Just Teach Sheet Teen September Week 1

Teen Track – Just Teach Sheet

September Week 1
Theme: Faith & Belonging to the Church
For Teens (13–18)
Focus: Believing in Christ always means belonging to His Church. Faith is personal but never private.

Weekly Goal

Teens see that Catholic faith isn’t just “me and God” but “we and God.” Christ gave us His Church so we could live, grow, and be saved together.

What You’ll Need

This sheet

A Bible

Journal or phone notes app

Opening Prayer (Daily)

Lord Jesus,
You call me not only to believe in You,
but to belong to Your Church.
Help me to live my faith as part of Your family,
and to grow as a disciple together with others. Amen.

�� Day 1 – Faith Is Not Private

Teaching:
Modern culture says, “Believe whatever you want, but keep it private.”
Catholic faith is different. When you believe in Jesus, you’re joined to His Body, the Church.

�� 1 Corinthians 12:27 – “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

��️ Mini Homily Reflection:
If my hand tried to live apart from my body, it would die. The same with faith. Believing without belonging is like a hand cut off from the body.

Ask yourself:

Do I see my faith as “just me and God,” or as part of a bigger family?

Practice: Write in your journal one way you can show your faith publicly this week (cross necklace, speaking kindly, making the Sign of the Cross at meals).

�� Day 2 – Jesus Founded the Church

Teaching:
Jesus didn’t leave us a book only. He built His Church on Peter.
�� Matthew 16:18 – “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.”

��️ Mini Homily Reflection:
Every group or team needs leaders, rules, and identity. The Church is not man-made; it’s Christ’s own creation.

Think:

If Jesus started one Church, does it make sense that there are thousands of denominations?

Practice: Look up a Catholic saint from another country (e.g. St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Charles Lwanga). Notice how the same Catholic faith is lived across the world.

�� Day 3 – The Church Is Catholic (Universal)

Teaching:
“Catholic” means universal. Wherever you go — Poland, Nigeria, Brazil, or Leicester — the Mass is the same sacrifice of Christ.

�� Revelation 7:9 – “A great multitude… from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne.”

��️ Mini Homily Reflection:
Being Catholic is bigger than one parish. It’s being part of something global and eternal.

Ask yourself:

Have I thought of my parish as part of something worldwide and ancient?

Practice: Say a short prayer today for Catholics being persecuted in other countries.

�� Day 4 – The Church Teaches with Authority

Teaching:
We don’t make up our own version of Christianity. Jesus gave His authority to the apostles and their successors (bishops). That’s why the Church teaches the truth safely.

�� John 16:13 – “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.”

��️ Mini Homily Reflection:
Without the Church, Christianity splinters into thousands of opinions. With the Church, the same Gospel is guarded for 2,000 years.

Think:

When I disagree with a Church teaching, do I assume the Church is wrong, or do I ask: “What am I missing?”

Practice: Pick one Church teaching you don’t fully understand. Ask a priest, catechist, or read the Catechism to go deeper.

��️ Day 5 – Faith Lived in Communion

Teaching:
Faith grows when we share it. The early Christians gathered for teaching, breaking bread (Mass), and prayer (Acts 2:42).

�� Hebrews 10:25 – “Do not neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another.”

��️ Mini Homily Reflection:
You won’t grow strong in faith on your own. We need Mass, Sacraments, and Catholic community to stay alive in Christ.

Ask yourself:

Who in my life strengthens my Catholic faith?

Who might need me to help strengthen theirs?

Practice: Invite a friend or family member to Mass this weekend.

Weekend Wrap-Up – Belonging to the Church

Reflect or journal:

What makes the Catholic Church different from any other Christian group?

How is faith weakened if I try to live it alone?

How does belonging to the Church change how I live?

Journal Prompts

“Being Catholic means belonging to…”

“If I live faith without the Church, it will…”

��️ Apologetics Corner

“Why do I need the Church? Isn’t Jesus enough?”
Jesus is the Head. The Church is His Body. You can’t accept the Head while rejecting His Body.

“Aren’t all denominations the same?”
No. Jesus promised one Church, not thousands (John 17:21). Catholicism alone has unbroken continuity back to the apostles.