GO PREACH IT!

AN EDGE NIGHT ON THE

CHURCH AS APOSTOLIC
SCRIPTURE KEY WORDS MEDIA
Matthew 28:18-20 Disciple SUGGESTIONS
John 13:34 Apostle • Song: “Start a Fire” by
1 Corinthians 16:14 Vicar of Christ Unspoken (Unspoken,
1 Peter 3:15 Centricity Music)
SUPPLIES NEEDED • Song: “Go Light Your World”
CCC • World map by Chris Rice (Short Term
77 • Destination pictures and Memories, Rocketown
857 posters Records)
864 • Poster board • YouTube: “C4 Ignite Your
880 • Markers Catholic Faith – What are the
888-894 • Pens Marks of the Church?” by
1122 • Paper Archdiocese of Milwaukee
1555 • Prizes • YouTube: “The Rock of
2565 • Thank You cards St. Peter” by Christopher
Stefanick
YOUCAT • YouTube: “The Great
137 Commission” by Dennis
Padul
• Edge Video Support:
Hold My Keys - Apostolic
Succession (EVS 17)

EDGE NIGHT GOAL youth will have the opportunity to reflect on how
The goal of this Edge Night is to help the youth they can bring the Good News of Christ to the
OUTLINE

understand what it means when we profess the world. Also in small groups, they will have the
Church as Apostolic. time to design thank you cards for the bishop of
your local diocese. The Edge Night will close with
a prayer for the all the leaders of the Church.
EDGE NIGHT AT A GLANCE
The Edge Night begins with the youth creating
GO PREACH IT!

advertisements for different travel destinations ENVIRONMENT

all around the world. The teaching will focus on Make the main meeting room look like a travel
what it means that the Church is Apostolic and agency. Put a large world map on the wall at the
how this belief involves all of us along with the front of the room, above the map put a large
leaders of the Church. During small groups, the banner with the name of your travel agency.

60 EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE

Off to one side of the front area set up a desk
to look like a office desk at a travel agency with
a computer, some brochures, and other papers.
Create advertising posters to put up highlighting
great travel deals on specific destinations. If
possible before the Edge Night, have the Core
Team create a video to advertise the travel agency
and to highlight one of the world destinations as
an example for the Gather activity.
CORE TEAM FORMATION
When we profess in the Creed that the Church
is Apostolic, we are professing a belief in both
apostolic succession and the mission of the
Church. On October 16, 2013, for his weekly
audience, Pope Francis spoke at length about
the importance of being apostolic. Pope Francis
stated, “‘Apostle’, in fact, is a Greek word meaning
‘sent’, ‘dispatched’. An Apostle is a person who has
been given a mandate, he is sent to do something
and the Apostles were chosen, called and sent
out by Jesus to continue his work, that is to pray
— which is the primary job of an apostle — and,
second, to proclaim the Gospel.”
Just like the apostles, we have also been given
the missionary mandate to “make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew
28:19-20). Pope Francis shows us that in order to
properly preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we
must be people of prayer. We can only properly
and effectively preach the Good News if we
have a relationship with our heavenly Father; it
is through prayer that this communion with God
develops and deepens (CCC 2565).
Christ is inviting each of us to go out and
encounter others, and to share with them the joy
of the Gospel. We must be constant witnesses to
the love of Christ and always be ready to share
with anyone the reason for our hope and joy (1
Peter 3:15).
• Do you consider yourself an apostle for Christ?
Why or why not?
• How can you make prayer a more important
part of your life?
EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE
• What are some ways that you could be a better
witness to Christ’s love?
• Do you feel that you are prepared enough to
share in words Christ’s love for others? If not,
what are some ways that you could be better
prepared?
TO THE PARENTS
This week at Edge, the youth learned about why we
profess that the Church is Apostolic. In the Creed,
which we profess every Sunday, we proclaim that
the Church is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.
We learned that the Church is Apostolic in three
unique ways. First, the Church is founded upon
the prayer and teaching of the apostles. Second,
the Church hands on the teachings that were
given by Christ Jesus through the pope, bishops,
and priests. Third, the Church’s task is to make
disciples of all nations. Here are some questions
to ask your son or daughter this week:
• What do we mean when we say that the Church
is Apostolic?
• What are some things that we, as a family, are
doing to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ?
• What are some ways that we, as a family, can
start to help spread the love of Christ in the
world?
OUTLINE
GO PREACH IT!
61
 GATHER
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
(5 min)
Gather in all of the youth, introduce any youth
that are there for the first time, and recognize any
birthdays. Give a brief introduction to the night
and then open the night with prayer.
TRAVEL DESTINATION DEALS
(20 min)
Supplies
• Poster board
• Markers
• Prizes
Before the Edge Night, have each Core Member
choose what their group’s travel destination will
be. Encourage them to pick a place that the youth
may not be familiar with. Have the Core Members
find a few basic facts about this destination and a
few pictures that they can either print off for the
youth or have on their phones to show them.
Break the youth into small groups. Have the Core
Members explain to the group what their travel
destination will be and share the brief facts and
pictures of this place. Then give each group a
poster board and markers and instruct them to
make an advertisement, tweet or Instagram post
for their destination to be utilized in the travel
agency. Once the youth have completed their
posters have them present to the whole group
and explain what things they highlighted about
the destination and why.
OUTLINE
After all the groups have presented, have the
youth vote for which place they want to travel to
and give that group a prize.
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62 EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE
PROCLAIM
“GO PREACH IT!” TEACHING
(10 min)
This teaching can be found on page 64 to 66. Here
are the main points from the teaching.
• The Church is Apostolic which means that she
is sent by Jesus to preach the Good News of
Christ.
• Apostolic succession gives the pope, bishops,
and priests authority that stems from Christ
Himself to teach and guide the Church.
• We are all called to be a part of the apostolic
mission of the church.
BREAK
MISSIONARY TESTIMONY
(10 min)
At this time have a Core Member give a
testimony about a time they purposely traveled
somewhere to preach the Good News of Jesus
on a mission trip. Have him or her first tell
the youth where he or she went, and then
what he or she did while he or she was there.
During his or her explanation have him or her
emphasize how this was living out the call to be
a part of the apostolic mission of the Church.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION
(10 min)
Break the youth back into their small groups,
begin in prayer, and use the following questions
for discussion:
• In your own words, what does it mean to say
that the Church is Apostolic?

• Are there any teachings of the Church that you
have a hard time understanding or agreeing
with? If yes, what which ones?
• What are some ways that you tear down the
Church?
• How can you be a better disciple of Christ?
• How can you, in your every day life, help to
spread the Good News of Jesus Christ?
TAKING IT DEEPER: SMALL GROUP
ADAPTATIONS FOR 8TH GRADE:
For your 8th graders that are looking to go deeper,
during small groups have them read 1 Peter 3:15-
16 in their Bibles instead of doing the small group
questions.
Give them some time to journal about these two
questions:
1. How would you respond to a person who asks
you about your faith?
2. Why do you love your faith?
THANK YOU CARDS FOR OUR
BISHOP
(10 min)
Supplies
• Blank thank you cards
• Pens
Keep the youth in their small groups and have
them direct their attention to the front of the
room. Put up a picture of your local bishop or
bishops and give the youth some fun facts about
them. Explain to them some of the tasks of their
local bishops and give them some context of what
to thank them for.
Give each youth a blank thank you card to write
a thank you note to your local bishop. Have the
Core Members collect the cards at the end of the
small group time and review them to make sure
that they are appropriate. After the Edge Night be
sure to mail the cards to your bishop.
EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE
SEND
CLOSING PRAYER
(10 min)
Gather all of the youth back to the large group. If
possible, invite your parish priest to be present
at the end of the Edge Night. Give a brief re-cap
of the teaching and that the call to be apostolic is
not just for bishops and priests but also for all of
us.
Invite your parish priest(s) to come to the middle
of the space and instruct the youth to gather
around him to pray over him. Have all of the
youth extend their hands over the priest(s) and
lead them in a prayer asking God to bless your
priest(s) and to help him carry on his call to the
apostolic mission of the Church. After, ask your
priest(s) to pray over all the youth asking Christ
to help them to carry out their own missions to
bring Christ to all people.
End the Edge Night in a prayer all together for the
pope and all bishops and the universal Catholic
Church to fulfill the great commission we have all
been given.
FURTHER ADAPTATION IDEAS
• Have some small groups write thank you cards
to the bishops and have some of them write
thank you letters to your parish priests.
• Bring in your priest to do a Q & A and allow the
youth to ask questions about what he does in
his everyday life.
OUTLINE
GO PREACH IT!
63
 GO PREACH IT!
TEACHING

KEY WORD
DEFINITIONS
Disciple - Those who accept
Jesus’ message to follow Him
Apostle - One who is sent
with a mission; refers to
the twelve men Jesus chose
to continue His mission to
preach the Gospel to the
whole world of faith through
the Church” (CCC 75-82).
Vicar of Christ - Title of the
office of pope implying his
full, supreme and universal
power over the whole Church
on Earth

THE CHURCH IS APOSTOLIC

So many people love to travel; if they could, they would spend their
whole lives exploring. Traveling is so appealing because you are
able to experience new places, new adventures, new traditions, and
meet new and interesting people. Jesus was no stranger to traveling.
Although He did not travel all over the world, He certainly did His
fair share of traveling, especially for someone whose only way of
transportation was walking.

Jesus, throughout His three years of public ministry, traveled to

many different areas of Israel. Throughout His travels He acquired
many disciples, however, He only chose twelve to be His apostles
and to travel with Him. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told
His apostles to go and travel, not for leisure and relaxation, but to Key Words
complete the mission He gave them. To be an apostle means to be
sent with a mission, and Christ had a very important mission for
them – to continue His own mission of telling people about God and
baptizing them.
TEACHING

Jesus commissioned His apostles when He said, “Go, therefore,

and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you Matthew 28: 19-20
always, until the end of the age.” Jesus tasked the apostles, under CCC 1122
the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to unite all peoples together in Christ
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and one Church.

64 EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE

 APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION
We profess in the Creed, that the Church is Apostolic, which is the
fourth mark of the Church. The Church is Apostolic because She is
built on the foundation of the apostles, and is under the guidance of
CCC 857
the Holy Spirit. The Church continues to be taught, sanctified, and
guided by the pope and the bishops who are the successors of the
apostles.

“In order that the full and living Gospel might always be preserved
in the Church the apostles left bishops as their successors. They
gave them ‘their own position of teaching authority.’” This teaching
authority is passed on through the laying on of hands and “is
transmitted down to our day through episcopal consecration.”
This consecration happens when men become priests through
the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The authority that every priest and
bishop receives is the authority of Christ. No bishop, not even the
pope, has any power to act on his own authority; rather, it is Christ
who shares His own power with these men and enables them
preserve the faith of the Church.

When Christ instituted the Church, He also created a hierarchy and

order within the Church. Christ created the office of pope, who is
the Vicar of Christ, to shepherd the whole Church. Our Lord chose
CCC 77 Peter as the first pope and entrusted him with leading the apostles
CCC 1555 and the Church at it’s very beginning. The supreme authority that
Key Word Peter was given 2000 years ago has been passed on and is present
today with our current pope. Under the pope are the cardinals and
bishops who over see different groups of priests. Then the priests
oversee the specific churches they are assigned to.

THE WHOLE CHURCH IS APOSTOLIC

CCC 888 - 894 The pope, together with the bishops of the Church have been tasked
CCC 880 with teaching, sanctifying, and governing the Church. Their duty to
teach is a call to preach the Gospel to all men.

We have talked a lot about apostolic succession and the roles that
the pope and bishops have in the Catholic Church, but what about
us? When we profess that the Church is Apostolic in the Creed,
we are also recognizing that we have a role as well. Just as Christ
commissioned St. Peter and the other apostles to make disciples
CCC 863 of all nations, we also share in this same mission. Apostle, in Greek
means, “sent,” so just as the apostles were sent out, we too are
called to be apostles of Christ, to be sent out into the world. We TEACHING
are called to help spread the Good News to everyone that we meet
- that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead, so that we
might have eternal life.
GO PREACH IT!

We can either work to build up or tear down the Church by our

actions and words. We build the Church up when we choose to love
John 13:34 God above all things, love ourselves, and love one another as Christ
1 Corinthians 16:14 has loved us. As St. Paul reminds us, “Your every act should be done
with love.” Christ challenges each of us to be His apostle and to do
all things with love.

EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE 65

 What does this look like in everyday life? This might mean that you
tell your siblings about Jesus or you share with your parents all the
things you do at Edge. We might not be sent out to other nations
to share Christ, but we are sent out into our worlds of our families,
our friends, and our schools. You can be an apostle everyday in the
simple small things that you do. (At this time, share an experience of
being an apostle in every day life and how you have shared the Good
News of Christ with those around you.)

Notes

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66 EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE

Notes

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EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE 67

 GO PREACH IT! CHECKLIST

EDGE NIGHT CHECKLIST

EDGE NIGHT DATE: WEEK PRIOR TO EDGE NIGHT:

____________________________________________ ⃞ Hand out/email the Edge Night to the Core

Members
EDGE NIGHT TOPIC:
⃞ Assign duties to the Core Team
____________________________________________
⃞ Pick videos and/or songs

CORE TEAM ASSIGNMENTS: ⃞ Gather all the supplies

Environment ________________________________ ⃞ Email Core Team the Edge Night Core Formation

Opening Prayer ______________________________

WEEK OF THE EDGE NIGHT:
Games _____________________________________
⃞ Prep for games and the environment
Proclaim ____________________________________
⃞ Meet with the Core Member doing the Proclaim
Closing Prayer _______________________________ (if applicable)

Videos: ____________________________________ DAY OF THE EDGE NIGHT:

____________________________________________ ⃞ Email parents the information about the Night
and any announcements
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⃞ Gather and set-up for the night
Songs: ____________________________________
⃞ Pray!
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CHECKLIST

Notes

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68 EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE

GO PREACH IT! EVALUATION

EDGE NIGHT EVALUATION

INSTRUCTIONS:
Evaluation is a key to successful ministry. Use the following questions to discuss
and evaluate your Edge Night.

What is going well at our Edge Nights? What can Would you be interested in leading prayer,
we improve? explaining games, or giving a Proclaim teaching?

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Was there one particular part of this Edge Night Are our Core meetings effective? How can I
you did not think was necessary? What and better serve you as a youth minister? What can
Why? we do to better serve our youth?

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GO PREACH IT!

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EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE 69