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human Formation

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the evening is to develop community and fellow-

ship among the discipleship group while also challenging them by catechizing,

using a popular movie.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: “Do not be conformed to this world but be

transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is

the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

—Romans 12:2

CATECHISM REFERENCE: “Users [of the mass media]…will want to form

enlightened and correct consciences the more easily to resist unwholesome

influences.” —CCC 2496

Community Builders

A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES

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SESSION SNAPSHOT Review the entire lesson plan in advance so you are prepared to lead and discuss comfortably. Gather necessary supplies and review any songs or video clips prior to your gathering. Adjust the suggested time allotments as necessary.

Time Session Session Overview10 minutes Dig In Meet at a movie theater or someone’s home, get

snacks, and open with prayer.

5 minutes Plant Seeds Read the Apostolic Letter quote, and briefly introduce the movie and the theme.

90 minutes Sink Roots Enjoy a movie together.

30 minutes Live It Discuss the themes of the movie with teens, and encourage them to try the Bear Fruit idea on their Teen Sheets.

2 minutes Closing Prayer Close in prayer.

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PREPARE IN ADVANCE: ➜ Select a movie that you feel has a valuable message for your teens. Be sure

to preview it in its entirety. (See the list of movies and themes at the end of this lesson for ideas, or look up what’s currently showing at the theater.)

➜ Create a list of several thought-provoking questions for discussion after the movie. You’ll want to help teens make connections to their own lives.

➜ Find a comfortable space to watch the movie (if you’re not going to the theater), such as a home with plenty of seating and floor space, or a fireside room at your church.

➜ If you're showing a movie at the parish and you advertise the movie as open to the public(in the bulletin, for example), you’ll need to have a movie license to show it. Check with the parish office on how to get a movie license, or visit cvli.com.

SUPPLIES NEEDED: ➜ Snacks

➜ Teen Sheets

➜ Pens or pencils

➜ Movie and A/V equipment (unless you plan to meet at a movie theater)

➜ Two possible options for A/V equipment are: • Meet at a movie theater. • Utilize a television and DVD, BluRay Player or Digital movie.

Text, tweet, and/or update your group’s Facebook page to remind the teens about the gathering. Find the movie trailer at youtube.com and post it to your Facebook page, or send teens a link.

Try this: Create a big screen using a white bed sheet and a projector to make your own at-home movie theater.

If you need some help formulating discussion questions, look at thesource4ym.com/movieclipdiscussions. You can also purchase “In Focus,” a Catholic movie resource at http://store.lifeteen.com/in-focus-catholic-movie-guide.aspx.

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SAY: It seems like we’re surrounded by negative and potentially harmful messages through movies and the media every day. But it’s important for you to know that the Church, rather than shying away from this territory, makes itself present within it. Here’s what Pope John Paul II had to say in 2005:

“In the communications media the Church finds a precious aid for spreading the Gospel and religious values… The Church willingly employs these media to furnish information about itself and to expand the boundaries of evangelization, of catechesis and of formation, considering their use as a response to the command of the Lord: ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature’ (Mark 16:15).” —“The Rapid Development,” Apostolic Letter by John Paul II

Ask the teens to share their thoughts on the Church’s position. Allow for a few minutes of discussion.

SAY: Tonight we will be watching the movie [Movie Title]. (Give a brief description of the movie – go to www.imdb.com for movie descriptions). During the movie, I want you to look for the following themes and how they relate to our faith. (Communicate the themes of the movie.)name, Amen

DIG IN

Allow the teens time to collect concessions and find a comfortable seat.

SAY: Tonight we’re going to enjoy a movie as a group—and maybe learn a few things along the way! Before we begin, let’s lift up our time together in prayer.

PRAY: Gracious God, we thank You for bringing us together this evening for fellowship and community. We pray that You help us to understand the messages that we can find in the arts. Direct our minds and hearts to You and guide us every day into Your kingdom. We ask this through the intercession of Mary as we pray, Hail Mary…

PLANT SEEDS

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SINK ROOTS

Enjoy the movie together. Resist the temptation to point things out during the movie or to start discussions. Let teens enjoy the film and begin to make their own connections.

After the movie, hand out Teen Sheets and pens or pencils. Allow several minutes for teens to reflect on the questions before discussing as a group. During discussion add your own questions, specific to your chosen film. . Here are some questions that could apply to any movie:

➜ What were the themes in the movie that relate to our faith? What can we learn about our faith from this story?

➜ Where can you see yourself in the story?

➜ How does this movie challenge us to live better in our everyday lives?

Encourage teens to try the Bear Fruit idea on their Teen Sheets this week.

A simple closing prayer will be sufficient. You could recite a memorized prayer together, or ask a volunteer to lead a prayer of thanks.

CLOSING PRAYER

LIVE IT!

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Bella abortion, dignity of human life

Remember the Titans teamwork, brotherhood, persecution

The Blind Side teamwork, virtue, family

Soul Surfer perseverance, mission, vocation

Rudy (caution: language) perseverance, prayer, goals

The Incredibles family

Finding Nemo family

Inception (caution: violence, language) forming your mind

Life Is Beautiful dignity of human person, joy

Bruce Almighty prayer, relationship with God

Evan Almighty acts of kindness, mission

The Truman Show truth and our search for meaning

Saving Private Ryan brotherhood

The Avengers brotherhood, teamwork, good vs. evil

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy gospel message, brotherhood, perseverance, virtue

Chronicles of Narnia movies gospel message, forgiveness, faith, virtue, Paschal

mystery

Shawshank Redemption discouragement and faith

Les Miserables forgiveness, freedom, virtue

The Lion King forgiveness and prayer

Fireproof marriage

Horton Hears a Who! the dignity of the human person

A Beautiful Mind overcoming adversity, praise

Cinderella Man overcoming adversity, intercession

Apollo 13 teamwork

Cool Runnings teamwork, accomplishing goals

For Greater Glory (caution: violence) faith, religious freedom

The Count of Monte Cristo forgiveness, overcoming suffering

The Passion of the Christ (caution: graphic violence)

Paschal mystery

Patch Adams (caution: language, brief male nudity)

social justice, forgiveness, overcoming suffering

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A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES

Teen sheet

➜ What were the themes in the movie that relate to our faith? And what can we learn about our faith from this story?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ➜ Where can you see yourself in the story?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ ➜ How does this movie challenge us to live better in our everyday lives?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Q 2: Quotes and Questions

“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” —Matthew 25:40

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During the week, pay attention to the themes in the media that surrounds you. Media can

include television, video games, movies, music, advertisements, websites, Facebook, and

more.

• Log Your Hours: Write down how much time you spend listening to or watching

media each day. Add it up to get a total of hours for the week.

• Note the Themes: Pay attention to and pick out the messages in the media.

Write down a few of the common messages that you hear and see.

• Discern for Yourself: Do these messages help to form my mind for God, or am I

taking in messages that do not support my faith? How does media impact my

faith formation?

Just for Fun

Look at movie previews online and come up with some suggestions for another good movie for the discipleship group to watch. Bring your suggestions to your next meeting.

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parent sheet

A NIGHT AT THE MOVIESBelow is a summary of the topic we discussed and some questions to help you dia-

logue with your teen about the session. Parents, we invite you to use this overview to

continue the conversation that we started this week with your teen.

What We’re Talking About

In most cases, media does not give positive messages or support our faith. The

amount of time most teenagers spend saturating themselves in the culture of these

negative messages can be damaging to their faith formation.

The discipleship group spent the majority of time watching a popular movie that gives

positive life messages and supports our faith. We then discussed the themes of the

movie and what we can learn from them.

Watching the movie was an exercise in learning to pick out positive themes and dis-

cern the messages. In discussing the themes of the movie, we demonstrate to teens

how to critically evaluate the messages that we take in.

Make the Connection

Q 2: Quotes and Questions

“Users [of the mass media]… will want to form enlightened and correct consciences the more easily to resist unwholesome influences.” —CCC 2496

➜ Ask your teen about the movie he or she watched with our discipleship group, and chat about how the themes in the movie relate to our faith.

➜ Share about one of your favorite movies, and tell how it impacted your life.

➜ Watch something together and discuss the message. How might the message have been presented differently?