Group Gathering for Sunday, Oct. 2nd: Begin New Roman Missal Prep

Now that we have a couple of weeks of classes under our belts, it is time to start preparing the children for the switch to the New Roman Missal coming in November! I am taking several weeks to try and break down the "why" we are changing and the "how" we are changing into the most basic, kid-understandable elements. This is how this week's group gathering will go:

Opening song: Your Life Will Change http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwTTU7eIw5Qv=CwTTU7eIw5Qyoutube.com/watch?v=CwTTU7eIw5Q This is a great song from an old VBS that has very easy motions to learn.

Minute to Win It: We will review last week's lesson about the parable of the two brothers. I will seek an audience member who can summarize the lesson, and especially the point that it isn't what we SAY that really matters, it's what we DO and how we ACT that shows we are Catholic Christians. The person who summarizes last week will be invited to play the game called "Penny Hose." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXb2rY_Zv9M As usual, if the task is successfully completed the contestant will win a "big" prize, but will win a small prize for at least trying.

Mini-Lesson: This lesson is strictly going to focus on "change." I will begin by having teachers give each student a sheet of paper on which I have pre-printed the Staples Easy Button image on one side and the Mr. Yuck Green Frown Face on the other side.

. I will tell the children that I am going to talk to them today about CHANGE, and we are going to think about and decide whether or not we think change is easy or difficult. I will proceed as follows:

Boys and girls, I am going to say a kind of situation that involves CHANGE. If you think that making that kind of change is easy, I would like you to hold up your sign with the EASY BUTTON showing. If you think that the kind of change that I mention is not too easy, then I want you to hold up the Mr. Yuk face. Everyone ready? Ok! Here we go! First of all, it just changed seasons last week from Summer to Fall. Was that change to Fall last Friday an easy change or a hard change? (pause - comment on signs, which will most likely all say 'easy'). Yes, I think changing seasons is easy, but there is something that happens along with seasons changing sometimes, and that is the Daylight Savings Time change, where we either lose an hour or gain an hour. What do you think? Is Daylight Savings Time an easy change or a hard change? You've got the idea, now! Let's go through a bunch of them. I want you to vote by holding up your signs, and you can look at each others', but let's keep our voices out of it so we can hear each question. Here we go:

Eating your favorite food?

Giving up your favorite food for Lent?

Learning a new language?

Getting a haircut?

Outgrowing your clothes to a new size?

Finishing school in May and going to the next higher grade?

Going to a new school?

Getting a new coach for your sports team?

Moving to a new state?

Moving to the North Pole?

Getting a new pet?

Having a pet run away or die?

VERY GOOD! We saw lots of examples of EASY changes and lots of examples of tough changes today. Some changes we know are coming, don't we? Like we know the seasons are changing; we know that we'll be going to the next grade, etc. But some changes we can't prepare for, like if our pet suddenly ran away from home? I want you to use your sign and answer this question for me. If you think it is easier to deal with changes that you know are coming, show me the easy button, but if you think it is easier to deal with unexpected changes that come, like a tornado wiping out a house, hold up the Mr. Yuk. I agree with all of you who think change is easier to handle when we know it is coming and can plan for it!

I want to ask you another question. If you like to deal with change by having others who have to deal with it too, like if you get a new coach on your team and everyone who plays on the team has to get used to that coach, you will show me the easy button. If you would rather be all by yourself to deal with change, and have nobody to talk about the change with, show me the Mr. Yuk button. I agree with everyone who is holding up the easy button: I think it is much easier to deal with change when we have others that we can talk about it with.

WELL... there is a reason that we are talking about change today. It's because there is a big change coming to our Mass! It is something that has been planned for a long time, and the change is going to start in November, so we have some time to get ready for it. I want to show you a video clip about the changes coming, and so get ready to read along with what it says...

(The Words of the Mass Are Changing Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScmuCNMsG5Q

So, you just heard all of those people talk about the change that is coming, and whether or not they like change and how they get redy for it. Whether we like change or not, we ARE having a change to Mass, and so we ARE going to get ready for it. And I am counting on you, boys and girls, to help your parents to prepare for the change by talking to them about everything that YOU learn about the changes. Since most of your parents don't go to a religous ed. class, it will be up to you to help your family prepare. Can you do that?! Can you DO THAT??!! All right!!!

Next week we are going to have a look at what is changing about the Mass, and we are going to start to learn some of the new things. This week I want you to start to prepare your minds for the change that is coming, ok?

Since you are going to be messengers of these changes, helping others get ready for it, I think that is kind of like letting your light shine before man, and doing a good deed. So let's close with our Let Your Light Shine song! GOD IS GOOD!