Girls in the St. John Vianney monthly Bible study hold up superhero icons for their session last month on heroism and scriptural and saintly heroes. (Photo courtesy of Steffanie Beissel)
By Steffanie Beissel
Special to the Herald
“The Bible, not to place it on a shelf, but to keep it at hand, to read it often, every day, both individually and together, husband and wife, parents and children, maybe in the evening, especially on Sundays. This way the family grows, walks, with the light and power of the Word of God!” (Pope Francis)
Bible study. When we hear those words we typically think of adults journeying on a weeks-long adventure to discover more about the Word of God. These programs are enrichening, enlightening and educational, but … they are not generally designed for youth.
For many children, the Bible is confusing, overwhelming and out-of-touch. They feel that words written 2,000 or more years ago cannot be applicable to the issues they are facing today. Current religious education and youth ministry models indicate that the most effective way to reach our youth is by incorporating different learning styles (visual, auditory, verbal, tactile/touching, logical and social) in each session. It was with this understanding, and the inspirational words from Pope Francis, that St. John Vianney Parish in Kailua began its Girls’ Bible Study in September.
In cooperation with Our Ladies’ Sodality and led by sodality member Sandra Brown, girls in grades three through five gather once a month at St. John Vianney to become better acquainted with the Bible. This year’s theme, “Built on the Rock: Build Your Faith on a Firm Foundation,” finds the girls learning about virtues such as discipleship, trust, integrity and heroism. Sessions include ice-breakers, music, Scripture journaling, small group discussions, arts and crafts. All activities are directed to the month’s topic which allows the girls to focus mind, body and spirit on the Word of God.
During our February session we learned about heroism. We asked, “When everyone else is running, will you stand and fight for what is right?” By using superheroes as examples, we began with a game of “Flying Kryptonite” during which the girls formed teams, donned superhero capes, gained strength over their weakness and worked together to move the “kryptonite” and keep their teams safe.
While working on their Scripture journals, we talked about what makes a person a hero and wrote our own definition of heroism. The girls read about Bible hero Queen Esther, and saw how she showed courage and became a hero to her people. The girls also learned about our hero saints such as St. Maximillian Kolbe, and found verses in the Bible about heroism, courage and martyrdom. We also looked at other heroes in the Bible such as Peter, Paul, Stephen, Eleazar and Abraham. The night ended by making Superhero Slime and enjoying Super Power Parfaits.
Each month, the girls are given a Bible memory verse and “soul work” to work on before the next meeting. The Bible memory verse for this month is Joshua 1:9, “Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go.”
The soul work assignment includes living out the selected virtue at home, school and church. This month’s soul work included instructions to do hard things and not shy away from challenges; to read about the heroes of our church’s past, especially the saints and martyrs; to decide who to look to as a model and to find a hero you can believe in and can learn from; and to work hard to be someone’s model, with a reminder that they can be a hero, too.
Members of the sodality also volunteer to help with arts and crafts projects each month. Watching the keiki of our parish grow closer with our kupuna has been a rewarding and worthwhile result.
Steffanie Beissel is the religious education coordinator for St. John Vianney Parish. For more information about the Girls’ Bible Study program, contact her at 262-8317, sbeissel@rcchawaii.org.
