holy Spirit and the discipline we need to put into practice our part in building up our person.

Reference Scripture: Matt 5:3-12 'The Beatitudes'

  • Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
  • Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
  • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
  • Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.
  • Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
  • Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
  • Blessed are those that are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.
  • Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake.
  • Rejoice and be exciting glad, for great is your reward in Heaven

Jude:20
An you beloved. building yourself up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourself in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ into eternal life.

John 6:35
I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never hunger and he who believes in me will never thirst.

Gal 5:22-23
(22)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23)gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.

Session I
Station 1: Beatitudes 1-3

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will understand the meaning of humility, meekness and why we mourn for those who do not know God.

Materials:

  • easel stand with adhesive flip chart/paper with Beatitudes 1-3 written down
  • stapler and staples
  • newsprint paper for tracing participant (10-12 ft length for each participant)
  • markers
  • scissors - enough for all participants to cut (1 per pair of youth)
  • three different color of 8.5" x 11" paper cut in half for writing down beatitudes (use three different colors for each beatitude)
  • two transparent jars; one empty and one with coins

Procedure:

Large group activity: Give each participant a 10-12 ft sheet of newsprint. Have children fold newsprint in half the trace each other's entire body profile on the paper. Instruct the youth to cut out their shapes. Have the children decorate or draw their person. Then have them staple around the legs up to the waist. Stuff the legs with the leftover newsprint scraps. Staple-up the trunk and around the edges of the arms, and stuff again. Staple up to the shoulders leaving a large opening. Stuffed person should not be any thicker than 1/2". DO NOT OVER STUFF! The participant will carry their paper body to each station and fill it with Beatitudes/Christian Characteristics.

You will be alerted to end this activity and begin the discussion part at your station.

Discussion: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." To be poor in spirit is to know that everything comes from God and not from us. Everything we have, everything that we can become, comes from God. This is when we realize that the things that we think are important are not really that important.

Demonstration:

  • Hold up two jars. One is empty, the other contains coins.
  • Give one jar each to two students.
  • Ask, 'Who is rich?' Response
  • Ask, 'Who is poor?' Response
  • Is being rich determined by who has the most money? Response
  • Are there other ways you can be rich or poor?
  • Is it better to be rich or poor? Response

Say, The Beatitudes we are discussing today beings with "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Does this tell us that having a poor spirit is a good thing or a bad thing? Why? (Direct discussion to a good thing because it means that we are humble. When we are humble or empty then we can allow the Holy Spirit to come in and fills up with good Godly things that can lead us to the kingdom of heaven.)

It can "build our spirit."

Many times people believe worldly treasures (hold up jar with coins) will make them happy. However, as Orthodox Christians we know that a poor spirit is good because we can ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit and build our treasures up in the Kingdom of Heaven. For these treasures will be with us always.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." This is when we feel sorrow for those that do not know God or feel bad for those people that are sinning against God.

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." To be meek means to be gentle and kind, not irritating or making others angry. It is the opposite of being selfish. This means not "paying back evil for evil" and to know that good is more powerful than evil. It is accepting whatever happens in your life with quietness and humility. Not feeling important about yourself because of your own accomplishments. God rewards the person who gives freely and most of all to those builders of the person who give to others and don't want everything for themselves.

Activity:

At the completion of your discussion of the Beatitudes, have the participant write down each Beatitude on a different colored piece of paper and insert that into the body of their person.

Session I
Station 2: Beatitudes 4-7

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the students will understand why trying to live our lives for God, and putting for the effort to be forgiving and pure will bring us close to God.

Materials:

  • easel stand with adhesive flip chat/paper with Beatitudes 4-7 written down
  • stapler and staples
  • newsprint paper for tracing participant (10-12 ft length for each participant)
  • markers
  • scissors enough for all participants to cut (one per pair of youth)
  • four different colors of 8.5 x 11 paper cut in half for writing down Beatitudes (use four different colors for each Beatitude)
  • two transparent jars; one filled with salt and one with sugar

Procedure:

Large group activity: Give each participant a 10-12 ft sheet of newsprint. Have children fold newsprint in half then trace each other's entire body profile on the paper. Instruct the youth to cut out their shapes. Have the children decorate or draw their person. Then have them staple around the legs up to the waist. STuff the legs with the leftover newsprint scraps. Staple up the think and around the edges of the arms, and stuff again. STaple up to the shoulders leaving a large opening. Stuffed person should not be any thicker than 1/2". DO NOT OVER STUFF! The participant will carry their paper body to each station and fill it with Beatitudes/Christian Characteristics.

You will be alerted to end this activity and begin the discussion part at your station.

Discussion: "Blessed are those who hunger and this after righteousness for they shall be filled."
Just like when we are hungry for food we also must be hungry to be perfect like God. When we are really thirsty for something to drink, and we really want to quench that thirst, it is the same with quenching the desire to do God's will and what is right. When we eagerly and faithfully go about wanting to build-up our person, God, the Master Builder, will make us feel at peace.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."
Having mercy is when we are forgiving and kind to others. We can do something nice for someone or say something nice to him or her. We are merciful because we know that we ourselves need forgiveness from God.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
This means that we do not intentionally do things that are wring, and that we do not think to do something evil. We only desire that which is good for everyone. When we clean our minds and hearts (like taking a bath- we get rid of the dirt and can see clean skin)we get rid of our dirtiness and impurities and build-up righteousness in our hearts we will more clearly see our Lord.

Demonstration:

Place the jar of sugar and salt in front of participants. Ask everyone to tell you which jar holds the sugar without tasting the contents. Ask why it's difficult to tell the difference. Explain that salt and sugar look alike. We can only tell them apart by tasting them. Christians don't look physically different that other people either. In fact, even our actions may not show that we love God. Even though we want to follow God's will, we still sin. And those kids who don't believe in God can still do nice things. People can look the same on the outside, but it is what is in our hearts that is important. Only God can see who really loves Him and believes in Him. He looks inside our hearts to see if we are pure.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God."
Peacemakers are those who have the peace of God in themselves and spread this peace to others. Having peace means you are not worried about life or what others think of you. It means you aren't worried about what to eat or what to wear or how to look. A peacemaker does not fight and tries to help those that do fight and quarrel. When we are found using the tool of peace, people around us will know we belong to God our Father.

Activity:

At the completion of your discussion of the Beatitudes, have the participants write down each Beatitude on a different colored piece of paper and insert that into the body of their person.

Session I
Station 3: Beatitudes 8-9

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will understand that if we stand firmly for what is right and what we believe that God will bless us.

Materials:

  • easel stand with adhesive flip chart/paper with Beatitudes 8-9 written down
  • stapler and staples
  • newsprint paper for tracing participant (10-12 ft length for each participant)
  • markers
  • scissors enough for all participants to cut (1 per pair of youth)
  • two different colors of 8.5x11 paper cut in half for writing down Beatitudes (use two different colors for each Beatitude)
  • one four-foot string/yarn per participant
  • one bagel per participant

Set-up:

tie one end of the string to a bagel -- one per participant

Procedure:

Large group activity: Give each participant a 10-12 ft sheet of newsprint. Have children fold newsprint in half then trace each other's entire body profile on the paper. Instruct the youth to cut out their shapes. Have the children decorate or draw their person. Then have them staple around the legs up to the waist. STuff the legs with the leftover newsprint scraps. Staple up the think and around the edges of the arms, and stuff again. STaple up to the shoulders leaving a large opening. STuffed person should not be any thicker than 1/2". DO NOT OVER STUFF! The participant will carry their paper body to each station and fill it with Beatitudes/Christian Characteristics.

You will be alerted to end this activity and begin the discussion part at your station.

Discussion: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is The Kingdom of Heaven."
When we are criticized for making sure something is right or in speaking the truth, we are building a better Orthodox person, and God will grant us eternal life.

"Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven."
When someone tries to tear down our person by being or saying something especially mean about Jesus or us, we will receive a reward for defending the Lord. We also must find happiness when someone makes fun of us for loving God.

Demonstration:

Explain that God gives us these tools to help us build a better Orthodox Christian and faith within ourselves. Just like He gave us hand to make eating easier, He gave us the Beatitudes to help us in our lives and make life easier. Give each participant a bagel tied to a string. Working in pairs, have one child on his knees and the other child holding the string in the air with the bagel hanging at mouth-level of his partner. Without using their hands or other body parts have the child on his knees try to eat the bagel, then switch places. Discuss how difficult it is to eat without suing our hands (the tools God gives us). Reinforce that the Beatitudes are tools to help us be better Christians just as our hands are a tool to help us eat.

Activity:

At the completion of your discussion of the Beatitudes, have the participant write down each Beatitude on a different colored piece of paper and insert that into the body of their person.

Session I
Station 4: Christian Characteristics

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will understand that the virtues are a gift from God. We display more of the gifts as we grow closer to God.

Materials:

  • easel stand with adhesive flip chart/paper with 'honest,' 'humility,' 'patience,' 'courage,' and 'thankfulness' written down
  • stapler and staples
  • newsprint paper for tracing participant (10-12 ft length for each participant)
  • markers
  • scissors enough for all participants to cut (1 per pair of youth)
  • five different colors of 8.5x11 paper cut in half for writing down the Virtues

Procedure:

Large group activity: Give each participant a 10-12 ft sheet of newsprint. Have children fold newsprint in half then trace each other's entire body profile on the paper. Instruct the youth to cut out their shapes. Have the children decorate or draw their person. Then have them staple around the legs up to the waist. STuff the legs with the leftover newsprint scraps. Staple up the think and around the edges of the arms, and stuff again. STaple up to the shoulders leaving a large opening. STuffed person should not be any thicker than 1/2". DO NOT OVER STUFF! The participant will carry their paper body to each station and fill it with Beatitudes/Christian Characteristics.

You will be alerted to end this activity and begin the discussion part at your station.

Discussion: The virtues, also called The Fruits of the Spirit, which literally means things of the mind and the heart which we all should have because we are created in God's image. Virtues are qualities that Jesus showed us. It's good behavior. There are many virtues:

  • Honesty: telling the truth, not lying; but also, to act truthful and be open--don't pretend to be someone you're not, or do something that isn't right. Do not cause someone else to lie. Another part of honesty is the way we look at sin in our lives. We are all sinners and to saw that we do not sin is a lie. We must go to confession and hide nothing, telling God all that we do wrong.
  • Humility: Does not mean someone who is less important, or disgraceful, or lower than anyone else. It does not mean a heavier that makes you feel bad. Christ is the ultimate example of humility. Humility is putting others first, what they care about and their feelings. It is serving others.
  • Patience: To wait and endure through bad times with hope. To put up with annoying people,. or their behaviors. TO be able to wait.
  • Courage: Do not be afraid to stand-up for what you believe in or what is right. You display courage not only when you may be afraid and you need to trust God, but also you need to display courage when someone makes fun of you.
  • Thankfulness: Expressing thanks for everything, and to everybody. This includes God, our families, and friends. There are two ways to react when something happens to you whether good or bad. You can take it for granted or give thanks. Even through bad times, God can use this to help us grow spiritually. THanking God in good or bad times comes from trusting in the Lord and having faith. The opposite of thanking is complaining. It is caused from lack of trust in the Lord.

Activity:

At the completion of your discussion of the Virtues, have the participant write down each characteristic on a different colored piece of paper and insert that into the body of their person.