Just Teach Sheet Teen September Week 2

✝️ Teen Track – Just Teach Sheet

September Week 2
Theme: Faith & Belonging to the Church
Audience: Teenagers (13–18) – Faith Formation / Confirmation Prep
Focus: To see that faith is not a private matter but something we live together in the Church Jesus founded.

Weekly Goal

Teens recognise that being Catholic means belonging to God’s family, the Church. Faith is not “me and Jesus only,” but “we and Jesus together.”

What You’ll Need

This sheet

Bible (print verses if needed)

Quiet time (10–15 minutes daily)

Journal / notes app

Opening Prayer (Daily)

Lord Jesus,
You call me to follow You not alone but in Your Church.
Teach me to love Your family,
to defend my faith,
and to live as a faithful Catholic disciple.
Amen.

�� Day 1 – The Church is More than “Me and Jesus”

Teaching:
Lots of people say, “I’m spiritual, not religious.” But Jesus didn’t leave us a “do-it-yourself” religion. He founded a Church with sacraments, priests, and authority.

�� Matthew 16:18 – “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church.”

��️ Mini Homily Reflection:
If you want Jesus, you must want His Church. They can’t be separated.

Ask yourself:

Do I sometimes think faith is just private?

How would my faith be weaker without the Church?

�� Day 2 – The Church is One

Teaching:
There are thousands of Christian groups. Only the Catholic Church can trace herself directly back to Jesus and the apostles.

�� Ephesians 4:4–5 – “There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

��️ Reflection:
Unity matters. Imagine a football team where everyone plays by their own rules. That’s chaos. The Church has one faith and one way of worshipping, all over the world.

Ask yourself:

What does it mean to belong to the same Church as Catholics in Africa, Asia, and the Americas?

How does that unity strengthen me?

�� Day 3 – The Church is Holy (Even When People Aren’t)

Teaching:
Yes, Catholics sin. But the Church herself is holy because Christ is holy. He gives us the sacraments to make us holy.

�� 1 Peter 2:9 – “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.”

��️ Reflection:
The failures of individuals don’t cancel the holiness of the Church. Think of a hospital: people may still be sick, but the hospital is where healing happens.

Ask yourself:

Have scandals or sins of others ever made me doubt the Church?

Do I see how Christ still makes the Church holy through the Eucharist and Confession?

�� Day 4 – The Church is Catholic (Universal)

Teaching:
“Catholic” means universal. The Church is for all people, everywhere, in every time.

�� Matthew 28:19 – “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

��️ Reflection:
The Catholic Church is the biggest family in the world. Same Mass, same faith, everywhere.

Challenge:
Look up the Catholic Church in another country (Nigeria, Brazil, Poland, India). Pray for those Catholics — they are your brothers and sisters.

��️ Day 5 – The Church is Apostolic

Teaching:
Jesus gave His apostles authority to teach and forgive sins. The Pope and bishops continue that mission today.

�� John 20:21–23 – “As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you… Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven.”

��️ Reflection:
The Church is not “make it up as you go.” We still have living apostles through apostolic succession.

Ask yourself:

How does knowing my bishop is part of this line back to the apostles make me trust the Church more?

Weekend Wrap-Up – Belonging to the Church

Reflect:

What is the best thing about belonging to the Catholic Church?

How would life be different if Jesus had not given us His Church?

Where am I called to defend or explain my faith to others?

 Journal Prompts

“The Church is important because…”

“If someone asked me why I’m Catholic, I would say…”

“The thing I love most about the Church is…”

 

Apologetics for Teens

Objection: “I don’t need the Church, I have my Bible.”
Response: Without the Church, you wouldn’t even have the Bible. The Church gave it, preserved it, and teaches it without error.

Objection: “The Church is full of hypocrites.”
Response: The Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum of saints. Christ still makes her holy.

Objection: “Aren’t all religions the same?”
Response: Only the Catholic Church has the fullness of truth, the Eucharist, and apostolic succession.

Optional Catechism Extension

CCC 811–812 – “The Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.”

CCC 830–831 – “Catholic means universal.”

CCC 857–860 – “The Church is apostolic.”